CALDWELL, Idaho – Tanner Riley drained a 3-pointer with just three seconds remaining, lifting Ottawa University of Arizona to a come-from-behind 67-66 victory over the College of Idaho in the final game of the 31st Annual Taco Bell Shoot-Out.
The Spirit (1-1) picked up their first win in program history, erasing a seven point C of I lead in the final two minutes.
C of I (1-1) took a 65-58 lead on an
Aziz Leeks lay-up with 2:21 left in the contest – were outscored 9-1 the rest of the way, missing eight consecutive free throws during the crucial stretch. OUAZ got two free throws from Matthew McClain, with Riley recording a driving lay-up and two freebies to cut the margin to 66-64. After McClain stole a Coyote pass, the Spirit milked the clock, with Riley elevating from 23-feet on the right angle, burying the triple for the lead. The Yotes had a final chance, but
Keun Palu-Thompson had a 12-foot runner rattle out as the horn sounded.
A night after scoring 130 points, the Yotes offense struggled – making just 31-percent of their field goals in the opening 20 minutes. C of I trailed 11-4, but used a 20-6 run to take the lead – as both Palu-Thompson and
Justin Saunders scored five points in the rally. The Yotes used an 8-0 surge early in the second half – getting triples from
Nate Bruneel and
Talon Pinckney – to take their largest lead at 47-34 – but could not hold on.
Paul-Thompson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, with Bruneel scoring 11 points with eight boards and Pinckney had 10.
Riley led four OUAZ players in double figures with 22 points, with Bradley Brooks adding 15 and McClain 13. The Spirit won despite being outrebounded, 50-34, including 19-5 on the offensive end.
C of I returns to action with a pair of exhibition games next week – Thursday at Boise State and Saturday at Gonzaga.
