EUGENE, Ore. – The No. 4 ranked College of Idaho had five players in double-figures, as they knocked off Northwest Christian University, 82-69, inside the Morse Event Center.
Demetrius Perkins scored a game-high 19 points as the Coyotes (18-3, 7-2) defeated NCU in the first meeting since the Cascade Collegiate Conference title game last March.
C of I controlled the pace for the majority of the first half, trailing the Beacons (12-6, 5-4) just two times in the opening stanza and holding a 38-33 advantage at the intermission.
Led by two Austin Kuemper layups and a Javonte Byrd dunk, Northwest Christian came out of the half with a blistering start to grab the lead back at 39-38.
With just over 16-minutes remaining, Travis Pacos stole the ball from Marko Kovacevic and found Byrd up the seam for another slam, giving the Beacons their largest lead of the night at four points.
Over the next ten minutes, the Coyotes went on a game-clinching 25-10 run, including four 3-pointers, three from Joey Nebeker, to pull away from NCU.
The Coyotes would push their lead to 13 points in the final minute, knocking down free-throws to seal the victory.
As a team, C of I played very clean basketball, turning the ball over a season-low seven times. The feat marks the fourth time a Scott Garson team has recorded seven-or-fewer miscues in a game the past two seasons.
Sydney Donaldson and Nebeker each recorded 14 points, knocking down 11-of-12 free-throws between the pair.
Josh Wilson scored 10 points while also pulling down seven rebounds. The Coyotes remained unbeaten with Joe Vaz on the floor as the big center notched another double-double in the win, scoring 10 points and hauling in 10 boards.
The Beacons had four players reach double-figures in points, led by Kuemper's 19 and five rebounds.
NCU only made 18 shots on the night, shooting 32-percent from the field compared to the 43-percent Coyote mark.
The win completes the two-game weekend road-trip sweep and keeps the Coyotes on pace with Southern Oregon atop the CCC standings, setting up a key game next Friday night when the Yotes play host to SOU in Caldwell and put their 27-game home-court winning streak on the line.
