CALDWELL, Idaho – Tying a school record with 22 made 3-pointers, the College of Idaho extended their home win streak to 35 games, outlasting Montana Western, 97-89, in Game 2 of the Taco Bell Shoot-Out.
The NAIA Division II No. 6 ranked Yotes (2-0) forced 14 second half turnovers to erase a 58-50 deficit to earn the win over the NAIA Division I No. 23 ranked Bulldogs (2-2).
A 19-2 run to end the first half gave Western a 56-50 lead at the break, but C of I picked up the defense pressure in the second half to take over the game – scoring 18 points after halftime off Bulldog mistakes.
A trey by
Emanuel Morgan got the Yotes even at 65-all, with back-to-back 3's from
Michael Goward and
Dominique Jordan capped an 8-0 run that gave C of I a 73-67 lead – an edge they would never relinquish.
The 'Dawgs would cut the margin to 93-89 on a Dexter Williams layup with three minutes remaining, but
Aitor Zubizarreta answered with a triple from the right corner to put the game out of reach.
Curtis Brever led seven C of I players in double-figures with 19 points, while
Joey Nebeker scored 14 of his 15 points in the first half. Both
Marck Coffin and
Michael Goward recorded career-highs with 13 points; Zubizarreta had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists; Jordan had 10 second half points; and Morgan logged 10 points, nine rebounds and tied a tournament record with seven steals.
The 22 3-pointers made and the 46 attempts by the Yotes equal the school record set in the 2006-07 season opener vs. Montana Western – with both marks shattering the record of the 29-year-old tournament.
Williams led Western with 19 points and eight assists, with Shyke Smalls logging 17 points and eight rebound and Demitrius Balark scoring 16. Quinn Smith had 10 points and led all players with 11 rebounds. Western shot 51-percent for the game, but were limited to just 11-of-27 shooting in the second half.
Tomorrow, Western meets Walla Walla at 5 p.m., with the Yotes hosting Northwest Indian College at 7 p.m. WWU earned a 90-85 victory over NWIC in Game 1 today, as Chad Torkelson scored a game-high 23 points for the Wolves.
