3 keys in the SUU Thunderbirds' 92-78 upset win over Idaho in the Big Sky tournament quarterfinals

RENO, Nev. — The 10-seed Southern Utah Thunderbirds are officially playing the Cinderella role at the Big Sky Tournament, as they won their second game Thursday night, topping the 2-seed Idaho Vandals, 92-78.

Turning point: With the game tied at 49 early in the second half, the Thunderbirds methodically began building the lead. Their advantage grew to 10 with 7:41 remaining and they stayed steady from there.

The heroes: Brandon Better came off the bench to lead the way with 27 points. Jadon Cohee added 20 and Jamal Aytes had 17.

3 keys:

• SUU shot 59 percent from the field and 61 percent from behind the 3-point line.

• The Thunderbirds shot 13 more free throws than the Vandals and made 14 more.

• SUU finished with six steals and six blocks, while Idaho had two steals and zero blocks.

Thunderbirds almanac: 13-18, Won 2

Next up: SUU will play the winner of the Thursday night matchup between Eastern Washington and Portland State on Friday in the Big Sky semifinals at 9:05 p.m. MT.