C of I Turns Back NCC with Balanced Attack
CALDWELL, Idaho - All five College of Idaho starters scored in double figures, as the Coyote men's basketball team ended a three-game losing streak by closing out the regular-season with a 74-61 victory over Northwest Christian in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Leading 20-17 at the after-eight minute media timeout, the Coyotes (13-17, 10-10 CCC) held the Beacons to just one field goal over the next seven minutes, using a 16-3 run to build a 16-point lead and took a 36-23 lead to the locker room. The C of I kept NCC at bay in the second half, connecting on 7-of-13 shots from outside the arc to complete the season sweep of the first-year Cascade Conference school.
Steffen Spinks led the Yotes with 16 points, with Bryan Champ scoring 14 and Kurt Nielson 13. Seniors Josh Owen and J.R. Maggard also netted double figures on Senior Night, as they made their final appearance in front of the home crowd. Owen had 15 points and five assists - becoming the first Yote to score 1,500 points, record 300 assists, and 150 steals in a career, while Maggard had ten points and five rebounds.
The Beacons (10-19, 7-12), who clinched the No. 8 seed in the CCC Tournament despite the loss, got 17 points from Jordan Whittenberg and 16 points from Josh Jarrett. Despite making 50-percent of their field goal attempts, NCC was done in by 21 turnovers.
The Yotes will hit the road for the CCC Tournament on Wednesday night, most likely meeting Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls. Pairing for the tourney will be released on Saturday evening.