CALDWELL, Idaho –
Nate Bruneel scored a game-high 25 points, with the College of Idaho forcing 22 Oregon Tech turnovers, as the Coyotes extended their win streak to 14 with a 70-59 victory over Oregon Tech before a capacity crowd in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
In the first-ever Top-5 match-up in the building, the No. 3-ranked Coyotes (20-3) limited OIT to just 39-percent shooting from the field – holding the Owls 31 points below their season scoring average. With the win, C of I becomes the first Cascade Conference team to clinch a berth in the upcoming CCC Championships – the Yotes 23rd-straight postseason appearance.
Bruneel jumpstarted the Coyote attack – canning three consecutive 3-pointers in a 16-4 run to open the game – with
Otto Taylor draining back-to-back triples, giving the hosts their largest lead of the night at 30-16.
The Hustlin' Owls (16-5, 6-5) – playing without four key contributors, including leading scorer Seth Erickson – as Jordan Henderson scored eight points in a 15-3 Tech run that pulled fifth-ranked Tech within 33-31 late in the half.
OIT drew even at 36-36 early in the second half on a Scotty Burge lay-up, but
Talon Pinckney logged a pair of steals and baskets in a 16-4 C of I run that reestablished a 52-40 lead.
Tech cut the gap to 65-59 on a Matt Van Tassell triple with four minutes remaining – but the visitors did not score the rest of the way.
Bruneel made 9-of-11 field goals – including 4-of-5 shots from long range – adding a team-best seven rebounds.
Ivory Miles-Williams,
Ricardo Time and Pinckney all scored 11 points – with Pinckney setting a new career-high with seven steals.
Henderson scored a season-high 13 points for Tech, with Mitchell Fink finishing with 11 points, but added 10 turnovers. OIT fell to 0-5 this season when failing to make 45-percent of their field goals.
C of I hits the road for their next three games, starting Friday night at Multnomah.
