CALDWELL, Idaho – Big nights from Drew Wyman and Ricardo Time were not enough for The College of Idaho, as Northwest Nazarene used a big second half to stop the Yotes, 80-70, in the Game 1 of the United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup Series in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
C of I (3-2) took a 50-49 lead with 13 minutes left on a corner trey from Derek Wadsworth, but NNU answered with 14-straight points over a 5-minute stretch. James Nelson scored eight of his 16 points in the run – canning a 3-pointer to give the Nighthawks the lead and following with a 3-point play in the paint.
The Yotes would respond with an 8-0 run, capped by a 3-point play from Tyler Robinett, but George Reidy canned a turn-around jumper and added a 3-point play of his own, as the Nighthawks (1-0) won for the first time on the road in the series since 2012.
Time blitzed the nets early, knocking down three first-half triples, with a Wyman dunk giving the No. 18-ranked Coyotes a 28-17 lead – with the hosts taking a 40-36 lead to the locker room.
Wyman led C of I with a career-high 18 points, with Time scoring 17 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Wadsworth tallied 11 points and Jake O'Neil led the Yotes with eight rebounds.
Reidy had 18 points for NNU, with Christian Rose scoring 13 and Jaylen Fox adding 11.
C of I continues their home stand on Friday, hosting Montana Western at 7 p.m.
NOTES
- It marked the 207th all-time meeting between the rivals, dating back to 1933, with C of I holding a 124-78 lead in countable contests (NNU holds a 4-1 lead in exhibition games)
- It was a tale of two halves for C of I – as the Yotes made 54-percent of their first half field goals, but made 35-percent of their shots after the break
- NNU held a 44-26 edge in points in the paint
- Wadsworth posted a career-high six rebounds
- Game 2 of the Mayors' Cup Series will be Dec. 7 at the Johnson Sports Center in Nampa