Boise State defeats Vandals in renewed basketball rivalry. Here’s what stood out
Friday night’s basketball game between Boise State and the Idaho Vandals may have only been an exhibition, but Bronco fans will keep a tight grip on the bragging rights for the foreseeable future.
The Broncos defeated Idaho 89–83 at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise in front of a crowd of 4,164 that appeared pro-Bronco on its face, but produced equal cheers as the two teams traded blows in a high-scoring, entertaining game.
Boise State held a 47-32 lead at halftime and led by 16 points with about six minutes remaining, but a late Vandal surge tightened the scoreline.
“I didn’t expect to play 40 great minutes tonight, or four perfect minutes, this early in the year, but I thought there were a lot of valuable things,” Boise State head coach Leon Rice said. “And I think our guys enjoyed themselves. I think the crowd had a good time, and I think it’s going to help both teams a lot.”
Although not much can be gleaned from a mid-October exhibition game, fans can take away a few thoughts from the matchup.
Chief among them? The Broncos appear to have a leader in transfer forward Drew Fielder.
Fielder played only 23 minutes as the coaching staff rotated through the lineup, but he made those minutes count. The 6-foot-11 junior scored a game-high 24 points, including hitting three 3-pointers, while also pulling in eight rebounds.
Fielder, a Boise native who attended Rocky Mountain High School for two years before going to a prep academy, was playing in his first game since transferring to Boise State after two years at Georgetown.
“Some guys just have a ball that goes in, and I’ve seen that with Drew,” Rice said. “... When you’ve got a five-man that can shoot it like that and pass it and all those things, he’s just going to get better and better because he’s just getting comfortable in our system.”
He wasn’t the only Boise native to show out in front of the home crowd.
The Vandals boast three Treasure Valley players, all of whom played significant roles on Friday evening. Former Owyhee High star Jack Payne had 10 points, while his former Owyhee teammate Jackson Rasmussen had seven points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Brody Rowbury, who starred for Meridian High a few years ago, also had 10 points.
“It was fun. Playing in front of friends and family was amazing, and the Vandal crowd was just unreal tonight,” said Payne, who had over 30 friends and family in the crowd.
If Friday night is anything to go by, Boise State fans will be seeing a team that’s comfortable shooting from beyond the arc.
Boise State shot 31.7% from 3-point range last season, which ranked 306th out of 352 Division I schools. Against the Vandals, Boise State was at 50%, making 11 of 22.
Fielder led the way, making three of his five 3-point attempts. Sixth-year forward Dominic Parolin, a Lehigh transfer who had a medical redshirt last season, went 2-for-3 from three as he scored seven points, while senior forward Javan Buchanan was a streakier 2-for-6 and totaled 13 points.
Seven Broncos hit at least one shot from beyond the arc.
“That’s going to be a weapon for us,” Fielder said about the 3-point shooting. “A lot of our lineups have got five guys who really, really shoot. So it’s going to serve us well.”
Other Broncos who enjoyed a good night were junior forward Andrew Meadow (14 points), freshman guard Aginaldo Neto (9 points) and sophomore forward Pearson Carmichael (8 points).
Neto impressed Rice while starting at point guard in the absence of UCLA senior transfer guard Dylan Andrews. Rice said Andrews is returning from an injury and could have played if Friday night had been a regular season game.
“I’m looking at it as a blessing for (Neto’s) development in having him out there, getting thrown to the wolves and having to handle against a good guard and a good team,” Rice said. “And he did some great things. He did some things that he’ll learn from, because he’s a fast learner.”
Redshirt sophomore guard Kolton Mitchell led the Vandals with a team-high 18 points, while senior guard Biko Johnson had 13 points.
This story was originally published October 17, 2025 at 10:30 PM.
