Box Score MOSCOW, Idaho- Trailing 58-57 with 3:30 minutes to play, the Roadrunners missed several chances to retake a lead in a back-and-forth affair at Idaho Saturday night, ultimately holding the Vandals without a field goal for the final four minutes but putting them on the free throw line which led to seven points and a 64-61 Idaho win at the Cowan Spectrum.
Bakersfield (8-10, 1-3 WAC) trailed by as many as 15 in the game with just over nine minutes to play in the first half after giving up a 12-3 run. The 'Runners battled back to trail 32-28 at the half following a layup from Issiah Grayson (R-Sr., Atlanta, Ga., Southern Idaho CC) with 23 seconds to play.
The Roadrunners would retake the lead in the second half at the 16:45 mark and built a seven-point lead with just over nine minutes to play.
The Vandals (8-12, 2-4 WAC) however would go on to make four of their next five three-point attempts over the next four minutes to retake the lead with 5:34 to play. Idaho was 5-of-9 from three-point range in the second half.
The story of the game came at the 3:14 mark when Idaho broke a 57-57 tie on a Stephen Madison free throw. The Roadrunners would hold the Vandals without a field goal for the final four minutes of the game, but Bakersfield didn't score another point themselves over the next three minutes despite having six chances to retake the lead. The 'Runners missed three shots and turned the ball over three times over the in that stretch before fouling with 17 seconds left.
Perrion Callandret would make both free throws to extend the Idaho lead to three before Brandon Barnes (R-Jr., Atlanta, Ga., Lipscomb) scored on a layup with 10 seconds to play. Madison was then fouled on the inbounds play and made two more free throws for the Vandals before Idaho fouled Grayson with four seconds remaining. Grayson made both free throws for Bakersfield before Mike Scott would be fouled and ice the game from the line for the Vandals with three seconds remaining.
The ensuing inbound for Bakersfield was bobbled by Grayson preventing him from getting a shot off before the final buzzer.
Grayson led Bakersfield with 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 2-of-3 from three-point range. Barnes added 12 off the bench on 5-of-8 from the field while Stefon Johnson (R-Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio) added 10 points and 5 rebounds. Bakersfield shot 12-of-24 in the second half but Idaho's clutch three-point shooting made the difference down the stretch as they converted on 8-of-19 in the game.
Scott and Madison led Idaho with 20 points apiece.
Bakersfield returns home Thursday night to host Chicago State at the Icardo Center and Kansas City Saturday night Jan. 25th. Both teams went 1-1 this weekend with wins over New Mexico State and losses to UT Pan American.
