Matt Ballenger hit a pair of key buckets down the stretch in Yotes win over #7 OIT
CALDWELL, Idaho - Matt Ballenger scored the final seven points of the game for The College of Idaho, including a huge three-pointer with two minutes remaining, as the Coyotes won their sixth-straight home game, knocking off seventh-ranked Oregon Tech, 65-60.
The win for the Coyotes (11-11, 8-3 CCC) was their second this season against a Top-10 opponent and got the squad to the .500 mark for the first time since Game 4 of the year. The loss ended a 13-game OIT win streak and handed the Owls their first league loss.
Trailing 58-49 with eight minutes to play, the Owls (19-3, 10-1) got back-to-back long treys from Kyle Gomez to pull within three, but converted just one field goal over the final seven minutes. Tech would get within 58-57 after a pair of Joseph Foster free throws, but Ballenger canned a long trey at the two minute mark to give the Yotes the 61-57 lead. After a Brent Johnson lay-up cut the margin in half, Ballenger converted a step-back free throw line jumper, then added two free throws to seal the win.
The C of I used an early 12-2 run in the opening half, converting seven of their first ten shots on the night, to take a 15-6 lead. The hosts would push the margin to 24-14 on a Kelly McCarty lay-up at the midway point of the frame, before Tech rallied. Foster scored 11 of the Owls 14 points in a 14-3 run to close the half, as OIT led 38-35 at the break.
The Owls would lead 42-39 early in the second half on a Gomez tip-in, but the Coyotes held OIT to 1-for-10 shooting over a seven minute stretch, using a 17-4 run, capped by a Miguel Rodriguez driving lay-up with ten minutes to play, to take a 56-46 edge – setting up the see-saw finish.
McCarty led all scorers for the second-straight night with 23 points, with Ballenger adding 16 points – as the Yotes hit 24-of-48 from the floor.
OIT got 20 points from Foster, with Johnson adding 14 points and seven rebounds in the loss – as Tech was held to just 19-of-61 shooting on the night. The Owls lost despite a 16-2 edge on the offensive glass.
The Yotes, winners of seven of their last eight games, return to action on Friday, traveling to Concordia University for a 7:30 p.m. (PT) tip.