DILLON, Mont. –
Nate Bruneel scored a season-high 21 points, but the College of Idaho could not overcome a 51-17 deficit in free throw attempts, as Montana Western outlasted the Yotes, 91-82, in a battle of Top-10 teams inside Straugh Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs (4-0), the ranked No. 8 in the NAIA Division I and the preseason favorites in the Frontier Conference, used a 12-3 second half run to erase a 59-57 deficit to top the No. 7 ranked team in the NAIA Division II and preseason Cascade Conference favorites.
Brandon Jones had eight early points for UMW, as the Dawgs ran off 11-straight points to take a 21-12 first half lead. C of I battled back, as Bruneel scored five straight points and a
Keun Palu-Thompson runner got the visitors within 28-26. A pair of late Kooper Kidgell 3s gave Western a 40-35 halftime edge.
The lead would grow to 54-47 before consecutive 3-pointers from
Justin Saunders and a mid-range jumper from
Gibson Berryhill gave the Yotes (1-2) their first lead since the opening minutes of the game. Unfortunately, Dom Robinson had 15 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, as the hosts used their rally to regain the lead and earn the victory.
Bruneel made 7-of-15 field goals, including three 3s and a pair of highlight-reel dunks. Saunders had a career-high 15 points and seven boards; Palu-Thomason had 15 points;
Roosevelt Adams scored 14; with
Aziz Leeks logging nine points and nine boards.
Brandon Jones scored 23 points in the win for UMW, with Zaccheus Darko-Kelly adding 14 and Kidgell 11.
C of I returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to Nampa for the United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup matchup against Northwest Nazarene.
