When the ball found Biko Johnson’s hands in the closing minutes Monday night, there was little doubt who would decide the regular season finale.
On a night that demanded execution, Johnson delivered on six straight crunch-time possessions, which ultimately lifted Idaho (17-14, 9-9) to an 85-81 road victory over Eastern Washington (13-18, 11-7) at Reese Court in Cheney, Washington. The win snapped the Eagles’ eight-game winning streak, completed a season sweep and sent the Vandals into the Big Sky Conference tournament with momentum.
Eastern Washington started the season 2-13 and entered February with a 5-17 record. Then, the Eagles caught fire, winning eight straight games to surge into a tie for second place entering the regular season finale.
Idaho, meanwhile, has spent much of the season battling inconsistency, which is the main reason why they missed the opportunity for a second consecutive first-round bye in the conference tournament. The Vandals arrived in Cheney coming off a dominant 78-58 home win over Northern Arizona and a 76-67 senior day loss to Northern Colorado, the only Big Sky team to reach 20 total wins this season.
Eastern Washington came out sharp, racing to an 8-0 lead while Idaho struggled to settle in offensively. It took nearly four minutes for the Vandals to break through before Jackson Rasmussen drilled a three-pointer to cut into the early deficit.
With starting point guard Kolton Mitchell sidelined due to a back injury and no timetable for his return, Idaho leaned on its depth. Aiden Sevilla saw extended minutes in the backcourt, joining Rasmussen in jumpstarting the offense. The Vandals’ bench outscored the Eagles’ bench 20-4 in the first half.
Less than four minutes after finally scoring, Idaho claimed its first lead. The first half unfolded in the same back-and-forth fashion that defined both meetings between the Big Sky travel partners this season. Eastern Washington’s Isaiah Moses was nearly automatic, pouring in 14 first-half points on 6-9 shooting to keep the Eagles within striking distance.
On the final possession before halftime, Isaiah Brickner buried a three-pointer to give the Vandals a 34-30 lead at the break. Sevilla, who had not recorded a double-digit performance against a Division-I opponent all season, led Idaho with 10 first-half points.
Idaho extended its momentum into the second half. Spanning the final minute of the first period and the opening minute after halftime, the Vandals strung together a 9-0 run to seize their largest lead of the night, 40-30.
Throughout the second half, the Eagles gradually chipped away at the deficit, fueled by Moses and Alton Hamilton, who finished with 28 and 20 points respectively. With 5:51 remaining, Eastern reclaimed the lead at 63-62, setting the stage for a tense finish.
Moments later, Hamilton sank a free throw to tie the game at 67 with just over four minutes left.
That’s when Johnson took over. First, he drilled a three-pointer to put Idaho back in front. On the ensuing possession, he stole the ball, drew a foul and converted two free throws, pushing the lead to five. He scored a driving layup on the next possession, then came back-to-back assists that led to three-pointers on consecutive trips. Finally, Johnson capped the run with a fast-break layup.
Six straight possessions. Six decisive plays. In a matter of minutes, Johnson had either scored or assisted on every critical basket, helping the Vandals seal the victory.
Former Vandal JoJo Anderson cut the lead to two with a layup with 15 seconds remaining, but Johnson calmly sank two free throws to seal the four-point victory.
While Johnson’s late stretch defined the outcome, Idaho’s victory was built on collective production. Six Vandals scored in double figures for just the second time this season against a Division-I opponent.
Rasmussen led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds, Johnson added 13, Jack Payne knocked down four three-pointers for 12, Trevon Blassingame and Isaiah Brickner each hit three from beyond the arc for 11 apiece and Sevilla scored all 10 of his points in the opening half.
Eastern Washington outshot Idaho from the field, but the Vandals countered with 15 offensive rebounds, 15 assists and 14 made three-pointers.
Idaho secured its first above-.500 regular season finish and best conference mark since the 2017-18 season. This was also Idaho’s first season sweep of Eastern Washington since 2017-18, a season that now serves as a measuring stick for the program’s recent resurgence.
Locked into the seventh seed, the Vandals will face Sacramento State (10-20, 6-12) in the opening round of the conference tournament Saturday at 7 p.m. in Boise for the first round of “Starch Madness.” The Vandals swept the Hornets during the regular season, winning 86-76 in Moscow on Jan. 22 and 86-80 in Sacramento on Feb. 21.
Should Idaho advance past Sacramento State, a quarterfinal matchup with Montana State awaits, a team that secured the second seed with a 12-6 conference record. Since they lost one less game than the teams that earned seeds 4-6, the Vandals will need to win four games in five days to capture the conference’s automatic NCAA tournament bid. Idaho has not reached the NCAA tournament since 1990.
The Vandals will need to control the glass and limit turnovers, particularly without a traditional starting facilitator if Mitchell remains sidelined. Mitchell’s back injury leaves his status for the tournament uncertain, and his absence reshapes Idaho’s rotation. Sevilla, Miles Klapper and Blassingame have all absorbed additional minutes in recent games, gaining valuable experience ahead of postseason play.
If Monday night reinforced anything, it is the blueprint Idaho must follow in Boise. When the Vandals shoot efficiently from beyond the arc, crash the offensive glass and generate second-chance opportunities, they can compete with anyone in the conference.