The Bronco and Vandal men will square off for the final time in the regular season Saturday night at Taco Bell Arena. There are at least three things riding on this game.
1 - Vandal redemption from the previous meeting in Moscow. While the first half of the game may have arguably been the worst half of basketball in the NCAA this year, the second half turned into a great ball game. Idaho got up by about 8 late in the second half but after some big shots by the Broncos, some missed free throws by the Vandals and then the decision to go Memphis vs. Kansas (OK, it wasn't that bad) the game went into overtime thanks to a "hand in your face", "floating out of bounds", "I really need to hit this in order to make fans forget the last two games" 3-pointer by Anthony Thomas. Broncos would go on to win and get their first WAC victory of the season.
2. Who owns Taco Bell Arena in Idaho? It took a while but the Vandals finally got a win in Boise afte
r a long drought last season. And they did it dramatically with a big come from behind win. With all the alumni support in the Treasure Valley for the Vandals you almost got the feeling that this was their court. Will the Broncos reclaim their turf? Or will the Vandals give one more reason to stake a claim in the south?
3. The WAC tournament may depend on this game. Ideally, you want your rivalry game to have championship implications riding on it. Sadly, this game matches two teams tied for last in the WAC. However, with the new conference tournament seeding (only 8 of 9 teams get in this year) this game will not only break the tie but could also be a tie breaker at the end of the season. Hawaii is the X-factor here since they are also tied with the Vandals and Broncos but have trailed off lately with 4 straight losses. You can only control the present so this game could be huge with regards to post-season play.
Want to see the game on the cheap? Saturday's game will give fans (Broncos and Vandals or anyone else) the chance to see it and get a meal for only $35. Check out IdahoTickets.com (or click here) to purchase a Family 4 Pack for $35, which gets you 4 tickets, 4 hot dogs and 4 drinks at the game.
