Box Score
CALDWELL, Idaho – Jordan O'Byrne scored a game-high 23 points, including a pair of three-pointers in a decisive 15-2 second half run, as The College of Idaho won the 27th Annual Golden Rule Shootout title, stopping Walla Walla, 87-69.
The win for the Yotes (6-2) was their sixth-straight – their longest win streak since the 2008-09 season, while C of I claimed their own tournament for the ninth time, but its first title since 2006.
Early on, the NAIA independent Wolves (0-7) got a pair of three-pointers from Dusan Sparavalo, surging out to a 7-3 edge. Back-to-back buckets from O'Byrne and a Demetrius Perkins dunk keyed a 7-0 C of I run to give the Yotes their first lead. WWU had their final lead at 17-16, before a Taylor Pruett triple started a 8-0 C of I run to take a 24-16 lead, with the hosts taking a 44-34 lead to the break.
The Wolves hit a pair of early three-pointers in the second half, as a long-range jumper from Wesley Burke got WWU within 49-42 with 18 minutes to play – but O'Byrne canned a trey of his own, Pruett drained a jumper, and Joe Vaz tipped in a missed shot to give C of I a 56-42 lead, a margin that would balloon to 62-42 on a Sydney Donaldson free throw with 14 minutes remaining.
Pruett had 18 points and seven rebounds, with Vaz adding 15 points and eight rebounds in the victory – as C of I forced 13 second half WWU turnovers. Perkins had 11 points, Josh Wilson added seven points and seven assists, and Donaldson logged seven points and seven rebounds.
Sparavalo led WWU with 17 points and 10 rebounds, with Chad Torkelson adding 13 points off the bench. The Wolves kept the game close by making 10-of-24 three-point tries.
C of I returns to action on Friday, meeting UC-Colorado Springs in an exhibition game at Northwest Nazarene's Johnson Sports Center.
