CALDWELL, Idaho –
Nate Bruneel scored a game-high 24 points, helping the College of Idaho regain control of the United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup with a wire-to-wire 90-69 victory over rival Northwest Nazarene inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Coyotes (5-1) won for the seventh-straight time at home in the series – the 208th all-time meeting between the Canyon County schools.
Bruneel canned back-to-back 3-pointers to open the game, part of an 11-2 run over the first four minutes. NNU (3-1) clawed back within 17-14 on a mid-range Adalberto Diaz jumper, but a triple and a lay-up from
Jalen Galloway and a 3-pointer from
Ricardo Time fueled a 17-3 C of I run that built a 34-17 lead.
Leading 45-28 at the half, the Coyotes used an 8-0 run, keyed by 3-balls from Time and Bruneel, to extend the margin to 59-32 – with the lead reaching 76-47 on a Bruneel triple with seven minutes remaining.
C of I made a season-high 14 3-pointers in the victory and held a 40-33 edge on the glass.
Time had 17 points and nine rebounds, making 5-of-6 3-pointers, with Galloway scoring 17 points with five boards.
Talon Pinckney scored 13 points, adding seven assists and three steals and
Ivory Miles-Williams recorded a season-high eight rebounds.
The Nighthawks made 46-percent of their field goals – but struggled from the 3-point line, making just 3-of-14 attempts, while making just 14-of-27 free throws.
Ezekiel Alley led NNU with 18 points, with Diaz scoring 15 and George Reidy adding 12.
C of I returns to action this weekend, hosting the Domino's Classic – meeting Montana Western on Friday and Lewis-Clark State on Saturday.
