LA VERNE, Calif. – College of Idaho jumped ahead 10-0 and never surrendered the lead in an 87-77 win at La Verne on Thursday night.
The Yotes (3-0) picked up their third straight victory to begin the season, matching the 1997-98 and 2012-13 teams for the best starts to a season in program history.
On the first offensive possession for the visitors,
Kenadee French drained a 3-pointer off an assist by
Lexi Mitchell, setting the tone for what would be a strong night for C of I.
Jada Reed posed a major challenge for the Leopards (0-1) on both sides of the floor in the first quarter, picking up two steals and consistently finding teammates for open looks or driving to the rack for one of her own.
Reed finished the game with 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.
The Yotes led 23-11 at the end of the first quarter. C of I has combined to outscore opponents 66-25 over the first 10 minutes of contests this season.
Trailing 42-24 with 3:45 left in the first half, La Verne hit four three-pointers as part of a 17-1 run before the break to bring the game closer.
C of I responded well out of the locker room, never allowing the Leopards to take the lead at any point throughout the night.
Five players contributed double-digit scoring outputs for the Yotes on Thursday, with the 17 points and 11 rebounds from
Allie Cannon leading the way.
In addition to Cannon,
Lexi Mitchell also had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
On the inside,
Sienna Riggle had 16 points on an 8-for-16 effort from the floor. The senior added seven rebounds to go with the offensive output.
Kaylee Krusemark posted 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block in a solid performance as well.
Mattie Creager had two blocks off the bench.
For the third straight game, the Yotes shot over 40 percent from the floor, finishing 33-for-73 (45 percent) from the field. La Verne was held to 27-for-82 (33 percent) shooting on the night including 8-for-32 (25 percent) from the perimeter.
The 57 rebounds in the win were the most for the program since also grabbing 57 against Northwest on Jan. 4, 2019.
C of I continues the road trip tomorrow night in Irvine against Westcliff.
