They have a knack for defeating the undefeated and Idaho’s 72-68 upset victory over Nevada wasn’t any different Saturday.
Vandal men’s basketball (12-11, 5-4 WAC) snapped the nation’s second-longest winning streak and sent the Wolf Pack (19-4, 8-1 WAC) away with their first loss since Nov. 25.
A year after upsetting then No. 17 Utah State, Idaho pulled it out again, this time on the road against a Nevada team that slaughtered Idaho by 18 points in Moscow earlier this season.
The Vandals received a late boost from junior center Kyle Barone, who picked up six points and two rebounds in the game’s closing minutes — four of those points from crucial free throws.
Nevada and Idaho traded the lead numerous times, setting up what would be an extravagant ending in front of 7,350 spectators at the Lawlor Events Center.
Idaho converted down the stretch, grabbing the necessary rebounds and converting six of seven from the charity stripe with less than 40 seconds to play.
“We just played really good,” Idaho coach Don Verlin said. “We can kind of find a really good performance and we found it tonight like we did at Oregon State earlier in the year. We’re trying to find a secret to get them to play like that all the time, Vandal fans. If I had that secret I’d sure give it to them.”
WAC Player of the Year front-runner Deonte Burton scored seven points in the game’s final minutes including a 3-pointer that made it a one-possession game. But as the Vandals drew the fouls and made the ensuing free throws, the hopes for an unscathed WAC record slipped down the drain for the hosts.
The Vandals were fortunate to catch Nevada on a poor shooting night that saw the Wolf Pack go 6-24 from 3-point range. Idaho on the other hand, was 10-22, and Stephen Madison and Connor Hill shot above 50 percent from beyond the arc with five attempts apiece.
“I thought Connor came off the bench and gave us a great lift when we needed it. Deremy Geiger made a couple of huge shots. Stephen Madison probably played his best game in about five or six games,” Verlin said.
Though Nevada benefited from a monster night on the boards — out-rebounding Idaho 35-23 — the Vandals had the upper hand in multiple categories, especially field goal percentage, which saw Idaho knock down more than 50 percent. The Wolf Pack were just 24-56 and 42 percent from the field.
Barone’s efforts were clutch down the stretch but Madison provided Idaho’s offensive spark. Madison was 7-10 from the field and the sophomore turned in a team-high 18 points that, along with Burton’s 18, were a game-high.
The Portland native claimed this year’s upset was similar in many ways to the team’s win against Utah State during the 2010-2011 campaign.
“Beating a ranked team was a big deal but this team’s (Nevada) just as good as a ranked team I feel. They’re very good and it’s a big win,” Madison said.
Madison went scoreless and fouled out of Thursday’s loss to Fresno State but a “hot start” helped him acquire an offensive rhythm Saturday.
“My first shot didn’t go in but I felt I rushed it and the next shot just settled down and fell into place,” Madison said.
Barone and Geiger each added 16 points and the two combined to go 10-18 from the field.
Nevada forward Dario Hunt was quiet offensively with just three points, however his 11 rebounds topped all players.
Prior to Saturday’s game only undefeated Murray State, the nation’s No. 10 team, held a longer winning streak than Nevada.
Verlin is now 3-1 at the Lawlor Events Center as Idaho’s coach.
“The bottom line is we played very, very well,” Verlin said. “We executed our game plan, the shots went in and you know we look a lot smarter when the shots go in and you’re playing like that.”
Idaho returns to the Palouse this week for its longest home stand of the 2011-2012 campaign. The four-game stretch will pit the Vandals against future WAC opponent Seattle University, Portland State in the annual Sears BracketBusters match-up and WAC contests against La. Tech and New Mexico State.
The week opens tonight when Idaho hosts the Redhawks, a squad they beat 73-62 in Seattle in December. Tipoff is at 7:05 p.m. in the Cowan Spectrum.