KIRKLAND, Wash. –
Nate Bruneel converted a 3-point play with two minutes remaining to give the College of Idaho the lead for good, as the Coyotes took over sole possession of first-place in the Cascade Conference with a 58-56 win at Northwest University inside Kristi Brodin Pavilion.
The No. 5-ranked Coyotes (14-3, 7-0 CCC) limited NU to a season-low 34-percent shooting from the field to extend their win streak to eight games.
C of I used a commanding 26-3 edge in bench points, with the team winning their 38th-straight contest when allowing less than 60 points.
Ryan Ricks got the Eagles (10-5, 5-1) off to a hot start, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and adding a trio of free throws in a 16-7 run top open the game. The Yotes battled back with an 11-2 run of their own, as Charles Elzie and
Derek Wadsworth came off the bench to hit 3's, Bruneel added a 3-point play and a
Jalen Galloway basket gave the visitors their first lead of the night at 25-23.
NU regained the lead early in the second half, extending the margin to 39-34 with 15 minutes to go on a Christian Hakilimali runner. The Coyotes clamped down defensively, holding the hosts without a made field goal for a 6-minute stretch – fueling a 12-0 run which included six buckets from six different players – as C of I took their largest lead of the night at 46-39.
Hussayn Ford rallied the hosts, converted back-to-back inside baskets, part of an 11-4 run that tied the score late. Bruneel answered, backing Ford down and scoring on a turn-around jumper and was fouled, giving C of I a 55-52 lead. The Eagles would cut the margin to one point on two occasions, but
Talon Pinckney hit three free throws in the final minute and added a key offensive rebound off a missed front-end of a 1-and-1, to seal the victory.
Pinckney led C of I with 15 points, with Bruneel adding 10. Elzie scored eight points and Galloway scored seven off the bench. C of I won despite losing the rebound margin for the first time since November.
Hakilimali led NU with 17 points, with Ricks scoring 14 and Ford leading all players with 14 rebounds.
The Coyotes close out their Washington trip tomorrow night with a 7:30 p.m. (PT) tip at Evergreen State.
