KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –
Talon Pinckney scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the second half – including the go-ahead three-point play with five minutes remaining, helping the College of Idaho outlast Oregon Tech, 72-69, before 1,300 fans at Danny Miles Court.
The Yotes (7-3, 1-0 CCC) ran their win streak to six with their third win at OIT in the past five seasons – holding Tech to just 26-percent shooting from outside the arc.
C of I built their largest lead of the night at 56-47 after a
Roosevelt Adams 3-pointer, only to see the Owls (6-4, 0-1) run off 10-straight points, with Garret Albrecht's 3-point play giving OIT a 57-56 edge. Pinckney answered with a driving bucket and converted the resulting free throw, while finding
Aziz Leeks on the baseline for a right-hand jam to push the lead to 61-57.
Mitchell Fink pulled the Owls within 68-67 with a runner in the lane with 35 seconds left – but
Keun Palu-Thompson converted 3-of-4 free throws in the waning moments, sandwiched around a Fink free throw, to give the Yotes a 3-point lead. OIT had a final chance, but C of I did not give the Owls a clean look, with Zach Bernards' off-balanced 22-foot heave and buzzer missing the target.
Palu-Thompson had 13 points in the win for C of I, with Leeks recording his sixth double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Adams had 10 points for the Yotes, who held a 40-38 edge on the glass – the tenth-straight game this season winning the rebound battle.
Fink led OIT with 17 points and seven assists, with Tyler Hieb scoring 16 points and adding eight rebounds – connecting on four 3-point baskets.
The Yotes will play their fourth-straight game against a Top-25 team tomorrow, traveling to No. 13 ranked Southern Oregon for a 6 p.m. (PT) tip – live on 99.1 ESPN Boise.
