Idaho is headed back to the NCAA tournament for the first time in nearly four decades.
The seventh-seeded Vandals defeated Montana to win the Big Sky tournament championship, earning the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA field. The victory sends Idaho to March Madness for the first time since 1990.
Big Sky breakthrough
As a No. 7 seed, Idaho entered the conference tournament needing a title run to reach the NCAA tournament. The Vandals delivered, finishing the job against Montana in the championship game to punch their ticket.
The win closes a long postseason gap for Idaho, which had not appeared in the NCAA tournament since 1990.