Coyotes with Hope4Hoopers President Jared Mace before tonight's game
CALDWELL, Idaho - All five Warner Pacific starters scored in double-figures, as the No. 12 ranked Knights closed out the regular-season with an 87-80 victory over The College of Idaho, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Despite the loss, the Coyotes (10-19, 5-13 CCC) squeaked into the Cascade Conference Postseason Tournament, earning the No. 8 seed after Southern Oregon eliminated Northwest Christian from playoff contention wtih an 83-72 overtime win. The C of I will meet top-seeded and No. 1 ranked Oregon Tech on Wednesday night in Klamath Falls.
The Yotes pulled within 63-55 on a Krispin Banks baseline jumper with eight minutes to go, but the Knights (22-7, 14-4) put the game away with a 14-4 surge, including a pair of three-pointers from Traevone Bowie - as WP hit 11-of-25 shots from outside the arc. The C of I would not quit, using a 20-6 run over the final three minutes to close wihin 85-80, but could not get closer.
The Knights used a Ryan Parks three early in the first half to build a 17-10 lead, but the Yotes got back-to-back Ben Van Lith baskets, with a Tyler Young runner giving the hosts an 18-17 lead. Dane Johnson answered with a three for WP and the Knights never trailed again.
Bowie had 22 points in the win, with Doug Thomas adding 16, and William Sharp, Biniam Tadele, and Johnson each scoring 10. The Knights won despite just 24 rebounds on the evening. Van Lith led the Yotes with a season-high 21, with Banks adding 14 points and eight rebounds, Matt Ballenger tallied 13, and Rodney Delgardo scored 11. The Yotes committed 20 turnovers in the loss.
The game marked the final home game for four seniors - Banks, Young, Ballenger, and Jason Brown. It also was a fund-raiser for Hope 4 Hoopers as The C of I collected well over 200 pairs of shoes to be donated to charity.
Other CCC quarterfinal match-ups include No. 7 Concordia at No. 2 Northwest, No. 6 Southern Oregon at No. 3 Warner Pacific, and No. 5 Corban at No. 4 Eastern Oregon.