Steve Peres had 19 points in the Coyote loss
CALDWELL, Idaho - Cody Thueringer scored a game-high 21 points and Montana Western hit 16-of-17 free throws in the second half, holding off The College of Idaho, 69-63, at the 24th Annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shootout, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
In a battle of unbeatens, Westminster College toppled Warner Pacific, 82-75, in the tournament’s early game. (See pictures from the game at http://www.backprint.com/view_event.asp?pid=bp%1E%7EFq&eventid=77006)
Trailing 32-26 at the break, the Coyotes (2-4) rallied in the second half, grabbing a 40-38 lead on one of five Steve Peres’ three-pointers on the night, with just under 15 minutes to play. Western would counter, as Kyle Erickson and Kyle Perry each had five points in a 12-0 run to give the Bulldogs (5-0) their biggest lead of the night at 50-40.
The C of I would not quit, as a Krispin Banks bucket, and a Peres trey started a 16-6 spurt, capped by a Devan Telken lay-up with seven minutes left to tie the score at 56. However, a Perry lay-up and a Thueringer three helped build a seven point lead, with Western knocking down free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Peres led the Yotes with 19 points, while Matt Ballenger had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the loss. The C of I forced 20 UMW turnovers, but converted just ten points off the miscues.
Brandon Brown had 12 of his 16 points in the first half for Western, while Perry had 13 points, nine rebounds, and eight blocked shots. The Bulldogs made the most of 18 C of I turnovers, scoring 25 points off the mistakes.
In the first game, Westminster rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat WP, as Michael Stockton led the Griffins (5-0) with 22 points.
The Griffins broke a 64-64 stalemate with five minutes to play with a 10-1 run, hitting 14-of-16 free throws down the stretch.
Jake Orchard and Tanner Gregory each had 16 points in the win, with Jordan Bjornberg adding 15. Biniam Tadele and Sean Gaines each had 16 points in the loss for the Knights (3-1), who were making their tournament debut.
The classic format of the tournament continues tomorrow, as Western meets WP at 6 p.m., followed by Westminster and The C of I at 8 p.m.