Yotes Win at Warner Pacific for First Time since 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. – Demetrius Perkins scored a career-high 30 points, helping The College of Idaho end a nine-year winless drought at Warner Pacific, as the Coyotes earned an 86-72 victory at Bart Valentine Court.
The Yotes (13-4, 4-1 CCC) won for the fourth-straight time, picking up their first win at WP since a 79-74 victory during the 2004-05 season – spanning eight games.
C of I scored the first 10 points of the game – getting three-point plays from both Taylor Pruett and Jordan O'Byrne, with a steal and dunk by Perkins giving the Yotes a 14-1 lead just four minutes into the game.
The Knights (7-9, 1-3) clawed within 21-15 on a Marcus Moore jumper midway through the half, but C of I answered with seven-straight points to extend the lead to double figures and took a 47-37 lead at the break.
The Yotes took their biggest lead of the night at 58-41 at the 15-minute mark of the second half, before WP made it interesting. Moore had a jumper and a three-point play, and Tim Carter added a lay-up and a three-point play, getting the hosts within 60-53 at the 13:23 mark. A Garrett Strausburg basket got the Knights within six at 67-61, but Perkins had a three-point play in a 9-2 C of I run that put the game away.
Perkins added 11 rebounds and six steals in the win, going 13-of-17 from the field. Pruett had his fourth double-double of the season, scoring 17 points and adding 10 rebounds, with both Sydney Donaldson and Ben Van Lith scoring nine. The Yotes made just 3-of-22 three-point tries, but held a 47-39 rebound edge and forced 23 turnovers.
Moore led the Knights with 19 points, with Doug Thomas scoring 16 and Strausburg adding 11. WP made just 24-of-61 field goal attempts in the loss.
C of I returns to action tomorrow night, traveling to Concordia for a 7:30 p.m. (PST) tip-off.