[Vision2020] Idaho Holds on to Beat Drake and Advance

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (March 19, 2009) Spokesman Review.

------------------------------------------------------

MOSCOW, Idaho – It was their first foray into the postseason since 1990, 
and the Idaho Vandals seemed intent on squeezing every heart-stopping 
second out of Wednesday night’s game that they could. 

Their 12-point lead with 3 minutes left evaporated in a hurry. So did a 
four-point cushion with less than a minute remaining. 

But thankfully for the Vandals, the small but rambunctious crowd inside 
the tight quarters of Memorial Gym was on their side. It was an edge they 
desperately needed.

Buoyed by 1,502 rowdy fans, Idaho continued its stellar homecourt 
advantage and held off late-charging Drake 69-67 in the first round of the 
CollegeInsider.com tournament. 

The Vandals (17-15) pocketed their first postseason win since 1982, when 
the Vandals featured Phil Hopson. This time, it was his son Mac who helped 
usher UI into the CIT’s quarterfinal round.

“It’s very special to me,” the younger Hopson said. “It’s just so huge I 
can’t really explain it. I transferred here (from Washington State) to put 
Idaho on the map. 

“I’m just so happy inside. It’s so huge for our program. I just can’t 
express it.” 

After reaching its highest win total since 1993-94, Idaho moves on to face 
Pacific, which dropped Portland on Wednesday night. The Vandals and Tigers 
will meet Monday in Stockton, Calif. 

Idaho advanced on the strength of perhaps its most balanced effort of the 
season. Five players reached double figures, and point guard Hopson and 
Kashif Watson combined for 16 assists. 

A Terrence Simmons 3 and Brandon Wiley layin extended the Vandals’ cushion 
to 67-55 at the 3:22 mark. But then the Bulldogs (17-16) staged a gutsy 
rally. 

Aided by three UI turnovers, they went on an 11-0 spurt. Josh Parker’s 3-
pointer from the right wing sliced Idaho’s lead to 67-66 with 55 seconds 
left.

After Trevor Morris canned two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining to 
make it 69-66, the Vandals opted to foul Drake before it could get off a 
3. Yet Hopson put both arms around Craig Stanley and was called for an 
intentional foul.

Stanley made 1 of 2 foul shots and Josh Young, who had been sensational in 
the first half, clanged a 3-point try over the long arms of Luciano de 
Souza at the buzzer.

Afterward, Drake coach Mark Phelps bemoaned Stanley’s errant layup attempt 
with 4.3 seconds left. Stanley appeared open, but Morris closed quickly to 
contest the shot. He then corralled the rebound and sank the decisive free 
throws.

“He would make that shot 99 out of 100 times,” Phelps said of Stanley. “I 
guess tonight was the 100th.” 

Both teams, short on interior presences, traded 3-pointers for much of the 
night. The teams combined for 57 3-point attempts, with Drake draining 10 
of 34 attempts. 

Young unleashed 14 points in the first half. But with Watson guarding him 
after the break, he shot 0 of 8 from the floor and made just four second-
half free throws. 

“I really thought the key to this game was Kashif Watson,” Idaho coach Don 
Verlin said. “He locked that kid down, and that’s a really good Missouri 
Valley player. That was a heck of an effort by Kashif.” 

------------

CIT 
Wednesday’s results 

Idaho 69, Drake 67
Pacific 82, Portland 76
JMU 69, Mt. St. Mary’s 58
Bradley 81, Austin Peay 74
Belmont 92, Evansville 76

VANDALS 69 
BULLDOGS 67 

Monday: Idaho at Pacific. 

------------------------------------------------------

Seeya at the Square, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

Came a tribe from the north brave and bold . . .

"Here We Have Idaho"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/HWHI.mp3
 
"I-D-A-H-O Idaho Idaho Go Go Go"
http://www.tomandrodna.com/Vandals.mp3
 

---------------------------------------------
This message was sent by First Step Internet.
           http://www.fsr.com/