Yotes Break CCC Record, Run Win Streak to 14
CALDWELL, Idaho – Clamping down on a Southern Oregon offense that scored 100 points in the first meeting between the teams in December, the College of Idaho avenged their lone Cascade Conference loss of the 2017-18 season, winning their 14th-straight game with a 66-50 decision inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The fourth-ranked Coyotes (24-5, 18-1 CCC) held SOU to 36 points under their season average – limiting the Raiders to their lowest scoring conference output since a 51-47 loss to C of I during the 2011-12 season. The Yotes also became the first-ever CCC team to win 18 league games in a season – surpassing the 2002 Evergreen, 2008 Eastern Oregon, the 2016 and 2017 Northwest Christian teams that had 17 wins in conference action.
C of I used two big first half runs to take control of the contest. An 11-0 run erased a Raiders (19-10, 13-6) 4-2 edge, their only lead of the night – as
Aziz Leeks scored seven-straight points and
Nate Bruneel powered home one of his two alley-oop dunks on the night.
SOU cut the gap to 23-19 on a corner Ben DeSaulnier 3-pointer – holding C of I without a made field goal for a four minute period – but watched as a
Talon Pinckney 3-point play started a 12-0 run, keyed by 3-balls from
Dominic Hulsey, Leeks and Bruneel, to extend the lead to 16.
The Raiders battled back again, as a Tate Hoffman lay-up cut the deficit to 39-32 early in the second half, before a 15-2 C of I run broke the game open. Leeks scored six points in the run, while Pinckney converted four free throws. SOU made a final push to close within 58-50 with 3:55 left – but did not score again.
Bruneel led C of I with 18 points, Leeks had 16 points and 15 rebounds, with Pinckney scoring 13. The Yotes made a season-best 18-of-20 from the free throw line and recorded a 41-32 rebound margin.
Hoffman had 16 points and six rebounds for SOU, with the Raiders shooting just 36-percent from the field and making only 4-of-19 3-point attempts.
The Coyotes close out the regular-season tomorrow with a 7:30 p.m. meeting with rival Oregon Tech.