LEWISTON, Idaho - Chakala Carthen led four College of Idaho players in double-figures with 15 points, as the Lady Yotes opened up play at the Twin Rivers Physical Therapy Classic with a 68-55 victory over New Hope Christian College inside the LCSC Activity Center.
Box Score
The Lady Yotes (4-1) used a big run to close the first half and opened the second half with a big surge to build an insurmountable lead against the NCCAA Deacons.
NHCC (2-7) got a Kyrsha Witherspoon lay-up with just under six minutes left in the first half to give the Deacons a 21-20 lead, but the Yotes closed the half on a 14-2 run - including a Dayna Drager put-back basket and a long three-pointer, to lead 34-23 at the break.
Katelin Shannon had two baskets and a pair of free throws and Carthen added five points in a 18-6 run to open the second half, as the Yotes extended the lead to 52-29 with 14:22 remaining. NHCC made one final push, getting within 60-50 on a Chelsea Dyson free throw with six minutes to play. However, a Drager jumper and a three-pointer by Shannon helped reestablish a 16-point lead and the Yotes held on.
Laura Geis scored 14 points and added a career-high 16 rebounds in the victory, with Shannon adding 11 points and five assists and Drager 10 points and six boards for the Yotes. The Deacons Deanna Tupai led all scorers with 23 points, on 10-of-14 shooting, with Lei Lolohea adding nine points and 13 rebounds.
The C of I returns to action tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. (PT), meeting Trevecca Nazarene.
