CALDWELL, Idaho – Vanguard, which shot 58 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures, stunned No. 1 College of Idaho on its home floor in a 94-67 men's basketball thrashing on Friday at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Lions thoroughly dismantled the Yotes in a scene reminiscent of the Roadrunner running Wile E. Coyote off a cliff in a vintage Looney Toons cartoon.
VU snapped College of Idaho's 38-game winning streak, which was the nation's longest active entering the contest. The Lions also halted a 39-game C of I home winning streak that dated back to the 2021-22 season. VU improved to 2-1 on the season in winning its opening game of the Domino's Classic.
Five Lions scored in double figures, led by 20 from Jackson Larsen. Cam'Ron Wilson and Anthony Tello provided solid contributions off the bench with 17 and 16 points, respectively. Phillip Willis and Bryson Metz chipped in 12 points apiece, while Willis added a game-high five assists to go along with three steals.
"I'm proud of the fight the guys brought tonight," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday. "College of Idaho is still the best team in the country. We just happened to play better tonight. What Coach (Colby) Blaine has built there and the way they go about their business is just remarkable. You don't see it anywhere. To get everyone's best shot every night and weather it the way they have is to be admired."
The Lions made 40 of their 69 field goal attempts, hitting at an impressive 66.7 (24 of 36) percent clip in the second half. Conversely, the Yotes shot just 40.6 percent (26 of 64) overall and managed to knock down only five of 23 from distance.
After committing 26 turnovers in their previous game, Vanguard turned the ball over just eight times against a normally stingy C of I defense. The Lions made 10 steals and converted 15 C of I turnovers into 16 points.
College of Idaho (2-1) received 15 points from Samaje Morgan and 14 more from Jake O'Neil.
What Happened?: The Lions, which led 40-32 at halftime, scored the first basket of the second half and maintained a double-digit lead the remainder of the game.
VU opened the second half on an 11-2 run, with Nico Dasca's triple giving the Blue and Gold a 51-34 cushion.
Larsen scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half on a variety of dunks and putbacks, going 7 of 8 from the field. The Yotes crept to within 66-53, but Larsen responded with a bucket at the 10:05 mark.
Dasca hit some big shots as well, including a jumper with 8:47 remaining that stopped an 11-3 C of I run that had whittled a 19-point VU lead down to 11. The guard drilled a triple with 6:23 on the clock that expanded VU's lead to 78-62.
The Lions held the Yotes without a field goal over the final five minutes and 31 seconds and scored 16 of the game's final 18 points.
The second half was a contrast to a closely played first 20 minutes in which six lead changes and three ties took place. Willis and Larsen combined for VU's first nine points as the score was tied 9-9 through the opening five minutes.
Wilson and Tello then entered the game and immediately contributed, each knocking down a bucket to give VU a 14-13 lead. The Yotes knotted the score at 16-16 on a Johnny Radford three-pointer, but Willis buried a jumper to hand the lead back to VU.
And the lead would stick with the Lions the rest of the way. The visitors hit five of six shots during a 12-3 run that opened up a 28-19 lead. Tello scored five points down the stretch as the Blue and Gold entered the locker room at halftime up 40-32.
VU assisted on 10 of 16 field goals and committed just two turnovers to set the tone in the first half.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions returned to the scene of their 97-78 loss in the 2022 NAIA Tournament First Round and made a monumental statement. It also marked the second straight year VU defeated a No. 1 ranked team after doing so against Arizona Christian last season.
What Was Said?: "I'm really proud of the way the guys committed to the plan at both ends of the floor and to have five guys in double figures and only eight turnovers just shows how much we shared the ball and were on the attack," said Soliday. "But, I'm most proud of our defensive effort tonight. We were a committed group on "D" and that will have to continue to be our identity if we want to be a consistent winner."
What's Next?: The Lions will not have much time to savor the victory as they return to Domino's Classic action against Northwest on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. (PT).
