In a closely contested game at ICCU Arena, the Idaho Vandals men’s basketball team lost to the Montana Grizzlies 79-73 on Thursday night. The matchup saw both teams enter undefeated in conference play, with Idaho nearly overcoming an 18-point first-half deficit before falling short in the final moments.
The Grizzlies took control early, opening with a 17-2 run and maintaining a double-digit lead for much of the first half. Idaho trailed by 14 points at halftime but narrowed the gap after the break. The Vandals managed to pull within one point midway through the second half and eventually took their first lead following a lay-up during a late scoring surge.
Idaho’s comeback was highlighted by contributions from several players, including Rowbury, who recorded 15 points and seven rebounds on efficient shooting. Another senior player from San Diego added 14 points, marking his sixth double-figure scoring effort this season.
Despite these efforts, Montana responded with timely baskets down the stretch. A jumper with 28 seconds remaining secured the win for the Grizzlies and handed Idaho its first home loss in conference play this season.
After making only four three-pointers in the game, Idaho’s streak of five or more made threes ended at 60 games—a top-seven streak among all Division I programs. Four made threes is also Idaho’s lowest total since January 25, 2024.
This game marked the ninth time in fifteen outings that Idaho had four or more players score in double figures. The Vandals also won or tied their opponent in rebounding for the twelfth time this season, outrebounding Montana 41-32.
With tonight’s performance, one senior Vandal now sits at 922 career points and is approaching the milestone of 1,000 career points.
Head coach Alex Pribble commented on both fan support and team effort: “We’re very grateful for all the Vandal fans for coming out tonight. When we got the energy where it needed to be and made some plays, the entire arena was bringing energy. That’s what we’re trying to build here is a program that Vandal nation can be proud of. In the second half, the energy in the building was visceral. It was special.”
Idaho’s record moves to 9-6 while Montana improves to 9-7 on their season records.
The Vandals will conclude their three-game homestand against Montana State on January 10 at ICCU Arena; tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., with coverage available via ESPN+, Vandal Radio Network, and Varsity Network.
For students interested in attending future games during this academic year, Idaho Athletics has announced free admission to football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer home events.
