CALDWELL, Idaho - Five Coyote players scored in double figures, as The College of Idaho ended a three-game losing streak with a 97-65 victory over Multnomah University in the late game of the 5th Annual C of I/NNU Holiday Classic inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Montana Western claimed the early game, scoring the final five points to defeat Northwest Nazarene, 73-68.
The Coyotes (5-7) opened the game on a 10-0 run and were never threatened, as The C of I logged their highest scoring output under head coach Rod Jensen.
The Lions (8-9), from Portland, Ore., closed within 31-20 on a Brett Looyenga trey, The C of I responded with a 19-5 run – including three baskets each from Ben Van Lith and Devan Telken, to blow the game open. The lead would extend to 91-47 on a Sydney Donaldson dunk late in the second half.
Van Lith led all scorers with 19 points, connecting on 8-of-10 field goal attempts, with Matt Ballenger scoring 16 points and seven rebounds in just 16 minutes of action. Jason Brown had a career-high 14 points, Telken added a career-high 13 points and six rebounds, with Donaldson scoring 11. The Yotes hit 56-percent of their field goal attempts on the night.
Multnomah got 15 points from David Walker, as the Lions hit 13-of-44 shots from outside the arc. Reserve Seth Coleman scored 13 points, with Tyler Yates logging nine points and eight rebounds.
Game 1 saw Western (8-3) rally from a nine-point second half deficit to grab a win in a game the Bulldogs deemed as an exhibition.
NNU (5-4) led 53-45 on a pair of Jordan Nichols free throws with 13 minutes to play, but a Kyle Perry put-back capped a 13-3 run to give the NAIA Division I bunch the lead. Tyler Hurley extended the lead to 66-60 with a three-point play, before the Crusaders pulled even at 67-67 with 1:46 left on an Andy Maxwell three. On the ensuing possession, Kyle Erickson buried a corner trey to give Western the lead for good – as NNU missed a pair of game-tying tries in the waning seconds.
Brandon Brown led UMW with 22 points, with Hurley scoring 20. Maxwell led NNU with 15 points, with J.B. Pillard logging 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
NNU meets Multnomah in the 6 p.m. game tomorrow night, with the Yotes meeting Western at 8 p.m.