Nicole Gall's game-winner sends C of I to CCC title game
Late Three Lifts C of I Past Corban, 77-73
Gall scores 30, Lady Yotes Headed to Nationals
Mike Safford - C of I SID
SALEM, Ore. - Nicole Gall canned a long three with 11-seconds remaining, breaking a 70-70 tie, as The College of Idaho defeated Corban University, 77-73, in a Cascade Conference Tournament semifinal game in the C.E. Jeffers Center.
With the win, the No. 4 seeded Lady Yotes (18-12) advance to their fourth-straight CCC Tournament championship game, meeting top-seeded Concordia on Monday night in Portland. By virtue of their victory, The C of I will earn the second of two CCC automatic berths to the NAIA Division II National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa, as Concordia has already secured the regular-season champion berth. It marks The C of I's third-straight trip to the National Tournament.
The Warriors (18-11) battled back from a seven-point second half deficit, taking a 66-61 lead on a Becky Buhler trey with just under six minutes left. However, the Yotes responded cutting the margin to 66-65 on a Nicole Bruce jumper and following an Emily Tsugawa basket, Gall canned a trey to tie the game at 68-68 with 1:10 remaining. Katie Steigleman would answer for Corban, as her short jumper gave the hosts a 70-68 lead, but Katelin Shannon was fouled on the Yotes ensuing possession, with her two free throws with 43 seconds left tying the game again. After a defensive stop, Gall curled off a pick at the left angle and swished the 23-footer to put The C of I on top.
Following a timeout, Corban turned the ball over, as Shannon stepped in front of the inbound pass – connecting on a pair of free throws to push the Yotes lead to 75-70. However, Tsugawa banked in a 30-foot trey to keep the Warriors alive, but Gall connected on two freebies inside the final second to seal the win.
Gall recorded her third-straight double-double, scoring 30 points and 11 rebounds – her fifth game of 30-or-more points this season, and her third-straight against Corban. The win was the Lady Yotes first-ever postseason victory over the Warriors, as The C of I lost in the 2001 and 2007 semifinals and in the 2005 CCC title game.
The Warriors jumped out quickly tonight, using a 15-6 run midway through the first half, including three Tess Bennett buckets, to take a 25-15 lead, extending the margin to 30-19 on a Buhler trey with 8:27 left in the half. The Yotes would battle back, as Gall started a 19-5 rally to close the half with a trey, with Meghan Hughes adding a trio of jumpers, Bruce knocked home a pair of shots, and Tyra Rickman closed the half with two lay-ups, as The C of I took a 38-35 to the break. The lead would be extended to 57-50 midway through the second half before Corban began their rally.
Hughes scored 15 in the win for the Coyotes, with Bruce adding 14 points and ten rebounds, while Shannon scored 14 points, including 10-of-12 shooting from the line.
Buhler led Corban with a season-high 25 points, with Steigleman adding 18 points and seven rebounds, and Tsugawa pitching in with ten.
The CCC title game is set for 7 p.m. on Monday night, while the pairings for the NAIA Division II National Tournament will be released on Tuesday evening.