CALDWELL, Idaho – Michael Russo canned a go-ahead three-pointer with 25 seconds to play, helping Northwest University top The College of Idaho, 76-71, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Box Score
The Coyotes (6-8, 2-3 CCC) took a 64-57 lead with seven minutes left on a Duncan Koga three, but the No. 21 ranked Eagles (14-2, 4-0) scored nine straight points to regain the lead. Taylor Pruett tied the score at 66-66 with a baseline jumper, with the lead extending to 71-68 on a pair of free throws from Sydney Donaldson. Michael Greene got NU with a point with a driving lay-up and following a defensive stop, the Eagles found Russo alone in the right corner, hitting his fifth three of the game. A Pruett runner game-tying jumper rimmed out with three-seconds left as the Eagles’ sealed the victory at the line.
After a see-saw first 10 minutes, the Yotes took a 17-14 lead on a Miguel Rodriguez three-pointer, only to watch the Eagles score the next nine points, capped by a long Ryan McIntosh three, to lead 23-17 - extending the margin to 30-22 on a Ryan Cliett three. The C of I would hold NU to just one made field goal over the final five minutes, cutting the margin to 33-32 on a Rodney Delgardo trey at the buzzer.
A Russo three early in the second half gave the visitors a four-point lead, but the Yotes would pull even on five occasions - finally using a Delgardo lay-up and a long Zach Peterson triple to lead 55-50, pushing the margin to seven on the Koga trey, but could not hold on.
Russo had 20 points and seven rebounds in the win, as NU made 12-of-17 shots from outside the arc and hit 57-percent of their field goal attempts overall. Greene had 20 points and 14 rebounds in the win – the Eagles’ eighth-straight over The C of I and their eighth-straight win overall.
Delgardo had 18 points in the loss for the Yotes, with Pruett scoring 14 points, adding eight rebounds, and logging six steals. The Yotes forced 22 turnovers in the loss.
The C of I meets Evergreen tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.
