Coyotes Win 2017-18 CCC Tournament Title

CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho connected on 15-of-17 free throws in the second half, including six-straight from Talon Pinckney in the final minute, as the Yotes outlasted Warner Pacific, 75-73, to win the 2018 Cascade Conference Tournament title inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
 
It was the seventh tourney title for the fourth-ranked Coyotes (27-6) in program history, with the team improving to 5-0 all-time in championship games inside their home gym.
 
The game was a 15-round battle – as the No. 13-ranked Knights (23-9) took body-blows from the Coyotes throughout the night but did not wilt, as C of I could not find the knockout punch until the final four seconds.
 
A fade-away baseline jumper from Gibson Berryhill gave the hosts a 62-54 lead with just under nine minutes to play – but WPU limited C of I to just two made field goals the rest of the away.  Xavier Cannefax drained a trey, Collin Malcolm converted in the paint and Cannefax made two free throws to pull the Knights with 69-68 with 71 seconds left.
 
Pinckney provided the difference – hitting all four free throws in a pair of 1-and-1 chances – adding two more freebies with 11 seconds to go to give C of I a 75-70 lead.  WPU answered with a long Morris Bethea triple with four seconds left, only to see the Yotes inbound the ball to Pinckney, who broke a backcourt trap to run out the clock and start a celebration.
 
The Knights held just one lead in the game, as a De'Jon Bowman lay-up gave the visitors an 8-7 lead at the 14-minute mark of the first half. Roosevelt Adams countered with a 3-pointer, with baskets from Pinckney, Berryhill and Matthew Duniphan – pushing the lead to 16-8. The margin would grow to nine points on three occasions, before WPU cut the gap to 33-27 at the break – setting up the epic second half.
 
Five Coyotes scored in double-figures, led by Nate Bruneel, who had 16 points and five rebounds – canning three 3-pointers. Adams and Keun Palu-Thompson each scored 12, Berrryhill tallied 11 and Pinckney logged 10 points and a game-high six assists.  C of I had a dominant 31-7 edge in bench points, with the Yotes recording their school-record 18th win on the glass, outrebounding the Knights 34-30.
 
WPU lost despite 23 points from Cannefax and 21 points from Malcolm, with Bethea adding 14 points. The Knights made 50-percent of their field goals, but were outscored 18-8 from the foul line.
 
Both teams will learn their first-round opponents at the NAIA Division II National Championships tomorrow when the bracket is unveiled at 4 p.m. (MT)
 
NOTES: The Coyotes closed their home schedule with a 17-2 overall record – equaling the school record for home wins in a season (joining the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams that finished 17-0)…forward Dominic Hulsey becomes the second Coyote in program history to be a part of three CCC title teams (Justin McCarthy in 2001, 2003, 2004)…C of I took over the all-time lead for CCC Tournament titles with seven, ahead of Oregon Tech (6), Corban (4), Warner Pacific (3), Southern Oregon (2) and Northwest Nazarene (2).