NAMPA, Idaho – Four College of Idaho players scored in double figures, but the Yotes could not overcome a hot shooting night from outside the arc by rival Northwest Nazarene, as the Nighthawks earned a 76-70 victory in the United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup match-up inside Johnson Sports Center.
NNU (2-0) hit their first six 3-point attempts on the night and finished 11-of-22 from long range – building a 16-point first half lead and held off a late second half C of I rally to keep control of the traveling trophy.
The teams traded buckets over the first six minutes – with a monster
Nate Bruneel left-handed dunk giving the Yotes (1-3) a 14-12 lead and an
Aziz Leeks lay-up giving the visitors their final lead of the night at 16-15.
The Nighthawks answered with a long range assault, as Maurice Jones hit a triple and Khalil Thompson hit two of his four first half 3-pointers, as NNU jumped to a 24-16 lead, a margin that would extend to 43-27 on a Obi Megwa jumper.
NNU clamped down on the Yotes to start the second half, holding C of I scoreless for the first five and a half minutes of the period, pushing the lead to 50-31 on a Jones trey. The Coyotes would chip away at the lead, with a pair of Leeks free throws cutting the gap to 57-47, while consecutive jump shots from
Roosevelt Adams pulled C of I within 67-61 with four minutes to go. However, three-straight empty possessions doomed the Purple and Gold, as the Nighthawks scored six-straight points to build an insurmountable lead.
Adams had 18 points and Leeks logged a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead C of I.
Talon Pinckney had 10 points, while
Keun Palu-Thompson scoring 10. The Yotes held a 42-39 edge in rebounds, but committed a game-high 17 turnovers.
Jones led all scorers with 24 points and 12 rebounds, with Megwa and Jayden Bezzant each scoring 14 for NNU.
C of I returns home this weekend to host the Domino's Classic – meeting Lewis-Clark State on Friday and Montana Tech on Saturday, both games tipping off at 7 p.m. The Yotes and Nighthawks will play a return meeting next Tuesday in Caldwell.
