No. 22 L-C Rallies to Spoil C of I Season Opener, 71-58
LA GRANDE, Ore. - Curtis Allen scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the second half, as NAIA Division I No. 22 Lewis-Clark State rallied from a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat The College of Idaho, 71-58, in the opening game of the Quinn Classic in Quinn Coliseum.
After trailing 36-27 at the break, the Warriors (1-0) forced three straight C of I turnovers to open the second half, using a 6-0 run in the first 90 seconds to pull to within 36-33. L-C would retake the lead at 43-42 on an Allen steal and lay-up and take the lead for good with eight minutes left on an Allen jumper - part of a 12-0 run to put the game away.
The Coyotes (0-1) could not handle the defensive pressure from the Warriors in the second half, converting just four field goals - going the final 12 minutes of the game without a made field goal. The C of I connected on just 2-of-19 three-pointers on the night, and just 18-of-32 free throws.
On the flip side, the new-look Yotes played a fabulous first half - hittng 58-percent of their three-point attempts, using a 14-0 run midway through the period to build a 20-11 lead, maintaining the margin throughout the period.
Craig McGee led the Yotes with 12 points and five rebounds, with Bryan Champ and Jordan Stokes each scoring 11. Post Drew Arnold had 13 points and six rebounds in the win for L-C.
The Yotes will close out the tournament tomorrow night, meeting Montana Tech, an 88-61 loser to Eastern Oregon, at 6 p.m. (PST). The game can be heard live on 1490 KCID-AM in the Treasure Valley.