EUGENE, Ore. – The College of Idaho men’s basketball team took the driver’s seat in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot for the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament on Friday night, knocking off Northwest Christian University 60-56.
CI was efficient, shooting 82% from the floor in the second half as they held off a late rally for the Beacons. NCU trailed by as many as twelve after the intermission and cut the lead to three points but never fully rebounded after a tough first half. The Yotes led 23-13 at the intermission, a new record low number of points for NCU in a single half.
The Coyotes (9-16, 4-10 CCC) were led by Sydney Donaldson, scoring 17 points along with three blocks and two steals. Krispin Banks added 14 points and six boards and Ben Van Lith came off the bench to score nine points with a game-high seven rebounds.
Northwest Christian (10-15, 3-10) was led by Mitch Wilson with eleven points and three steals. Trevor Parker and Brian Hampton scored ten points apiece and Travis Pacos scored eight to go with a team-high five rebounds. The Beacons were outrebounded 27-22 and shot 40.8%.
NCU will be back in action on Saturday night, playing host to Eastern Oregon. The College of Idaho will travel to Salem to take on Corban College. Both games are slated for 7:30 pm start times.