Montana State Faces Idaho in Big Sky Tournament Clash

BOISE, Idaho – The Montana State Bobcats (18-13, 12-6 Big Sky) will battle the Idaho Vandals (18-14, 9-9 Big Sky) in the second round of the Big Sky Championship on Sunday evening at Idaho Central Arena. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. Mountain Time and will be broadcast on Scripps Sports/ESPN+.

Tournament Implications

This matchup marks the first of three contests Montana State needs to win to secure the Big Sky Tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Season Series

The Bobcats and Vandals split their two regular-season contests in 2025-26. Idaho secured a 92-89 victory on January 10, handing Montana State its first conference loss. The Bobcats responded with a 73-66 win on February 5. Montana State holds a 73-55 advantage in the all-time series.

Bobcats’ Momentum

Montana State enters the tournament on a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating Northern Arizona 76-65 on March 2. Five Bobcats scored in double figures in that contest, led by Christian King with 18 points.

Big Sky Honors

Four Bobcats earned All-Big Sky honors on March 6. Jed Miller was a unanimous First-Team All-Big Sky selection, Patrick McMahon earned a second-team nod, Christian King was named Honorable Mention All-Conference, and Jeremiah Davis earned a spot on the All-Defensive team. Miller was also named Big Sky Player of the Week on March 3, averaging 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists over the final three regular-season games.

Key Players for Montana State

• Jed Miller: Leads the Bobcats in points (14.8), rebounds (5.7), assists (2.9), steals (1.6), and minutes (34.4) per game. He shoots 41.0% from three-point range.
• Patrick McMahon: A key contributor, averaging 13.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Christian King: Has been a reliable scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game.

Team Stats for Montana State

• The Bobcats commit only 10.1 turnovers per game, ranking 45th nationally.
• Montana State ranks second in the Big Sky in scoring defense, allowing 71.2 points per game.
• They are 14-4 when committing fewer turnovers than their opponent.

A Look at the Idaho Vandals

Idaho (18-14, 9-9 Big Sky) advanced to the second round with a 68-45 first-round victory over Sacramento State. The Vandals lead the Big Sky in rebounds (37.4), three-pointers made (10.4), and three-point attempts (28.8) per game. Jackson Rasmussen (14.2 ppg) and Kolton Mitchell (13.7 ppg) lead the Vandals in scoring.

Head Coach Matt Logie

Montana State head coach Matt Logie boasts a 326-107 career record across all NCAA divisions. He has led teams to the NCAA Tournament in 12 of his 14 seasons as a head coach.

Recent Performance

• Montana State is 5-5 in its last 10 games, averaging 75.7 points, 30.3 rebounds, 11.0 assists, 7.4 steals, and 3.3 blocks per game.
• Idaho is also 5-5 in its last 10 games, averaging 75.6 points, 34.2 rebounds, 12.5 assists, 5.6 steals, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Key Stats

Montana State makes 46.7% of its shots from the field, 3.4 percentage points higher than Idaho allows. Idaho scores 7.5 more points per game (78.7) than Montana State allows (71.2).