A silence fell over ICCU Arena as senior forward Brody Rowbury walked up to the free throw line with him sitting at 999 career points. Rowbury took a breath, spun the ball in his hand and swished both free throws to give him 1,001 career points and help the Vandals defeat their in-state rival, the Idaho State Bengals, 99-69, ending their three-game losing streak and improve to (14-12, 6-7).
“It feels amazing. I came here for a reason, to impact winning,” Rowbury said. “I don’t really care about the individual accomplishments. I just care that we’re taking steps in the right direction, but it’s great that I was able to get 1,000 points.”
Rowbury, a Meridian native, transferred this season to the Vandals from Southeastern Louisiana as he wanted to finish out his career in his home state.
Since his arrival, Rowbury has been a force on the inside and has been a big help to the Vandals on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Rowbury ended the game with 10 points and seven rebounds.
“He’s a special young man,” head coach Alex Pribble said. “Him being able to have this 1,000th point in Idaho in front of his friends and family in a moment like this is what it’s supposed to be. I’ve called him the rock of this program a lot of times, but really the reality is he’s helped us take the next step forward as a program. For him to be able to have an individual recognition like he did tonight, I’m just really proud.”
Coming off three straight losses, including one on Thursday when they fell to Weber State after being down by 23 points at halftime, the team refocused and had the look in their eyes as they welcomed Idaho State into ICCU Arena.
In a rivalry where the Bengals have had the upper hand recently, it was a game where records didn’t matter when both teams stepped on the court. The name on the front of the jersey and the community they represented took center stage. The Vandals, who have five players from the state of Idaho, looked to put on a show and represent Idaho with a win.
From the start, the Vandals were locked in and were ready for the Bengals. Idaho got off to a flying 8-0 start and set the tone from there. Idaho jumped out to a 26-13 lead and showed off their long-range ability.
Senior guard Isaiah Brickner knocked down another three-pointer for the Vandals, followed by redshirt junior guard Trevon Blassingame and senior guard Biko Johnson, firing up the crowd and getting the Vandals out to a 35-13 lead.
Idaho State battled back and cut the deficit to 17, but a three-pointer by freshman forward Jackson Rasmussen put the Vandals up 20. Rasmussen led the Vandals with 21 points and was a workhorse for the Vandals on the offensive end.
Idaho continued to be relentless on both ends and were running away with the game in the first half. With the Vandals’ lead at 25, Idaho went for the knockout punch and landed it, with Brickner delivering the final blow to the Bengals.
Rasmussen grabbed a rebound off a missed shot and found Brickner in the open court. He used his speed and jetted to the opposite side. Brickner rose above everyone and threw down an emphatic exclamation point dunk and was fouled in the process. Brickner made the free throw, and the Vandals now led 50-22.
Idaho State continued to fight, but the Vandals were too much and closed the half strong. Redshirt sophomore guard Kolton Mitchell, a Coeur d’Alene native and former Idaho State player, played with his heart on his sleeve.
He swished two three-pointers to give Idaho eight three-pointers in the half and put an exclamation point on the half as he zigzagged between defenders and got the left-hand layup to fall. Idaho took a 60-30 lead into the locker room.
Mitchell and Brickner each scored 15 points in the first half, with Rasmussen adding 12 of his own. As a team, Idaho shot 23-35 from the field, 8-15 from beyond the arc, and 6-9 from the free-throw line.
Mitchell had a number of highlight-reel plays and ended with 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and connecting on 4 of his six attempts from beyond the arc. Brickner added 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Idaho continued the momentum and kept pushing, putting the finishing touches behind Rasmussen’s ten-point second half and bringing ICCU Arena to a roar one more time.
Mitchell surveyed the court, put the ball behind his back and drove to the paint. He then flipped a behind-the-back pass to Rasmussen, who was wide open at the three-point line. He buried the three-pointer, and the Vandals led 91-59, cruising to victory in their second win over Idaho State in four seasons.
Idaho, even with the slump, never lost focus or belief in the team. As they push for a top-four seed in the Big Sky tournament, that belief and togetherness in the locker room will be crucial.
“We got a special group of guys, and I’ve been saying this throughout our little rough spell,” Rowbury said. “I’ve been part of teams where at this point of the year, they start to fall off and get into hard times. We have a special group of guys, and we just believe in each other, and we love each other, so we’re going to do it every single day for one another.”
Idaho will go back out on the road and face the (17-7, 11-2) Portland State Vikings, who are in first place in the Big Sky Conference.
The Vandals and Vikings will tip off on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.