OLYMPIA, Wash. – An epic fourth quarter rally came up just short, as the College of Idaho cut a 23-point deficit to a single point late, but Keahi Roy's 3-pointer at the buzzer missed just short, as the Evergreen State College held on for a 56-53 win inside Costantino Recreation Center.
The Geoducks (6-6, 3-4 CCC) dominated the third quarter – forcing seven C of I turnovers in building a 49-26 lead late in the frame, with a Cherish Moss 3-pointer giving the hosts a 54-33 lead with 44 seconds left.
From that point, it was all Lady Yotes (1-12, 1-6) – as C of I limited TESC to 0-of-11 shooting in the final period – using a 20-0 run to nearly steal the win. Jumpers from Roy and
Jocelyn Cook-Cox, followed by a set play for a
Lindy Westendorf lay-up cut the deficit to 54-41 with six minutes left. A rebound and put-back from
Sophia Jackson and a Westendorf runner got C of I within eight, with
Alyssa Case draining a triple and Roy driving for a basketball to get the Yotes within a score.
After a Geoduck turnover with 38 seconds left, the Yotes got three cracks at a basket, before
Madison Holly stuck home a short jumper with four seconds left to cut the gap to 54-53. A C of I foul sent Cayla Jones to the line, draining both free throws – the only points scored in the period by TESC – with Roy missing a running 30-footer at the horn that would have forced overtime.
Roy led the Yotes with 13 points, as C of I made 8-of-17 field goal attempts in the final 10 minutes. Jackson had 10 points and seven rebounds, with Cook-Cox scoring eight points and grabbing a career-high 11 boards. C of I won the rebound matchup for the first time this season, holding a commanding 44-29 edge on the glass.
Jones led all players with 20 points, with Deidra Miller scoring 14 – as ESC ended a four-game losing streak.
C of I returns to action next weekend with home games vs. Warner Pacific and Multnomah.
