Yotes and Crusaders played before 2,422 fans tonight
CALDWELL, Idaho - An 18-4 run midway through the second half broke open a close game, as Northwest Nazarene defeated Canyon County rival College of Idaho, 72-61, in the United Heritage Insurance Mayors’ Cup match-up, before a sellout crowd of 2,422 fans in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
In the “Oldest Collegiate Basketball Rivalry in Idaho”, NNU rallied from an early 11-point deficit to post their fourth win in a row against the Yotes (though two of the wins were exhibition tilts, including tonight, for the Crusaders).
J.B. Pillard led the charge for NNU, scoring 15 of his 16 points in the second half, including six-straight points in the run that erased a 51-48 C of I lead. Anthony Golden canned a fastbreak trey to tie the game, with Jordan Nicholes converting a lay-up after a Golden steal to put the Crusaders up for good. The three Pillard buckets, five points from Keith Moilanen, and a Golden lay-up gave the visitors a 66-55 lead with 3:19 left.
The Coyotes (1-2) used a 12-4 edge on the offensive glass in the first half to build an early 19-8 lead on a driving lay-up by Rodney Delgardo, but NNU whittled the margin to 32-29 at the break on a banked-in Golden trey. The C of I used a 9-2 run in the second half, keyed by two Krispin Banks jumpers and five Sydney Donaldson points, to take their final lead at the nine minute mark.
Golden led all scorers with 19 points and six assists, while Pillard led NNU with eight rebounds. Delgardo led the Yotes with 14 points, Banks had 10, with Rick Tolman and Matt Ballenger logged nine each.
The game was won at the foul line, as NNU connected on 18-of-22 free throws in the win, while the Yotes made just 10-of-23 – including missing their first six attempts in the second half.
The Coyotes return to action on Friday night in the final game of the Wendy’s Classic, hosting NCCAA squad, Portland Bible.