Vandal Hoops Prepare for Home Test against UC Davis Thursday Night

Vandals look to bounce back from upset loss in season opener, host UC Davis at ICCU Arena

Idaho enters Thursday's home opener against UC Davis looking to bounce back from a season-opening upset last weekend. The Vandals dropped their opener at Northern Arizona 85-76 Saturday night despite leading by eight with 12 minutes remaining.

Idaho shot 36 percent from the field in the defeat, including 20 percent from 3-point range. The Vandals were outrebounded 49-36 and had 10 turnovers to NAU's three.

Idaho coach Jason Roos said his team "got away" from what had worked for them in the preseason during the loss at NAU.

"We lost our composure when they started pressing us," Roos said. "We turned it over and they made us play at their pace. We're a better team than that."

Idaho will look to get back on track against UC Davis, which is coming off an 81-73 win over Cal State Fullerton in its season opener Tuesday night.

The Aggies were led by guard Elijah Pepper, who scored 18 points and had seven rebounds. Big man Ty Johnson added 15 points and seven rebounds, and forward Ezra Manjon had 14 points.

UC Davis coach Jim Les said he was pleased with his team's effort in the win over Cal State Fullerton, but knows there is still room for improvement.

"We played with a lot of energy and defended well," Les said. "But we need to be more consistent offensively and we need to take better care of the basketball."

The Vandals and Aggies are meeting for the first time since 2019. Idaho won that meeting 82-73 in Moscow.

Thursday's game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. at the ICCU Arena. Tickets are available at VandalTickets.com.