Dubois tallies career-best 21 points to lead Vandals

MOSCOW, Idaho – Forward David Dubois scored a career-high 21 points Saturday and Idaho shot 68 percent from the field in the second half to pull away for a 77-58 non-conference men’s basketball victory over NAIA Eastern Oregon University at Cowan Spectrum.

Dubois, who averages 8.3 points per game, scored nine of Idaho’s first 11 second-half points and eclipsed his previous career best of 14 points. He was 10 for 15 from the floor, including a 6-for-7 showing in the second half.

The game counted toward Idaho’s record (2-6), but was considered an exhibition for EOU (5-3).

Idaho shot 17 for 25 from the floor in the second half to finish 33 of 55.

Idaho’s Tanoris Shepard hit 6 of 7 from the field to finish with 14 points. Brett Ledbetter added 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and Keoni Watson hit 5 of 9 from the floor to score 10 points.

Forward Mark Carollo hit three 3-pointers and led the Mountaineers with 17 points.

Idaho never trailed. EOU pulled within 22-19 with 12 minutes left in the first half, but Ledbetter hit a long 3-pointer as Idaho closed the half with a 13-4 run to take a 35-23 lead.

Maurice Thomas’ 3-pointer early in the second half allowed EOU to cut Idaho’s edge to 37-29. The Vandals responded with an 8-0 run over the next 8 minutes and built the lead to as many as 22 points.

Idaho’s 77-point output was its highest of the season.

The Vandals finished with a 33-23 rebounding edge, led by Mike Kale’s game-high eight.

Mountaineers starter Derek Brown (Mt. Spokane High) scored six points on 3-for-6 shooting from the floor. Local products Kyle Janke (West Valley High/CC Spokane) and Jeremy Templeton (Ferris High) also played for EOU.

Idaho 77, Eastern Oregon 58

Eastern Oregon (5-4)—Thomas 5-9 0-2 12, M.Carollo 6-15 2-2 17, McIntosh 2-3 0-0 4, Fairbanks 2-3 2-3 7, Brown 3-6 0-0 6, Orton 2-9 3-3 7, Rosenbalm 1-1 0-0 3, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Janke 1-3 0-0 2, Pennington 0-1 0-0 0, Templeton 0-1 0-0 0, Fryer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-51 7-10 58.

Idaho (2-6)—Watson 5-9 0-3 10, Shepard 6-7 0-1 14, Ledbetter 4-8 1-1 12, Dubois 10-15 1-3 21, Nwoke 0-2 1-2 1, Forge 0-2 0-0 0, Jakovljevic 4-4 0-0 9, Rose 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 1-1 0-0 2, Bowden-Key 0-2 0-0 0, Vrzina 0-0 0-0 0, Kale 3-5 2-2 8. Totals 33-55 5-12 77.

Halftime—Idaho 35, Eastern Oregon 23. 3-point goals—Eastern Oregon 7-15 (M.Carollo 3-6, Thomas 2-2, Rosenbalm 1-1, Fairbanks 1-2, Templeton 0-1, Orton 0-3), Idaho 6-15 (Ledbetter 3-7, Shepard 2-2, Jakovljevic 1-1, Bowden-Key 0-1, Dubois 0-1, Forge 0-1, Watson 0-2). Fouled out—Fairbanks. Rebounds—Eastern Oregon 23 (McIntosh 5), Idaho 33 (Kale 8). Assists—Eastern Oregon 9 (McIntosh, Thomas 3), Idaho 16 (Shepard 8). Total fouls—Eastern Oregon 17, Idaho 13. A—1,052.