MOSCOW, Idaho – The Road To Reno heats up, as Idaho hosts North Dakota on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Cowan Spectrum. Both teams enter at 7-5 in the Big Sky, tied for fifth, just a half game out of the fourth seed and a first round bye in the Big Sky Tournament.
FOLLOW LIVE - Live stats and live audio from the game will be available through the links on the right or through the men's basketball schedule page. There will also be a FREE live stream that can be found through the link on the right or through WatchBigSky.com. Fans can also follow @VandalHoops on Twitter for in-game updates of all games.
MATCHUP – Idaho (15-10, 7-5 BSC) is 2-1 all-time against North Dakota (12-11, 7-5 BSC), including a 74-71 win in late December. That night, Perrion Callandret led the way with 21 points, while Chad Sherwood chipped in 16 off the bench. The Vandals exposed the interior, with Ty Egbert finishing with 11 points and eight boards. Idaho will need to get scoring from elsewhere, as it is still unlikely that Callandret will play.
LAST TIME OUT – The Vandals took down the Bears of Northern Colorado, 73-67. It was a back-and-forth game for the majority, with Idaho taking over midway through the second half and holding a marginal lead for the remainder of the game. Jake Straughan was huge, going 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, including four straight in the first half with Idaho trailing. He would finish with 23 points, a career-best against a Division I opponent.
Chris Sarbaugh also had a solid night. He scored 14 points, going 12-of-13 from the free throw line. He also led the Vandals with seven boards and four assists, while turning the ball over just once.
EVERY DAY COUNTS – Idaho is 5-1 in Big Sky play on Thursdays, but just 2-4 on Saturdays. Interestingly, Idaho's Thursday opponents have a higher overall conference winning percentage than Idaho's Saturday opponents.
INJURY BUG – Idaho is without leading scorer Victor Sanders for the next few weeks while he recovers from a broken hand. The Vandals may also be without second leading scorer Callandret as he continues to fight back from a sprained foot. Callandret has been listed as day-to-day.
BIG SKY PLAY – Idaho is 7-5 so far in the Big Sky, with its first three games taking place on the road. Only one other Big Sky team opened play with three straight on the road, with Sacramento State going 0-3. Idaho went 2-1 during the road stretch. The Vandals close out the regular season with five over their last seven at home.
NOTES – For more notes and stats, check out the notes package linked on the right.
Check back with GoVandals.com following the game for the complete recap.
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.
For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com. Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals
