DILLON, Mont. - The College of Idaho never trailed and used a 16-0 second-half run to pull away from Montana Western 59-39 on Saturday night at Straugh Gymnasium.
The Yotes held the Bulldogs to 14-of-59 shooting (23.7%), including 6 of 31 after halftime, and turned 11 Montana Western turnovers into 16 points while giving up just four the other way.
CI scored the game's first four points and led 12-4 inside the first four minutes. Dougie Peoples started the burst with a layup, then picked off a pass to set up a Rey Johnston 3-pointer and stole another before burying a 3 of his own. A Kareem Barnett layup stretched the lead to 16-6 midway through the half. Matthew Kinzeler hit two free throws and a 3 to pull the Bulldogs within 18-14, but Peoples answered from deep and the Yotes took a 28-22 lead into the break.
Montana Western stayed within range early in the second half and trailed 37-30 after an Aries Lewis jumper with 12:56 left. CI then scored the next 16 points over more than six minutes. Conner Sheets had 10 of them, starting with a 3 and following with three free throws, a layup and two more free throws. David Kludt and Barnett also scored in the run, and Reece Sasser-Gunson finished it with a layup off a Peoples steal for a 53-30 lead, the largest of the night, at 7:44.
Peoples led all scorers with 21 points on 5-of-11 shooting, going 9 of 10 from the line with three steals. Sheets scored all 12 of his points in the second half on 3-of-4 shooting and a perfect 5 of 5 at the line. Sasser-Gunson added eight points, seven rebounds and three assists, and Tucker Tiddens grabbed nine rebounds. CI outscored the Bulldogs 22-8 in the paint and 18-7 at the free-throw line.
Billy Carlson led Montana Western with eight points before fouling out. Naeem Colston had seven points and 11 rebounds, and Lewis blocked three shots. The Bulldogs grabbed 14 offensive rebounds but converted them into just eight second-chance points, and Marje Windfield went 0 for 11 from the field.
The Yotes evened their record at 1-1. Montana Western fell to 1-1.