Parkland, Wash. -
Sienna Riggle scored a team-high 10 points along with seven other Yotes, who broke into the scoring ledger to lead the College of Idaho women's basketball team to a 50-41 win over Pacific Lutheran in the season opener on Friday night.
"On a game where we didn't shoot the ball particularly well, I'm proud of how the girls battled and made plays down the stretch," said College of Idaho head coach Janis Beal. "We knocked down free throws and made plays at the end."
The Yotes (1-0) clamped down on the defensive side of the ball, holding the Division III Lutes to 37.5% shooting from the field and forcing 21 turnovers that allowed C of I to outscore their counterparts by a 19-11 margin in points off turnovers. Lexi Mitchell added eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds in the win, including eight on the offensive side of the ledger. Jada Reed handed out three assists as College of Idaho had 11 assists on 18 field goals. It is the second-straight year that the Yotes have started the season with a win.
The Lutes (0-1) Ashley Akamine had 10 points and six rebounds and Stacie Spahr added six points and 10 rebounds in the loss for Pacific Lutheran.
"The girls did some good things offensively, some nights the shots just don't fall and tonight we had to rely on the defensive effort," said Beal.
With the game tied at 39 and for the third time in the contest, the Yotes' Taryn Riley regained the lead for College of Idaho when she made a pair of foul shots with 3:51 left to play. PLU would get as close as two but the Yotes sealed the game with a 7-0 run to end the contest.
Next, on Saturday, College of Idaho will face William Jessup at 3 p.m. (PST)/4 p.m. (MT) in its final game of the Cascade Challenge.