Tyson Christie scored 24 points, leading Northwest past C of I
CALDWELL, Idaho - Three Northwest University players scored 20-or-more points, helping the Eagles knock off The College of Idaho, 83-79, in a see-saw Cascade Conference match-up inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The two teams combined for 26 lead changes and 20 ties, but it was the visiting Eagles (16-13, 10-8 CCC) getting a Greg George free throw with two seconds left to put the game out of reach. NU went 1-for-5 from the foul line in the final 20 seconds, but the Coyotes turned the ball over on consecutive possessions – failing to get a shot up to try to tie.
A Tyson Christie jumper midway through the second half gave Northwest a 57-50 lead, but the Coyotes (9-16, 5-13) rallied, using a 12-2 run to retake the lead. Craig McGee would give the Yotes a 77-75 lead with a lay-up with 3:45 remaining, but the hosts went just 1-for-4 with four turnovers the rest of the way. A Blake Solomon triple broke a 77-77 tie, helping NU into a fifth-place tie in the Cascade Conference standings.
Christie led all scorers with 24 points, with Solomon and George each scoring 21 in the win. NU hit 52-percent of their field goal attempts on the night, including 61-percent in the second stanza.
McGee led the Yotes with his 32nd career double-double, scoring 20 points with 15 rebounds, with Noah Gottlieb adding 13. Kelvin Potts and Matt Ballenger each scored 11 in the loss, as The C of I converted just 8-of-16 free throw attempts.
Both teams head to the postseason, beginning Wednesday night. The C of I, the No. 8 seed, will meet second-ranked Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls, while Northwest will travel to Evergreen State. The other two quarterfinal match-ups have Northwest Christian at Warner Pacific, and Concordia at Eastern Oregon.