CALDWELL, Idaho – The College of Idaho men's basketball team secured the 2023 Cascade Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, title with an 87-56 win over Eastern Oregon on Monday night.
College of Idaho (30-1) put on display what it has taken to extend some noteworthy streaks – 30-consecutive wins, seven-straight CCC Championship game wins, 14 in the CCC Tournament, 12 by double figures and 36 at the friendly confines of the J.A. Albertson Activity Center. The College of Idaho reserves outscored their EOU counterparts by a 51-20 margin. On seven occasions, the Yotes bench has put up at least 50 points in a game.
The Yotes were led by a 17-point effort from reserve Johnny Radford, who hit five 3-pointers in the win. College of Idaho entered the contest, having hit just three 3-pointers in each of the two previous games, knocked down 12 3-pointers in the win. It was the 13
th time on the season that College of Idaho has made double-digit 3-pointers – 12 of those times they have come away with a win. Another reserve Paul Wilson provided a spark from the bench with 12 points for his fourth game in double figures on the season. Drew Wyman, who was the lone C of I starter in double figures, scoring 12 points.
Eastern Oregon (21-10) secured a spot in the upcoming NAIA National Tournament by virtue of being the runner up of the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season. The Mountaineers were paced by a 13-point effort from Emmit Taylor III and Adam Orr added 10. The top scorer on the season for the visitors from La Grande, Ore., Phillip Malatare was held to a season-low nine points after playing just 14 minutes of action. Malatare left the game and did not return after a collsion with Yoye Jake O'Nell left both players bloodied from cuts to the face.
Wyman hit his second 3-pointer of the contest erased a brief 7-6 lead by the visitors to put College of Idaho ahead 9-7 and for the rest of the contest. The Yotes managed to stretch the lead to as large as 16 in the first half on its way to the win. College of Idaho led 41-30 at half with 22 points in the paint and a 26-6 advantage in bench scoring. A pair of late 3-pointers by Bryan St. Clair and Radford stretched the lead to as much as 31 on the way to the victory.
The win carries on the storied tradition of the College of Idaho men's basketball team, who has now won the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament title for the last five seasons except for the COVID season of 2020-21.