Yotes Rally For Big Win Over Arizona Christian

CALDWELL, Idaho - Joey Nebeker recorded his first collegiate double-double, leading seventh-ranked College of Idaho to a 77-70 win over Arizona Christian in Game 2 of the 27th Annual Taco Bell Shoot-Out inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
 
Nebeker scored 10 of his 13 points in the opening half, adding 11 rebounds on the night, as the Yotes (3-0) extended their home court win streak to 18 games.

The No.17 ranked Firestorm (1-1) jumped out to a quick 12-point lead as ACU started the game a perfect 6-of-6 from the field.  Sharif Watson scored nine of his game-high 25 in the first six minutes, leading his club on an 18-4 run to take a 20-8 lead. 

A pair of Josh Wilson free-throws started a 16-3 Coyote spurt to retake the lead at 24-23, before ACU held C of I to just one made field goal over the final eight minutes of the period to take a 38-33 lead at the break.
 
The Firestorm had a 41-33 lead early in the second half, but a pair of Demetrius Perkins 3's got the Yotes rally started, with the second of two Jordan O'Byrne triples capping a 15-2 run that gave C of I a 57-50 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.
 
ACU would not go away, using a 9-0 run to regain the lead, holding a 63-62 edge inside the final seven minutes.  However, Marko Kovacevic took a pass from Wilson with just over four-minutes left in the game and converted the bucket inside the paint to give C of I the lead for good.
 
Perkins scored 11 of his team-high 16 points in the second half, including five key free-throws down the stretch. Sydney Donaldson added 13 points, Wilson had 11, and Kovacevic added nine. The Yotes shot 40-percent from the field for the game, including a 46-percent clip in the second half.
 
Mike Nevar scored 12, with Brandon Newman and Bobby Gray each scoring 11.  ACU struggled from the floor in the second half, making just 10-of-35 from the field and finished the game 3-of-17 from three-point range.
 
In the early game, Eastern Oregon routed Walla Walla, 87-57, behind 20 points from Bryan McGriff.
 
C of I will wrap up the Taco Bell Shoot-Out tomorrow as they meet Walla Walla at 7 p.m., with ACU meeting Eastern Oregon at 5 p.m.
 
NOTES: C of I had 21 assists on 23 made field goals; Joe Vaz had seven points eight rebounds, and four of the Yotes eight blocked shots.