Nebeker Scores 32, Morgan Double-Double in Loss to LCSC

CALDWELL, Idaho – Joey Nebeker scored 32 points and Emanuel Morgan recorded his first career double-double, but the College of Idaho could not outlast a late Lewis-Clark State rally, as the Warriors earned an 88-86 victory inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
 
Box Score

Both teams squandered double-digit second half leads, with the Warriors (9-0), the Frontier Conference preseason favorites, closing the game on a 10-4 run to topple the Yotes.
 
C of I (5-4) led 82-78 with four minutes to play, but back-to-back buckets by Jacob Wiley, part of a 25 point, 10 rebound night, got LC even.  After a pair of Nebeker free throws gave the Yotes their last lead at 84-83, Rich Tesmer drove to the basket and spun in a lay-up with 25 seconds remaining to give the Warriors the lead.  The Coyotes had a final chance to tie, but Morgan's runner at the buzzer rimmed out.
 
The Warriors jumped out to quick 5-0 lead, but C of I countered with nine-straight Aitor Zubizarreta points, part of an 11-0 run – as the Yotes built a 16-8 lead.  Five quick Cammie Lewis points and two Doug McDaniel drained two treys, as the visitors outscored C of I 18-5 over the next five minutes – and led 48-41 at the break.
 
The LC State lead would grow to 62-49 after an Isaiah Omamogho triple, but the Yotes scored the next 20 points in a row – with Nebeker scoring nine and Morgan eight – to pull ahead 69-62.  The lead would grow to 77-65 with eight minutes left, before the Warriors countered, as Nick Emerson dropped two 3-pointers and Wiley buried a jumper, part of a 13-0 run by the visitors take a 78-77 edge – setting up the wild finish.
 
Nebeker finished 11-of-20 from the field, adding seven rebounds and four steals for the Yotes, with Zubizarreta scoring 23 points and a team-high eight rebounds.  Morgan scored 10 points and had a career-high 11 assists, adding four steals.
 
Wiley was 11-of-15 from the field for the Warriors, with Emerson scoring 18 and Lewis adding 15.  LC won despite 10 second half turnovers that led to 13 C of I point.
 
The Yotes return to action on Tuesday, opening Cascade Conference play against Eastern Oregon at 7:30 p.m.