CCC Co-Defensive Player of the Year Nicole Gall cutting down the net after C of I's 70-67 win over EOU
CALDWELL, Idaho - Whitney Owen scored a game-high 21 points, going 6-of-6 from the foul line in the final two minutes, helping The College of Idaho to their first-ever Cascade Conference Tournament championship, defeating Eastern Oregon, 70-67, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The No. 20 ranked Lady Yotes (21-7), improved to 12-1 all-time in home playoff games, and completed a three-game sweep of their I-84 Cup rivals.
After the Mountaineers (20-11) used a 7-0 run, capped by an Alyssa Garro trey, to take a 44-43 lead early in the second half, The C of I used a 12-2 run of their own to take their biggest lead of the night at 55-46 with eight minutes left. EOU would not quit, scoring the next ten points, with a Garro triple giving the Mounties their final lead at 56-55 with 5:28 remaining.
Meghan Hughes would give the Yotes the lead for good with a driving lay-up, with a pair of Owen freebies pushing the margin to 65-58. EOU would close within three on a Kelsea Hurliman trey inside the final 30-seconds, but get no closer.
Owen was 6-for-9 from the field and hit all nine free throws in the win, with Hughes coming off the bench to score 11. Nicole Bruce added ten points and six rebounds, with Nicole Gall scoring nine points, with five assists and four steals. The Lady Yotes hit 49-percent of their field goal attempts, despite going 1-for-13 from outside the arc, and held a 34-28 rebound edge.
Tana Stickney led the Mountaineers with 16 points, with Hurliman adding 11, and Ashlee Michelson scoring ten points with ten rebounds. Eastern hit 15-of-18 free throws, but were plagued by 26 turnovers.
The C of I will claim the CCC's No. 1 berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, beginning next Wednesday in Sioux City, Iowa, while EOU will claim the CCC's No. 2 berth. The Field of 32 for the tourney will be announced tomorrow evening, with the official bracket released on Wednesday afternoon.
