Vandals’ Stunning Rally Beats Demoralized Nau

Weird setting. Weirder basketball game. The weirdest finish.

Idaho recovered from a seven- point deficit with 1:12 remaining by forcing several rapid-fire turnovers and winning on senior guard Mark Leslie’s fall-down, standup, fadeaway 18-footer with 4 seconds left.

Leslie’s bucket put a bizarre conclusion to UI’s 77-76 Big Sky Conference victory over emotionally spent Northern Arizona on Thursday at Memorial Gym.

UI trailed 73-64 with 3 minutes to go, but NAU unraveled against a fullcourt press the Vandals installed earlier this week and had practiced for only one day. NAU’s miscues allowed UI to overcome three botched layups in the final 70 seconds.

Leading 76-75, NAU guard Jerome Riley inadvertently kicked the ball out of bounds with 15 seconds left. UI called time out and student assistant coach Leonard Perry called Leslie aside for a chat.

“Leonard tapped me on the back and said, “Game over, I don’t even have to see the conclusion because I know you’re going to hit it,’ ” said Leslie, who scored 25 points and hit six 3-pointers. “He’s the only person that didn’t congratulate me yet. He told me that’s what I’m supposed to do.”

That’s what Leslie’s done with clutch shots in several games in the past two years.

On this one, UI spread the floor and Leslie pulled up near the foul line. He lost his balance and fell to a knee, but retained his dribble, regained his footing and sank a fallaway jumper.

NAU coach Ben Howland said it appeared Leslie travelled as he stood up, but added, “they’re not going to make that call at that point in the game.”

The stunned Lumberjacks, who had outplayed UI most of the second half, failed to get off a shot before the buzzer sounded.

It was an especially crushing loss for NAU, still coping with leading scorer Brad Snyder’s death last Sunday in an auto accident.

After the buzzer, NAU’s Marcel Ten Berge, who, like all ‘Jacks players had Snyder’s No. 44 written on the backs of his shoes, sat down near the foul line and stared blankly as the Vandals celebrated.

“We played well, it was a tough break for our team,” Howland said. “The game obviously was very important for a lot of reasons.”

UI’s normal home, the Kibbie Dome, was occupied by the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, so the game was played before a docile Memorial Gym crowd of 1,052 who perked up in the frantic final minutes.

The Vandals took a big step toward reserving a spot in the sixteam Big Sky Tournament after improving to 5-6 in league play, 11-12 overall. NAU is 4-8, 7-16.

UI can finish no worse than sixth by winning one of its last three games. NAU, with games at Eastern Washington and at Weber State, must win both and hope UI loses three to overtake the Vandals.

Sky pace-setter Weber State visits UI at 1:05 Saturday afternoon in Memorial.

Idaho 77, NAU 76 N. ARIZONA

Derick 1-3 2-4 4, T.Johnson 6-9 3-5 16, Rondeno 10-15 0-0 21, Wylie 0-2 0-0 0, Greer 1-5 3-4 5, Ten Berg 5-7 1-2 11, Bowden 1-3 0-0 2, Riley 6-10 3-6 17. Totals 30-54 12-21 76.

IDAHO

Dirden 5-13 0-0 12, Harrison 5-7 4-6 14, Gardner 5-8 2-2 12, B.Johnson 4-10 3-4 12, Leslie 9-14 1-3 25, Baumann 0-0 0-0 0, Spike 0-2 0-0 0, Coates 0-1 0-0 0, Jones 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 29-56 10-15 77.

Halftime-Idaho 35, N. Arizona 35. 3-Point goals-N. Arizona 4-10 (Derick 0-1, T.Johnson 1-3, Rondeno 1-1, Riley 2-2, Greer 0-3), Idaho 9-22 (Leslie 6-9, Dirden 2-7, B.Johnson 1-5, Spike 0-1). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-N. Arizona 34 (T.Johnson, Rondeno, Greer 7), Idaho 24 (Harrison 9). Assists-N. Arizona 11 (Derick, Rondeno 3), Idaho 15 (Leslie 4). Total fouls-N. Arizona 17, Idaho 19. Technicals-N. Arizona, Rondeno; Idaho, Coates. A-1,052.