Coyotes Stop Northwest, Break 65-Year Win Streak Mark
CALDWELL, Idaho – In 1955, College of Idaho legends Elgin Baylor and R.C. Owens led the Coyotes on an 18-game win streak – winning a Northwest Conference title and trip to the district finals. Fast-forward 65 years, and the 2020 Yotes are rewriting the books established by the greatest team in program history.
A 21-4 run to close the first half helped the current Yotes build a 46-25 halftime edge, as C of I blitzed Northwest University on Senior Night, 87-66, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center, extending a win streak to a record 19 games.
The No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA Division II joined the 2017-18 C of I squad as the only Cascade Conference teams to win 18 games in circuit play. The Yotes (25-3, 18-0 CCC) closed the regular-season 15-1 on their home floor.
Ricardo Time hit a pair of early 3-pointers, as C of I built a 12-4 lead. The short-handed Eagles (16-10, 11-6), who had just seven players in uniform, cut the deficit to 25-21 on a Dejwan Walker 3-pointer – but the Yotes held NU to just one made field goal over the final six minutes of the period.
Time canned a triple and Ivory Miles-Williams converted a 3-point play, as the Coyotes scored 10-straight points to extend the margin to 14 – with fastbreak baskets by seniors Talon Pinckney and Nate Bruneel capping the half.
The lead ballooned to 74-40 midway through the second half on a 3-pointer from senior Jake Bruner – as C of I made 11-of-24 shots from outside the arc on the night.
Jalen Galloway scored 16 points, Time scored 15 and Connor Desaulniers recording 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocks
Hussayn Ford had 22 points and 18 rebounds to lead NU, with Christian Hakilimali adding 13 points and 10 boards.
C of I honored Bruner, Pinckney and Bruneel – the three seniors – in a pregame ceremony, as Bruner scored seven points, Pinckney had six points and six assists, with Bruneel scoring 10.
The Yotes close out the regular-season next weekend with road dates at Northwest Christian and Corban.