CALDWELL (Interstat) — Kase Wynott had 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Hudson Ward scored 17 points, and Idaho used a dominant first half to roll past visiting Lincoln (Calif.) 108-69 on Sunday at Idaho Central Credit Union Arena. The Vandals improved to 2-1 with the nonconference victory over a non-divisional opponent before an announced crowd of 1,654.

Idaho set the tone from the opening tip. Kristian Gonzalez made a jumper and Seth Joba followed with a 3-pointer as the Vandals took an early 5-0 lead. Lincoln pulled within 5-2 on Veljko Munitlak’s layup, but Idaho answered with a 12-0 run. Gonzalez hit a 3-pointer, Wynott made a layup, Ward scored inside and then hit from beyond the arc, and Gonzalez capped the burst with a layup that made it 17-2. Munitlak made one free throw to stop the run, but Idaho kept control.

The Vandals stretched their advantage throughout the first half. Wynott hit a 3-pointer, Joba made another, and Idaho’s lead reached 35-16 after Wynott scored inside. Miles Klapper and Ward connected from 3-point range, and Diego Trejo-Delgado scored in the paint as the margin continued to grow. Idaho led 59-33 at halftime after Ryan Lafferty made two free throws with 34.8 seconds left in the half. Lincoln scored 36 points in the first half, while Idaho put up 49.

Idaho scored 59 points after halftime and Lincoln scored 33. Idaho’s offensive efficiency was on display throughout. The Vandals scored 108 points on 79 possessions and finished with an offensive rating of 137.3. Idaho did most of its work near the basket, producing 62 points in the paint to Lincoln’s 26. The Vandals also turned Lincoln’s mistakes into 15 points off turnovers, while Lincoln scored two points off Idaho turnovers. Idaho had 11 fastbreak points to Lincoln’s five.

Wynott, a 6-foot-6 guard from Lapwai, Idaho, led the Vandals with 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 21 minutes. He entered the game after scoring 19 points at Colorado State and 20 points against George Fox earlier this season. Ward, a 6-foot-7 forward, added 17 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 20 minutes. Seth Joba, a 6-foot-9 forward, had 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block in 17 minutes.

Kristian Gonzalez scored 12 points in 18 minutes for Idaho. Diego Trejo-Delgado finished with 10 points and four rebounds in 13 minutes. Tutjiek Wal had 10 points and one rebound in 12 minutes. Miles Klapper added seven points, two rebounds and seven assists in 22 minutes. Ryan Lafferty had eight points, four rebounds and three assists in 16 minutes. Zubayr Toms contributed four points, two rebounds and one assist in six minutes, and Mouhamed Diao had four points and one rebound in seven minutes.

Lincoln stayed competitive in spurts behind Munitlak’s interior scoring. Munitlak made several layups in the first half and added a 3-pointer early in the second half. Lalou Kalejaiye also made key shots for Lincoln, including a 3-pointer late in the first half and another from deep in the second half. Nathan Chatelain made a 3-pointer and a hook shot in the first half, and Khristian Holmes hit a 3-pointer early in the second half. Lincoln trimmed the margin to 72-51 after Holmes connected, but Idaho answered.

Idaho opened the second half with consecutive layups from Ward and pushed its lead to 63-34. Wynott and Trejo-Delgado kept scoring around the rim, and Joba’s 3-pointer made it 77-51. The Vandals later used a 3-pointer from Gonzalez and layups from Klapper and Joba to extend the margin to 91-56. Nolan Newman-Gomez made a layup to give Idaho a 93-56 advantage with 7:14 remaining, its largest lead of the game at 37 points.

Idaho’s reserves closed out the win. William Jenson made a dunk, Tutjiek Wal scored inside and added free throws, and Zubayr Toms made two layups in the closing minutes. Lincoln’s Nucky Hong made a 3-pointer with 37.2 seconds remaining to provide the final margin. Idaho finished with eight offensive rebounds, two blocks, four turnovers and 16 fouls. Lincoln had five fastbreak points and two points off turnovers.

The Vandals are now 2-1 this season. Idaho opened the season with a 97-56 home win over George Fox before falling 78-67 at Colorado State. The Vandals will next host Cal Poly on Nov. 13. Lincoln (Calif.) returns home after the non-divisional road matchup. Idaho’s win came in front of a crowd of 1,654 at Idaho Central Credit Union Arena in Caldwell, Idaho.