Yote Notes – February 24, 2009

Mike Safford Jr. – Sports Info. Director

msafford@collegeofidaho.edu

 

 

 

 

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL (16-14): Coyotes head to Evergreen State to open Cascade Conference Tournament play

 

LAST WEEK: at Northwest Christian (L 64-59)

 

COMING UP: at Evergreen State, Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. (PT)

 

ON THE RADIO:  All C of I games playoff games will be carried live in the Treasure Valley on 1490 KCID-AM.  Wednesday, the Jackson’s Pre Game Show will begin around 8:15 p.m. (MT), with tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. (MT), as the Yotes take on Evergreen State.

 

LIVE STATS AVAILABLE: Live stats of Wednesday night’s playoff game will be available at  http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/Team/TeamPage.aspx?association=10&sg=MBB&sea=NAIMBB_2008&team=518 and click on the “W” on the schedule next to College of Idaho as part of the NAIA’s Dakstats service.

 

TICKET PRICES: All seats in the CRC Gymnasium are general admission, with tickets set for $7.00, with student tickets at $5.00.  Tickets will go on sale at the door prior to the game.

 

YOTES TO MEET EVERGREEN IN PLAYOFF OPENER: The Coyotes will head out on the road for the second-straight season to open Cascade Conference Tournament play, meeting Evergreen State in the CRC Gymnasium in Olympia, Wash., on Wednesday night.  The Geoducks (17-10, 13-7 CCC) had to win their final two games of the regular season to secure the home date – using a 99-88 win over No. 16 Warner Pacific and a 90-76 win over Cascade to avoid traveling to Caldwell.  Evergreen has been led all season by guard Nate Menefee (24.4 ppg, 3.6 apg), the No. 2 scorer in all of the NAIA – who has tallied seven games this season of 30-or-more points.  6-7 wing Nick Moore (16.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) has been a match-up problem for teams, as he can play both inside and out, while guards Mike Ward (12.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and John Levi (7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg) are very good defenders.  On the block, Julio Feliciano (8.3 ppg, 6.1) and Anthony Gallagher (3.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg) split time and can play both inside and out.  Head coach Jeff Drinkwine’s squad has won eight of their nine home games this season, including six in a row.  It is the 22nd meeting between the teams, with the Yotes holding a 16-5 series edge.

 

PLAYOFF HISTORY WITH THE GEODUCKS: It is the second time that the two teams have met in the postseason, but the first time in the CRC Gymnasium.  In the 2005 CCC quarterfinals, the Yotes hosted the Geoducks in Caldwell, with Evergreen jumping out to a 33-28 halftime edge.  The C of I would rally behind their bigs, as Steve Humphreys, Rich Fried, and Dan McFaul combined for 40 point and 23 rebounds in the Coyotes 64-59 victory – as the Yotes advanced to the CCC title game and a trip to the NAIA National Tournament.

 

C OF I/EVERGREEN HISTORY IN THE POSTSEASON:  The Coyotes will be making an appearance in the postseason for the 12th-consecutive season and the 27th postseason appearance in 28 years.  Under head coach Mark Owen, The C of I has a 12-5 record in CCC Tournament games, including the 2001, 2003, and 2004 tourney titles.  The Yotes have a rich history of playoff success in the last quarter century, winning six NAIA District titles (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991) and three CCC titles (1993, 1996, 2004).  In program history, The C of I has appeared in the NAIA Tournament on 17 occasions (nine NAIA and eight NAIA Division II), the most trips to the Big Dance than any other CCC school – including the 1996 NAIA Division II national championship.  Evergreen, which began their program in 1997, have advanced to the postseason in ten of their 12 seasons – but have advanced past the first-round of the CCC tournament only twice, reaching the semifinals in 2002, and the title game last season.  Evergreen has won one CCC championship, in 2002, advancing that season to the second-round of the NAIA Tournament.

 

RECAP OF FIRST TWO MEETINGS: Jan. 12: C of I 71, Evergreen 69 - Craig McGee (Boise, Idaho / Centennail HS) was the hero as his lay-up at the final horn lifted the Coyotes to a 71-69 upset victory over  then No. 15 ranked Evergreen.  After Nick Moore made the second of two free throws with 24 seconds remaining to tie the score at 69-69, the Yotes milked the clock, with Kelvin Potts (Oakland, Calif. / Chabot CC) driving in the paint with three seconds left.  Potts found McGee alone under the basket, with his uncontested lay-up setting off a Purple and Gold celebration.  The Yotes trailed early 5-3, but a 10-0 run helped The C of I build a nine-point first half lead, with the visitors leading 40-33 at the break.  The Geoducks would rally in the second half, as a pair of Moore free throws gave Evergreen their lone lead in the second half at 45-44.  McGee would answer with a lay-up of his own, and the Yotes would not relinquish the lead until the waning seconds.  Steffen Spinks (Manteca, Caliif. / East Union HS) led the Yotes with 20 points and six rebounds, while McGee registered his second-straight double-double, scoring 14 points with 12 boards.   Nate Menefee led all scorers with 21 points, but hit only 6-of-17 shots from the field.  Moore had 14 points in only 19 minutes of action for the Geoducks, who lost at home for the first time this season.  Feb. 13: C of I 79, Evergreen 78 - Brian Bergerson (Modesto, Calif. / Modesto CC) hit a three-pointer with six seconds remaining, capping a wild final minute comeback, as the Coyotes topped Evergreen.  The visiting Geoducks took their biggest lead of the night on a Michael Ward lay-up at 76-70 with 42 seconds remaining.  However, the Yotes would not quit, as Bryan Champ (Boise, Idaho / Borah HS) drove the length of the floor, getting fouled on a made lay-up and converting the freebie to cut the margin to 76-73.  After Ward split a pair of free throws, Kurt Nielson (Rexburg, Idaho / Madison HS) banked in a three-pointer with 17 seconds left, to cut Evergreen's lead to 77-76.  Moore was then fouled, splitting a pair of free throws to set the stage for Bergerson, who got Julio Feliciano in the air with a pump-fake, then hit the triple in the right corner to send the crowd of 1,600 in a frenzy.  The Geoducks would get two final chances, as Ward's driving lay-up hit back iron, with Menefee's put back at the buzzer rimming out.  The first half was a see-saw affair, seeing nine lead changes and eight ties, with the Geoducks leading 41-39 at the break.  After the Coyotes took a 49-46 second half lead, Evergreen used a 10-2 run to take the lead - which they would not relinquish until the waning seconds.  Five Yotes scored in double-figures, led by 14 each from Bergerson and Spinks.  McGee had 12 points and 12 rebounds, with Champ adding 11.  Menefee led all scorers with 21, with Moore scoring 19, and Ward adding 17 points and nine rebounds.

 

OTHER CCC QUARTERFINAL GAMES: Three other games will take place in the quarterfinals of the CCC Tournament – as No. 1 seed Oregon Tech will host No. 8 seeded Corban, No. 2 Eastern Oregon hosts No. 7 Southern Oregon, and No. 3 Warner Pacific hosts No. 6 Northwest Christian.  The two highest remaining seeds will host the two lowest remaining seeds on Saturday night, with the winners meeting for title and the second automatic berth to the NAIA Tournament.  Oregon Tech claimed the first automatic berth by winning the regular-season title via a tiebreaker over Eastern Oregon.

 

MCGEE FIRST TO 1,000, CHAMP NEARING THE MARK: Friday night in Eugene saw Craig McGee become the 16th C of I player to break the 1,000-point mark in his career – converting a first half lay-up, and with his 13 points, moved into 15th-place on the all-time list.  Right behind him, however, is teammate Bryan Champ, who needs just four points on Wednesday night to become the 17th player to join the elite group.  The other fifteen other players have reached this milestone in C of I history - Taft Jackson 2,336, R.C. Owens 2,155, Kade Wilson 1,637, Josh Owen 1,561, Chuck Blackhurst 1,391, Jared Klassen 1,388, Tom Perkes 1,297, Mark Owen 1,242, Mike Brown 1,194, Dan Hardee 1,142, Bill Perkins 1,133, Neal Robertson 1,069, Rob Smith 1,059, Andy Harper 1,034, and Scott Kern 1,005.

 

SINGLE-SEASON RECORD BOOK: Three Coyotes have etched their names in the single-season record book during the 2008-09 season.  Craig McGee ranks third on the free throw attempts list (218), while he is ninth in free throws made (129) and tenth in rebounds (277).  Jabari McIntosh (Union City, Calif. / West Valley CC) finds himself No. 5 in single-season blocks (48), with Bryan Champ ninth in steals (74).

 

CAREER RECORD BOOK: Four Yotes have cracked the career record book this year – with Craig McGee leading the way in four different categories – No. 2 in free throw attempts (456), No. 4 in blocked shots (78), No. 6 in rebounds (556), and No. 8 in free throws made (280).  Bryan Champ is second all-time in steals (257) and is tenth in both assists (231) and games played (112), with Jabari McIntosh ninth in blocked shots (48), and Kurt Nielson eighth in games played (114). 

 

YOTES RECEIVE VOTES IN LATEST NAIA POLL: The tenth regular-season NAIA Top-25 Poll was released Monday, with Oklahoma Wesleyan remaining in the top spot, followed by Cedarville (Ohio), Bethel (Ind.), Walsh (Ohio), and Black Hills State (S.D.).  The CCC had three teams in the Top-15, as Oregon Tech was ranked No. 9, Eastern Oregon No. 10, and Warner Pacific at No. 14.  The Yotes did not receive a voter point in this week’s poll, after receiving nine points last week, while Evergreen State receiving 55 voter points and was the first team listed in the others receiving votes category.  The final Top-25 poll is set to be released on March 4 – which will base the at-large selections for the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

 

COYOTES IN THE CCC STATS: As a team, the Yotes are second in the CCC in defensive field goal percentage (.423) and blocked shots per game (4.1), fourth in scoring defense (72.0), fifth in opponents rebounds (35.7), rebound margin (+0.9), and steals per game (7.3), sixth in field goal percentage (.460) and scoring margin (+1.4), seventh in rebounds per game (36.8), eighth in scoring average (73.4), free throw percentage (.655), and three-point percentage (.333), and ninth in defensive three-point percentage (.358), and assists per game (12.8).  Individually, Craig McGee is in the top-ten in the league in four different categories – No. 2 in rebounds per game (9.2), fourth in both blocks per game (1.2), and seventh in both scoring average (16.1) and field goal percentage (.552).  Bryan Champ is second in the league in three-point percentage (.435) and in steals per game (2.5), along with No. 4 in free throw percentage (.815), with Kelvin Potts sixth in the loop in assists per game (3.8) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).  Jabari McIntosh rounds out the Coyote contingent, ranking second in the league in blocked shots per game (1.6).

 

CCC LEADERS: Scoring Average – Nate Menefee (ESC) 24.4, Adam Moore (WP) 20.9, Jguwon Hogges (OIT) 18.4, Steven Vaughan (CU) 18.2, Alex Tiefenthaler (CU) 16.4; Rebound Average – Kaylone Riley (WP) 10.8, Craig McGee (CI) 9.2, Josh Wetzler (OIT) 9.2, Paul Carollo (EOU) 9.1, Erving Adams (CAS) 8.5; Field Goal Percentage – Christian Cavanaugh (OIT) .674, Wetzler .671, Steve Trotter (ESC) .597, Nick Moore (ESC) .572, Mike Ward (ESC) .569; Assists Average – Justin Parnell (OIT) 5.0, Jeremy Templeton (EOU) 4.6, Humphrey Jackson (SOU) 4.1, Paul Martin (CRB) 4.1, Kao Saelee (CAS) 3.9.

 

GAME RECAP – NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN 64, C OF I 59: Northwest Christian erased a halftime deficit to defeat the Coyotes, 64-59, in the Morse Events Center in Eugene, Ore.  The Coyotes led 31-29 at the break and held a 45-44 lead midway through the second half.  However, the Beacons would hold the visitors without a field goal for a seven minute stretch, pushing the margin to 53-45 on a Brent McKee three-pointer with 7:57 left.  The Yotes would whittle the deficit to 58-56, but could not get closer, as NCU hit 3-of-4 freebies in the final 30-seconds.  Jordan Whittenburg scored a game-high 24 points for the Beacons, including six three-pointers and 6-of-6 shooting from the foul line, with Dylan Perry coming off the bench to score 15.  Craig McGee and Kelvin Potts each had 13 to lead the Yotes.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on The C of I men’s basketball program, head to the homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.htm.

 

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (27-3): CCC Co-Champions set to open post-season tournament at home Tuesday vs. OIT

 

LAST WEEK: at Northwest Christian (W 78-76)

 

COMING UP: Cascade Conference Tournament – quarterfinal vs. Oregon Tech, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; semifinal (with win) vs. TBA, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

 

ON THE RADIO/INTERNET: The C of I-Oregon Tech quarterfinal game will not be carried live on radio in the Treasure Valley, but will be available live in the Klamath Basin on 960 KLAD-AM and online at http://asx.abacast.com/nnbkfalls-kkjx-64.asx with Mike Safford on the play-by-play.

 

LIVE VIDEO ON THE WEB: All C of I home women’s basketball playoff games will be available for pay-per-view viewing via the Internet, thanks to Penn Atlantic.  To access the games, head to http://www.pennatlantic.com/main.php, click College of Idaho on the “Choose School” dropdown bar, and select the game.  The viewing window should be available 15 minutes prior to game-time.  Tuesday’s game will be a simulcast of the KLAD broadcast with Mike Safford handling the play-by-play.

 

LIVE STATS/INTERNET BROADCAST AVAILABLE: Live stats of all C of I home games are available online at http://yotestats.i8.com/basketball/xlive.htm.

 

TICKET INFORMATION: All ticket prices for women’s playoff games are established by the league office – with all seating general admission.  Adult tickets are $5.00, with student tickets at $2.00 – with only NAIA Office passes accepted.  Tickets will go on sale one hour prior to tip-off.

 

YOTES TO HOST OREGON TECH: The Lady Yotes will open up CCC Tournament play on Tuesday night, hosting Oregon Tech in Caldwell.  The Owls (14-15, 7-13 CCC) opened the season with a 6-0 record, but struggled the rest of the way, including losing their final six games away from Klamath Falls (including four by five points or less).  OIT loves to shoot the three, leading the loop in with 250 made triples and 668 attempts – with 35-percent of their shots coming from outside the arc.  Amanda Johnston (13.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Kellie Morey (13.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) are the Owls leading scorers, while Nicole Morgan (11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg) is a tough match-up, and Meagan Miyasaka (5.9 ppg, 5.9 apg, 5.7 rpg) is one of the more complete point-guards in the league.  This is the 19th meeting between the teams, with the all-time series tied 9-9.

 

PLAYOFF HISTORY WITH THE OWLS: Tuesday marks the fifth time in the last seven years that the two teams have met in the playoffs, with the teams deadlocked at 2-2. In 2003, OIT picked up a 60-54 quarterfinal win in Klamath Falls, despite 15 points and 20 rebounds from the Yotes Kristen Bailey.  In the 2005 semifinals, the Yotes stunned top-seeded OIT in KFalls, 37-36, with Kim Strunk sinking the winning free throw with eight seconds left – still the lowest scoring game in C of I history.  In 2006, Tech held home court, forcing 25 C of I turnovers in a 67-46 quarterfinal win.  Last season, the Coyotes held OIT to 28-percent shooting in Caldwell, winning the CCC semifinal game, 63-44.

 

RECAP OF FIRST TWO MEETINGS: Dec. 5 – C of I 75, OIT 74: Alexandria Allen (Yakima, Wash. / Columbia Basin CC) hit two free throws with five seconds remaining to secure the Coyote win.  The Lady Yotes erased a 31-22 first half deficit, as Nicole Bruce (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) scored seven of her game-high 13 points in a 13-0 run, helping The C of I to a 37-35 halftime lead.  OIT opened the second half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Kellie Morey three, to take a 42-37 lead.  However, the Coyotes would use a 15-3 run to take the lead for good.  The C of I built a 71-64 lead with two minutes left, but had to hang on, as a Morey trey and two Amanda Johnston lay-ups helped the Owls close within 73-71.  Tech would have a chance to tie, but Nicole Morgan missed a three inside the final ten seconds, with Allen getting the rebound – knocking home the free throws to seal the win.  Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) had 12 points and nine rebounds, with Katie Strunk (Shoshone, Idaho / Walla Walla CC) adding 12 points off the bench in the win.  Johnston led all players with 27 points.  Jan. 31 – C of I 74, OIT 69: Whitney Owen (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS)had a career night, scoring 27 points and 14 rebounds, with her steal and two free throws with three seconds left sealing a 73-68 C of I victory.  The Yotes built a 62-54 lead with six minutes left, but watched as Morgan drained three consecutive three-pointers, drawing OIT within 66-65 with three minutes remaining.  A Morey lay-up with 1:12 left pulled the Owls within 69-68 - just starting the late-game drama.  The C of I would see Vander Esch make the first of two free throws to push the lead to two, but missed the second, allowing Tech a chance.  However, Meagan Miyasaka was called for a double-dribble with 23 seconds left.  The Yotes would give OIT another crack at it, as Nicole Gall (Boise, Idaho / Santa Clara U.) made 1-of-2 free throws and Vander Esch missed a pair, but Megan Ross was stripped of the ball by Owen at half court, with her two free throws giving the Yotes the final cushion.  Despite battling foul trouble all night, Vander Esch had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Yotes, with Gall adding 13.  Morgan and Morey each had 20 points in the loss for OIT.


OTHER CCC QUARTERFINAL GAMES: No. 8 seed Northwest at No. 1 seed Concordia; No. 6 Corban at No. 3 Southern Oregon; No. 5 Warner Pacific at No. 4 Eastern Oregon.  Two highest seeds host two lowest seeds on Friday, with the championship game set for next Monday.

 

C OF I PLAYOFF HISTORY: The C of I has advanced to the postseason in 13 of the 14 seasons since women’s basketball was reinstated at the College in 1995.  The Coyotes have advanced to three NAIA Division II national tournaments (1998 – first round, 2000 – quarterfinals, 2001 – championship game), but have never won a CCC Tournament title (advanced to the finals in 2000, 2002, 2005, and 2008). 

 

AT HOME IN THE PLAYOFFS: The Lady Yotes will host a playoff game in the CCC Tournament for the fourth time in the last five seasons.  In program history, the squad has a 7-1 record in postseason games in Caldwell – including a pair of victories last year.

 

LADY YOTES EARN SHARE OF CCC TITLE, LOSE TIEBREAKER: With Concordia’s loss to Southern Oregon on Saturday night, the Lady Yotes earned a share of their first CCC regular-season championship since the 2000-01 season.  However, The C of I did not earn the league’s automatic berth to the NAIA Division II national championships for the regular-season champion, as CU won the tiebreaker – based on a coin-flip (CU called heads, quarter landed heads).  The teams were deadlocked in all other tiebreak scenarios (split regular-season series, both were 7-1 against .500 or better teams, both were even on the Sempert System chart, and both were even in the ascending order of team lost – both dropped home games to Southern Oregon), forcing the coin flip.

 

YOTES DROP TO NO. 14 IN NAIA POLL: Despite two wins last week, the Lady Yotes dropped three spots in the latest NAIA Division II Top-25 Coaches Poll, released Monday afternoon by the national office in Kansas City. Mo.  Because Concordia was rated No. 1 in the CCC by the league coaches, raters were forced to vote for the Cavaliers first – and dropped CU three spots due to their loss to Southern Oregon.  This in-turn dropped the Lady Yotes in the balloting to No. 14.   The two unbeaten teams remaining in the NAIA Division II sit atop the poll - Morningside (Iowa) and Shawnee State (Ohio), followed by Davenport (Mich.), the College of the Ozarks (Mo.), and Sterling (Kan.).  The final poll will be released at the conclusion of all conference tournaments to determine at large bids to the NAIA National Tournament.

 

NEW WINS RECORD: The 27-3 start has set a new school record for most wins in a season, eclipsing the former mark of 26, set during the Lady Yotes run to the NAIA championship game in 2001., The C of I has recorded their best ten, 15, 20, and 25-game starts to a season. 

 

VANDER ESCH HITS THE 1,000 POINT MARK: Forward Christon Vander Esch (Riggins, Idaho / Treasure Valley CC) became the seventh player in C of I women’s basketball history to break the 1,000 point mark for her career with a basket Saturday vs. Northwest.  The senior has now scored 1,030 points in her career, the sixth-highest total in program history.  Vander Esch has scored at least one point in 68-straight games, recorded a rebound in 78-straight games, and had a steal in 46-straight games.  With her final free throw attempt at Eastern Oregon, she became the single-season leader in free throw attempts with 221 – and needs just 26 rebounds to become the career leader on the glass.

 

SINGLE-SEASON RECORD BOOK: Three Lady Yotes have already etched their name in the single-season record book – with at least one more remaining in the season.  Christon Vander Esch ranks No. 1 in free throw attempts (223) and steals (101), third in blocked shots (67), fifth in points scored (481) and free throws made (138), seventh in rebounds (266), eighth in field goal attempts (376) and ninth in field goals made (159), while Nicole Bruce) is sixth in blocked shots (45).  The third is Nicole Gall, who is third on the single-season list for three-pointers made (84), fourth on the list for three-pointers attempted (213) and in steals (86), No. 5 in field goal attempts (414), and No. 10 in field goals made (158) and in points scored (436).

 

CAREER RECORD BOOK: Five Lady Yotes have found themselves among the pages of the career record book during the 2008-09 season.  Leading the way is Christon Vander Esch, who is No. 1 on The C of I career steals (245) and free throw attempts (435) lists (245), is on the all-time blocked shots list (158), is third in rebounds (672), fourth in free throws made (282), fifth in points scored (1,056), sixth in field goal attempts (913), seventh in field goals made (356), eighth in assists (203) – while closing in on the list in three-pointers made (56) and three-pointers attempted (177).  Whitney Owen ranks ninth all-time in free throws made (177) in free throw attempts (254), sitting just outside of the Top-10 in steals (120).  Nicole Gall ranks sixth in a career for three-pointers made (84) and ninth in three-pointers attempted (213), Nicole Bruce is sixth all-time in blocked shots (52), and Kayla Brewer (Arco, Idaho / Butte County HS) is No. 10 all-time in steals (125).

 

LADY YOTES IN THE CCC STATS:  As a team, the Lady Yotes lead the CCC in scoring average (78.7), defensive three-point percentage (.271), blocked shots per game (6.1), steals per game (17.5), rebounds per game (46.3), and turnover margin (+7.3) – leading the nation in steals per game, second in rebounds per game, and third in blocks per game.  The team is second in the CCC in scoring margin (+13.1) and defensive field goal percentage (.363), third in assists per game (16.1), fifth in rebound margin (+1.1), sixth in three-point percentage (.344) and rebound margin (+1.1), seventh in field goal percentage (.397), ninth in free throw percentage (.666), and 11th in opponents rebound average (45.2).  Individually, Christon Vander Esch leads the league in steals per game (3.3), is second in the loop in blocks per game (2.2) and rebounds per game (8.8), and is fifth in scoring average (16.1).  Nicole Bruce is fifth in blocked shots per game (1.5), while Nicole Gall ranks second in three-pointers per game (2.8), third in steals per game (2.8), seventh in three-point percentage (.394) and in scoring average (15.1), and ninth in blocks per game (0.9).  Two others are on the list, as Whitney Owen leads the league in three-point percentage (.500) and fourth in field goal percentage (.526), while Alexandria Allen is eighth in the league in steals (2.1).

 

CCC LEADERS: Scoring Average – Kristina Schumacher (CAS) 19.4, Robin Swain (CAS) 18.5, Katie Steigleman (CRB) 16.6,  Jacki Speer (SOU) 16.4, Christon Vander Esch (CI) 16.1; Rebound Average – Speer (SOU) 11.0, Vander Esch 8.8, Emily Gray (NCU) 8.7, Maya Gross (CAS) 8.6, Ashley Baker (SOU) 8.2; Field Goal Percentage –Danielle Clauson (.CU) .537, Tana Stickney (EOU) .534, Ann Snodderly (CU) .534, Whitney Owen (CI) .526, Amanda Johnston (OIT) 497; Assist Average – Meagan Miyasaka (OIT) 5.9, Kailey Bostwick (CRB) 4.8, Jenny Fiso (EOU) 4.4, Rebecca Gimeno (CU) 4.3, Whitney Scott (SOU) 4.3.

 

GAME RECAP – C OF I 78, NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN 76: Christon Vander Esch scored 23 of her game-high 26 points in the second half, as The C of I rallied from a 21-point deficit to defeat Northwest Christian, 78-76, Friday in the Morse Events Center.  Trailing 55-34 with 16-minutes left in the game, the Lady Yotes battled back by holding the Beacons without a made field goal over the final seven minutes of the game.  A 12-2 run, capped by a Whitney Owen lay-up with 4:34 left, pulled the Coyotes within 73-69.  Vander Esch would take over from there, tying the game on a baseline runner at 76-76 inside the final minute, then, after a Katie Strunk steal, was fouled with 12-seconds left – hitting both free throws to give The C of I their first lead of the game.  NCU had a final chance, but a baseline jumper from Elise Gray rimmed out at the horn.  Vander Esch added ten rebounds, five assists, five blocked shots, and six steals in the win – setting a new single-season record with 101 steals.  Owen had 19 points, with Nicole Bruce and Alexandria Allen each scoring ten.  Nicole Gall was held scoreless for the second game this season, but added seven assists and three steals.  The Beacons, who hit 56-percent of their first half field goals, were forced into 22 second half turnovers. 

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on The C of I women’s basketball program, head to the homepage of the Lady Yotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/wmensbasketball.htm.