Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

SportsLink

Idaho to host Long Beach State

The Idaho Vandals have been paired with Long Beach State of the Big West Conference in an ESPN BracketBuster game. The two teams will play in Moscow on Feb. 20. Read on more details on the intriguing matchup.

Here's the UI release on the pairing:

MOSCOW – The pairings for the eighth annual BracketBuster event have been announced and Idaho’s men’s basketball team was selected to face Long Beach State in a home game on Feb. 20.
 
The game will be the second half a Vandal basketball doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 20, as the women will play a Western Athletic Conference game against New Mexico State at 3 p.m. (PST) and the men’s game against LBSU will follow at 5:30.
 
Long Beach State is currently 10-11 overall and 4-4 in the Big West Conference. The 49ers have played a difficult 2009-10 schedule that includes wins over UCLA and Utah State and losses to Clemson, Texas, Kansas and Duke, all of which have been ranked this season.
 
“I’ve seen them play a couple times on tape this year, and they’re very athletic, very talented and have played an unbelievably tough schedule,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “They’re a team that’s in the middle of their conference race right now, and I think they’re one of the most talented teams in the Big West Conference this year.”
 
Idaho and LBSU are former Big West rivals from 1997 to 2005. The 49ers hold a 10-7 overall advantage in the series, which dates to 1963. Their last meeting was a 71-58 Long Beach State win on Feb. 26, 2005.
 
The game also has an interesting storyline in addition to the former conference rivalry. LBSU second-year head coach Dan Monson is a 1985 graduate of the University of Idaho and is the son of Vandal coaching legend, Don Monson.
 
“It’s kind of an interesting matchup, with all things considered,” Verlin said. “It should be a lot of fun.”



SportsLink is your portal into sports news around the Inland Northwest and beyond. You'll find updates, notes and opinions, and plenty of reader feedback.






Looking for a Grip on Sports?

Vince Grippi's daily take on all things regional sports has been moved to our main sports section online. You can find a collection of these columns here.