Balanced Idaho begins Big Sky Conference men’s play with big road victory

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Perrion Callandret scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and Brayon Blake had 12 points and seven rebounds to help Idaho beat North Dakota 74-57 on Friday night in the Big Sky Conference men’s basketball opener for both teams.

Victor Sanders had 11 points, Chad Sherwood scored nine – on 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range – and Nate Sherwood and Jordan Scott added eight points apiece for Idaho (9-4).

The Vandals came in allowing their opponents to score 63.7 points per game (No. 26 nationally), on 38.3-percent shooting (No. 24), including 27.7 percent from 3-point range (No. 6), and smothered the Fighting Hawks. Marlon Stewart converted a three-point play and hit a 3-pointer to give North Dakota a 6-4 lead, but the Fighting Hawks committed 10 turnovers and went 0 for 6 from the field over the next 10-plus minutes.

Idaho led 35-18 at the break and North Dakota got no closer in the second half.

Stewart led UND (4-8), which was held to its lowest scoring output this season, with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting. The rest of the Fighting Hawks combined to make 10 of 35 (29 percent) from the field.