After an impressive 83-81 victory over rival Washington State on Nov. 3, and a dominating 94-49 win over Division III Whitman on Nov. 7, the mighty 2-0 Idaho Vandals men’s basketball team will head on down to the Golden State of California to be the visitor against two schools from San Diego. On Wednesday, Nov. 12, Idaho will take on the University of San Diego, Toreros at 6 p.m.
After this game, the Vandals will stay in San Diego to have a few days to recover and rest before competing once more against the University of California, San Diego Tritons on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m.
San Diego Toreros
After two games into the season, the San Diego Toreros basketball team is staring at an even 1-1 record. Their first match up against Division III Occidental on Nov. 4 went smoothly for the Toreros, as San Diego went on to win 88-59, with key players such as Toneari Lane combining for 15 points, with teammate Tim Moore Jr. right behind him at 13. In a more recent game, the Toreros faced the Idaho State Bengals on Friday, Nov. 7. This game came down to the wire, but ultimately did not go in San Diego’s favor, as the Bengals held through to the end in a 71-68 thriller. This time, key players, such as Juanse Gorosito, led the team for points with 15, with teammates Adrian McIntyre and Lane both boasting 11 points each. Looking ahead, San Diego will return to the Jenny Craig Pavilion on Nov. 12, when they host the Idaho Vandals in hopes of bouncing back and regaining momentum early in the season.
UC San Diego Tritons
Big West Conference member UC San Diego has proved to be a force to be reckoned with while starting the season off strong with a 2-0 record. In the first game of the season on Nov. 3, the Tritons stayed home to take on Division III La Verne. This game was never close as UC San Diego demolished La Verne 105-73. Leo Beath was a star in this game, racking up a total of 24 points, by far the highest on the team.
Beath also recorded six rebounds and three steals without committing a single turnover in the big win. In their most recent game against Houston Christian, which occurred on Saturday, Nov. 8, the Tritons again dominated at home and took care of business against the Huskies ultimately ending with 78-60 win.
Tom Beattie led the team in points with 18, also grabbing six rebounds and chipping in four assists. Before UC San Diego hosts Idaho on Nov. 15, the Tritons will be on the road on Wednesday, Nov. 12, to take on 2-1 Fresno State.
While both San Diego teams are looking for a tough fought win, the Idaho Vandals aren’t going to make it easy on them, especially after upsetting Washington State in Pullman. The Vandals enter California confident and undefeated, aiming to extend their winning streak against two quality opponents.
With top performers for the Vandals such as guard Kristian Gonzales and forward Jackson Rasmussen, defeating this tough Vandals team will not be an easy accomplishment. Both programs will need to bring their best effort on both ends of the court if they hope to slow down the Vandals early season momentum.
Gage McElroy can be reached at [email protected].