Coyotes Ride 3-Point Barrage To 73-60 Win at LCSC
LEWISTON, Idaho – For the third-straight year, the match-up of nationally-ranked NAIA schools from the Gem State went to the College of Idaho, as the Coyotes rode a huge first-half run to stop Lewis-Clark State, 73-60, inside the LCSC Activity Center.
The Coyotes (3-0), ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Division II, held LCSC to just one made field goal over a nine minute stretch of the opening half – blowing the game open with a 25-2 run.
L-C (3-1), ranked No. 17 in the NAIA Division I and coming off a road win at the University of Idaho, jumped out to a 13-8 lead with just over 11 minutes left in the half. However, the Warriors missed their final 12 3-point attempts in the period and finished the night 4-of-26 from long range.
A Justin Saunders triple started the surge, with Gibson Berryhill canning consecutive treys to give the Yotes a 17-13 lead. Jake Bruner added a pair of buckets, with Talon Pinckney and Berryhill adding 3-pointers to extend the margin to 33-15 with three minutes left in the half.
C of I took their largest lead of the night at 47-26 on a Matt Meyers basket and led 51-32 with 15 minutes remaining, but L-C held the Yotes without a made field goal for five minutes. A Josiah Westbrook 3-pointer capped the 12-0 run that got the hosts within 51-44 – but Bruner responded with a shot-clock buzzer-beating triple of his own to extend the lead to double-digits – and LCSC was unable to cut the margin lower than eight the rest of the night.
Pinckney led the Yotes with 18 points, with Berryhill hitting four triples, part of his 14-point night. Bruner added 10 points, with Nate Bruneel and Saunders each scoring nine. C of I made 53-percent of their field goals and drained 11-of-19 3-point attempts.
Race Martin came off the bench to led LCSC with 19 points and nine rebounds, with Damek Mitchell scoring 14.
C of I closes out play at the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge Tournament tomorrow, meeting Montana State-Northern.