Matt Ballenger scored a career-high 39 vs. Evergreen
CALDWELL, Idaho - Matt Ballenger scored a career-high 39 points, as The College of Idaho ended a six-game losing streak with an 88-77 victory over Evergreen State in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Ballenger added nine rebounds for the Coyotes, (3-8, 1-1 CCC), who hit a season-high 56-percent of their field goals, including a 10-for-18 clip from outside the arc. The junior is one of just seven players in the history of the program to score 39-or-more points, and the first since Ike Stafford tallied 39 against Concordia-Irvine during the 2005-06 season.
With the game tied 60-60 in the second half, a pair of Ballenger free throws, four freebies from Kelly McCarty, and a Tyler Young jumper pushed the Coyote lead to 68-60, pushing the margin to 82-70 on a Miguel Rodriguez fast break bucket.
Young and Steve Peres each had 14 in the victory, with Rodriguez recording a career-high 14 assists – one off the school record.
Johnny Sarysz hit seven three-pointers, part of a season-high 23 points in the loss for the Geoducks (1-8, 0-1) – their eighth in a row. The senior canned four first-half treys, keeping Evergreen close, with the visitors taking their final lead of the night at 34-33 late in the opening period.
Josh Troyer scored 16 points and Mikey Hope and Marice Tolliver each had 13 for Evergreen.
The Coyotes next play Tuesday night in the back-half of the United Heritage Tip-Off, meeting Northwest Nazarene in Nampa at 7:05 p.m.