CALDWELL, Idaho –
Nate Bruneel scored a career-high 26 points, including five 3-pointers and a pair of slam dunks, as the College of Idaho won their eighth game in nine outings, stopping defending Cascade Conference champion, Northwest Christian, 91-83, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Bruneel hit the big shots when the No. 12 ranked Yotes (9-4, 3-1 CCC) needed them – tying the game with a 3-pointer at 65-65 midway through second half after NCU had used a 15-4 run to take the lead. The sophomore broke the seventh and final tie of the night at 72-72 with a trey and added four points in a clinching 8-2 run inside the final five minutes.
The Beacons (4-6, 0-3) held the Yotes without a made field goal over the first five minutes, with a Davonte Cleveland dunk giving the visitors a 7-2 lead. C of I went to their bench – as baskets from
Gibson Berryhill and Matthew Duniphan, followed by an
Ivory Miles-Williams 3-point play evened the score. Bruneel took over late in the half – scoring 10 of the Yotes final 12 points, including a monster baseline jam – as C of I built a 40-32 halftime lead.
A Bruneel alley-oop dunk gave the Coyotes their largest lead at 53-42, before NCU answered from deep – as Brock Rice, Tyrus Hosley and Austin Tyner each hit from distance to get the Beacons back in the game. A Michael Loomis trey with 10:52 gave NCU a brief 65-62 lead, before Bruneel answered – setting up the finish.
Talon Pinckney 13 of his 20 points in the second half, with
Aziz Leeks scoring 13 points – making 4-of-5 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws. Berryhill had a season-high 12 points,
Roosevelt Adams doubled up with 10 points and 10 rebounds, with Miles-Williams logging career-highs with eight points, six rebounds and three steals. The Yotes made 57-percent of their second half field goals and topped NCU 47-37 on the glass.
Cleveland led NCU with 21 points, making 8-of-10 field goals, including all three of his 3-pointers. Rice had 18 points off the bench and Loomis had 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The Beacons lost despite making 12 3-point buckets.
C of I returns to action on Wednesday, traveling to rival Eastern Oregon.
