CALDWELL, Idaho - College of Idaho took home the second leg of the United Heritage Mayors' Cup with a 60-47 win over Northwest Nazarene University on Tuesday night. The contest was the lowest combined scoring effort between the two teams since a 57-54 win by the Yotes on December 4, 1959.
The exhibition contest saw Yotes freshman Samaje Morgan score a game-high 17 as the Yotes shot 46% from the field and led by his efforts, the College of Idaho reserves outscored the Nighthawks by a 31-11 margin. Morgan was joined in double figures by Jake O'Neil, who had a solid all-around game with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
The Nighthawks, who are in nearby Nampa, were led by a 13 point, nine-rebound effort from Gabriel Harvey. NNU was limited to 47 points, its lowest offensive output in this rivalry since scoring 44 in the 1959-60 season.
The bragging rights and the traveling trophy had been in Nampa since a series sweep by NNU before a 70-67 win by the Yotes on November 22. Tuesday's win over the Nighthawks gives the Yotes, its first series sweep since 2014-15.
A game that saw College of Idaho lead for nearly the entire contest as they held a lead for 32:28 and NNU led for just 3:25. The two teams were tied at 2, 4 and 6 to begin the contest and the Yotes went ahead on an 8-0 spurt midway through the first half on its way to the victory. Four of the eight points came from Morgan to spark an energetic J.A. Albertson Activity Center crowd.
NNU managed to cut the deficit to three on a pair of occasions in the second half. Both threats were answered by Yotes junior guard Charles Elzie, who hit a pair of clutch jumpers to push the lead to at least two possessions.