CALDWELL, Idaho – Returning to the court after a 15-day layoff, The College of Idaho used a big second half performance to win their third game in a row, a 79-66 victory over Simpson University inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Jalen Galloway posted season-highs with 26 points and 10 rebounds, including 10 points in a game-changing 15-2 second half run that built the No. 23 ranked Yotes (5-6) a 27-point lead.
"This was a huge team victory for multiple reasons," said head coach
Colby Blaine in a post-game interview with the Idaho Press. "We're coming off a two-week layoff because our game got canceled last week. The mental grind to go through a canceled game, having to practice and getting yourself ready to go was difficult. It is hard on every team. All we have been preaching is being the toughest team, being together and you really saw that tonight. You really saw Yotes Basketball tonight."
After falling behind early, Galloway caught fire, canning a midrange jumper and 3-pointer in a C of I 7-point flurry to take an 11-7 lead. The Redhawks (0-3) battled back, as a Mason Johnson 15-footer gave the California squad a 23-21 lead – their final edge of the night.
Derek Wadsworth converted a tough lay-up and a pair of free throws,
Ricardo Time splashed a triple and Galloway knocked down back-to-back treys in a 4-minute flurry – as the hosts bolted to a 36-25 lead.
SU wouldn't go away, cutting the margin to 46-40 with 17 minutes left in the contests – only to see the Yotes blow the game open with two monster runs. Time hit a pair of 3-pointers in a 10-point surge that extended the lead to 56-40, with Galloway taking over, canning two treys as C of I pushed the margin to 74-47.
Galloway finished the night converting 10-of-13 field goals, including five 3-pointers – his highest-scoring game since a 32-point effort as a freshman against Northwest Indian College.
Johnson led the Redhawks with 20 points, with Aidan Falls adding 15 points off the bench.
The two teams close out the weekend series with a 4 p.m. Saturday matinee.
NOTES:
- Time scored 13 points in the Coyote win, his fifth-straight game scoring in double-figures
- Jake O'Neil posted his second-straight double-double, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds and is averaging 10.6 rebounds per game over his last five outings
- C of I made 48-percent of their field goals in the victory (30-of-63), the Yotes third-straight game making 47-percent or more of their attempts
- The Coyotes made 10 3-pointers, the third time this season the team has made 10-or-more 3's and the 1,049th-straight game with a made 3-pointer – the No. 6 mark in all of college basketball
- It was the first meeting between the teams since 1999 (a 71-52 C of I win), with the Yotes improving to 16-2 all-time against California Pacific Conference teams
- The 15 days between games equaled the longest period of time between January games for the Yotes since the 1955-56 season
- C of I and Northwest Nazarene have postponed their games that were tentatively scheduled for both Jan. 26 and Feb. 6 – with the teams expected to select a single February date in the coming weeks.
- The Yotes home game vs. Lewis-Clark State has been moved from Feb. 4 to Friday, Feb. 5, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
