CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho trimmed an early 18-point deficit to six points in the third quarter, but nationally-ranked Montana Western cranked up the offense with a 30-8 run to pull away for a 68-42 victory in Game 2 of the 18th-Annual Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Lady Yote Classic inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The No. 15 ranked Bulldogs (5-1) meet Eastern Oregon in tomorrow's title game at 3 p.m. – as EOU defeated Lewis-Clark State, 62-50, in the opening game of the day. C of I will match-up against LCSC tomorrow at 5 p.m.
Western came out firing – jumping out to a 20-2 lead, as the Yotes (0-5) missed their first 11 shots and didn't convert their first field goal until a
Sophia Jackson 3-pointer inside the final minute of the first quarter.
C of I battled back, holding the Bulldogs without a made field goal over the final four minutes of the second quarter, as
Alyssa Case scored all seven of her points in the 9-1 run that got the hosts within 27-19 at the break. The rally continued in the third quarter, as a
Keahi-lele Roy driving lay-up cut the margin to 36-30 with 5:23 left in the frame.
The visitors cranked up the defensive pressure – holding C of I to just two made field goals over the next 13 minutes – while finding their offensive rhythm. A Briana King 3-point play and a Tori Anderson triple were the bookends of an 8-0 run to extend the lead to 44-30, with Anderson adding a triple and a jumper in a 12-0 fourth quarter run than built a 66-38 lead inside the final three minutes.
Jackson led C of I with nine points, making 3-of-6 3-point tries – with the rest of the team combining to go 0-of-22 from outside the arc.
Adriana Vickery had six points and a team-high six rebounds in her collegiate debut, with
Jocelyn Cook-Cox adding four points and four rebounds.
Anderson led Western with 14 points, making 4-of-7 3-point attempts. King had 13 points and post Darby Schye added 10 points and nine rebounds in the win – as the Bulldogs made 51-percent of their second half field goals and outboarded the Yotes, 47-29.
