San Jose State scores another win at Idaho

MOSCOW, Idaho – The San Jose State men’s basketball team can’t seem to win on the road – unless the Spartans are playing at the Cowan Spectrum.

For the second straight season, the Spartans snapped a lengthy road losing streak on Idaho’s home court. This time it was a 68-65 victory Thursday in front of 1,212 that ended an 18-game road skid dating back to the Spartans’ four-point win in Moscow last season. That victory ended San Jose State’s 21-game Western Athletic Conference road losing streak.

Idaho, meanwhile, faded in the second half for the third time in its last five home games. The Vandals (3-18, 1-8 WAC) are alone in the conference basement. San Jose State (3-18, 2-7) moved into eighth place.

“Our mentality to understand how important every moment is, we don’t have that,” Idaho coach George Pfeifer said.

After taking a 30-27 halftime lead, Idaho endured yet another scoring drought – this one lasted 4 minutes and 25 seconds – but this one was coupled with a defensive letdown.

That combination turned a one-point deficit into an 11-point hole with 8:35 remaining.

“Oh man, our defense, we just had that lapse in the second half when we just let them score,” junior forward Darin Nagle said.

Idaho had shown glimpses of offensive improvement. The Vandals had more inside production, better ball movement and a more balanced attack, but the second-half dry spell wasn’t pretty. There was an air ball on a 3-point attempt, a couple more errant long-range shots and two unsightly turnovers.

“In the college basketball arena and particularly in the WAC, you can’t take possessions off offensively and defensively and that’s what we do,” Pfeifer said. “We have some possessions where guys reach out with one hand to catch the basketball. We got away from what was working for us in the first half. We’re not going to make all the shots, but I thought we were getting good looks at the basket in the first half. In the second half we strayed from that.”

Tim Pierce hit his fifth 3-pointer to hike San Jose State’s lead to 53-42. Pierce had scored 19 points in five previous WAC games but scored 20 against the Vandals.

Idaho trailed 61-51 before staging a frantic rally. Nagle hit three 3s in the final 1:10, including one where he grabbed a rebound, raced behind the 3-point line and knocked down a fadeaway jumper. San Jose State cooperated by missing 5 of 10 free throws.

The Vandals trailed 68-65 and diagrammed a play that was supposed to go to Nagle or Clyde Johnson for a 3-point attempt. Instead, O.J. Avworo, who had made just six 3-pointers on the season, dribbled into the corner and fired a desperation 3 that skipped across the rim in the closing seconds.

Nagle finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Keoni Watson, who came in averaging 17.5 points, was held to 10 and attempted only eight shots. His first points came early in the second half. Idaho didn’t get to the free-throw line until 4:53 remained in the second half.

The Spartans shot a season-high 50 percent.

The Vandals entertain Fresno State at 7 p.m. Saturday.