CALDWELL, Idaho –
Keun Palu-Thompson scored a career-high 26 points and helped the College of Idaho hold Eastern Oregon 28 points below their season scoring average, as the No. 1 ranked Coyotes rebounded from their first league loss to defeat the Mountaineers, 78-61, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Yotes (15-2, 4-1 CCC) remained unbeaten at home this season and ran their win streak on their own floor to 11 – thanks to a stifling defense that held EOU to just 37-percent shooting on the night.
C of I started quickly, as Palu-Thompson and post
Matt Meyers combined for the first 10 points – as the Yotes bolted to a 10-2 lead. The Mountaineers (8-8, 3-2) clawed even behind 7-foot post Jarek Schetzle, as the post scored six of his 12 first half points in a rally that tied the score at 23-23.
The hosts answered quickly with a
Connor Desaulniers put-back bucket, a fade-away jumper from
Nate Bruneel and a 3-pointer from Bruneel to regain the lead and led 37-30 at the break.
Landon Jones got Eastern within 38-35 early in the second half – but a 13-3 run by the Yotes broke the game open. Palu-Thompson canned consecutive 3-pointers and a
Talon Pinckney steal turned into a highlight reel play, as the point-guard lobbed a transition pass off the backboard to the waiting Bruneel, who finished with a thunderous two-handed flush.
After a Peter Hamilton short-corner jumper cut the deficit to 55-45, C of I put the game away with an eight-point flurry – with
Gibson Berryhill capping the run with a long 3-pointer – one of 10 made 3's on the night for the Coyotes.
Palu-Thompson made four 3-pointers and converted 10-of-14 free throws in the victory, with Meyers tying a season-high with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Jones led EOU with 14 points and Schetzle scored 12. The C of I defense limited Mountie leading scorer Jordan May to just five points on 2-of-11 shooting – 18 points below his season average – with none of his points coming in a half-court set.
C of I will have the next 17 days off – as the team received forfeit wins for their scheduled Dec. 29-30 games at Walla Walla (WWU canceled their season in October) – with the Yotes next playing Jan. 4 at home vs. Northwest University.
