Craig McGee had 23 points and 22 rebounds in Yotes win
Craig McGee became the first College of Idaho player to record a 20-20 night in 22 years, as the Coyotes ended a three-game losing streak with a 71-59 victory over Corban College inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The senior had a game-high 23 points, and career-highs with 22 rebounds and seven blocks, as the Yotes (7-8, 3-5 CCC) won their fifth-straight game at home. It marked the first time a C of I player had recorded 20-or-more rebounds since the 2001-02 season and the first time since John Trezvant scored 29 points and had 24 rebounds in a 99-96 overtime loss to Grand Canyon in the NAIA Tournament quarterfinals in 1988, that a Yote had registered a 20-20 night.
It wasn’t easy for the hosts, as the Warriors (6-13, 1-7) grabbed an early 14-8 lead on an Ian Logan three, before The C of I used a 12-0 run to take their first lead, as McGee had seven during the spurt. The teams would battle through three ties and seven lead changes before a Kelvin Potts triple gave the Coyotes a 31-29 lead at the break.
Corban was within 43-42 on a Nash Keene trey with 15-minutes to play, but a three-point play by Matt Ballenger started a 14-3 run that was capped by a Ballenger steal and McGee three-point play to give the Yotes a 57-45 lead with ten minutes to go. The lead would not fall below nine the rest of the way.
Ballenger had 19 points and five rebounds for the Coyotes, with Potts adding eight points and six assists.
The Warriors, who hit just 33-percent of their field goal attempts, got 15 points from Ben Potloff, with Keene adding 13, and Erik Cronrath scoring 11.
The Coyotes return to action tomorrow night, hosting Northwest Christian at 7:30 p.m.