Survive and Advance - Yotes Top Dakota Wesleyan 98-93
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. –
Aitor Zubizarreta led six College of Idaho players in double-figures with 21 points, as the Coyotes made a season-best 58-percent of their 3-point baskets in a 98-93 victory over No. 16 ranked Dakota Wesleyan in the first-round of the NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Championships at Keeter Gymnasium.
The Coyotes (24-9) made 62-percent of their second half field goals, including 7-of-10 from outside the arc, in advancing to meet No. 1 ranked Union (Ky.) on Friday night at 8:15 p.m. (MST) The game will be broadcast live on ESPN Boise (99.1 FM).
Just as they did two years ago against the Tigers (23-10), C of I started quickly – getting 3-pointers from
Emanuel Morgan and
Dominique Jordan, followed by back-to-back triples from
Talon Pinckney – part of a 14-5 run to take a 30-16 lead with eight minutes left in the period.
DWU countered late in the period, as Jason Spicer scored consecutive buckets and Trae Vandeberg had a tip-in at the final horn to cap an 8-0 run to pull the No. 16 ranked team in the NAIA within 44-42 at the break.
The Tigers took their only lead of the night on a Tate Martin lay-up a minute into the second half at 45-44, but Zubizarreta had a driving lay-up,
Roosevelt Adams canned a triple and
Aziz Leeks scored on two post moves, with the 9-0 run pushing the C of I lead to 53-45.
The margin would grow to 81-66 on an Adams triple with eight minutes left, before DWU chipped away – with Vandeberg hitting four of his five second half 3-pointers in a late run that pulled the Tigers within 91-87. However, Zubizarreta made four straight free throws and Adams added another pair to close out the victory and send C of I to the second round for the eighth time in 12 trips to the Division II tournament.
Zubizarreta made both of his 3-point tries and all seven of his free throws in the win, with Pinckney going 4-for-4 from outside the arc, part of an 18-point night.
Joey Nebeker scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half; Morgan scored 10 of his 13 points in the first half; Jordan made all four of his field goals, including three 3's, adding 11 points; with Adams scoring 10 points and a team-high eight boards.
All five DWU starters were in double-figures, led by Vandeberg, who tallied 27 points and nine rebounds. All-Conference picks Tate Martin and Spicer each scored 16, with Ty Hoglund scoring 15 and Nate Davis 12. The Tigers, the top-shooting team in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, were held to 46-percent from the field and 34-percent from outside the arc.
NOTES: The Coyotes committed just nine turnovers, the sixth time in seven games that C of I has recorded 10 or fewer turnovers; the 14 made 3-pointers was the fifth time this season the team has made 14 or more 3's; the 58-percent clip from outside the arc was the Yotes best since making 14-of-19 3's vs. Concordia on Jan. 3, 2015; C of I's string of 30-straight games of holding their opponent under their seasonal scoring average was snapped – as DWU scored 93 points (and average 91); the win snapped a 6-game losing streak when allowing 90 or more points; the Cascade Conference was 2-0 against the GPAC today, as Northwest Christian defeated Midland (Neb.), 81-66.