Vandals secure 4th win in 5 games

During his time at Idaho, Deremy Geiger has proven to be a hot-or-cold outside shooter. And during most of this season, the Vandals have been the same as a team. Geiger was feeling it Thursday night, and so have the Vandals in the last few weeks.

Idaho pulled away from San Jose State for a 74-66 win last night in front a small crowd in Moscow. More details below.

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John Blanchette was on the scene last night, and he filed this story on the Vandals’ fourth win in five games. Idaho trailed San Jose — the WAC’s last-place team — for much of the first half, and in fact was down by nine, 35-26, before turning it on during an 18-2 spree.

Geiger hit seven 3-pointers while Kyle Barone and Djim Bandoumel both had double-doubles. For Bandoumel, arguably Idaho’s most consistent player the last five games, the double-double was a first on the Division I level.

Bandoumel, a 6-foot-8 senior from Quebec who sat out most of last year for academic reasons, has seen his blocked shot numbers go way down in WAC play. But he’s scored in double digits four of the last five games — and his rebounding numbers are starting to improve.

Barone’s 21-point, 11-rebound game was also a good sign for UI. The 6-foot-10 junior’s performance has been spotty this season — and coach Don Verlin acknowledged that “sometimes my expectations are too high” for Barone. Thursday was his first 20-plus-point game since UI’s loss to Wright State before Christmas, and perhaps he’s getting some confidence back.

So, at 11-9 and 4-2 in the WAC, the Vandals now hold a share of second place with New Mexico State, which lost to first-place Nevada at home on Thursday night. If the WAC tournament started today, Idaho would be the No. 3 seed because it lost to NMSU earlier. But the Vandals get the Aggies at home on Feb. 9 — with games vs. Hawaii and at Fresno State and Nevada before then. The Warriors, who come to Moscow on Saturday night at 8:05 p.m., lost at Utah State 77-72 last night.

Nevada, at 6-0, is now in control of the WAC with a two-game lead over NMSU and Idaho (three other teams are 3-3). UNR has won at NMSU and Idaho already, and it is one of the hottest teams in the country. But Idaho is also playing well heading into a difficult part of its league schedule.