2021-22 Women's Basketball Notebook (Week 5)

GAME COVERAGE: All College of Idaho women's basketball home games will be broadcast live on the Yotes Digital Network with Sven Alskog on the call. Each broadcast will begin 15 minutes prior to opening tip. Individual game passes are available for $10 and season passes are $50. Fans can also follow along with Live Stats on the C of I SIDEARM Stats Portal.

COMPLETE MEDIA GAME NOTES
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW - EASTERN OREGON: The Mountaineers are making their second trip to Caldwell in four days after falling 73-70 to No. 24 Montana Western in a neutral site game on Saturday. Eastern is third in the conference offensively, averaging 72.5 points per game. Three players are double-digit contributors for the Mounties, including Taylor Stricklin (14.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Sailor Liefke (13.5 ppg, 5 rpg, 3 apg) and Adyson Harris (13.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1 spg). The program went 16-4 last season in their spring campaign. Haley Robinett (9.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg) is the sister of C of I men's basketball player Tyler Robinett. Beverly Slater, the leading scorer for EOU a year ago, is out due to injury.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW - ROCKY MOUNTAIN: Four games into the season, Rocky has played three members of the Cascade Conference, knocking off Eastern Oregon 75-68 in overtime, dropping a 57-54 contest at Lewis-Clark State and handling Walla Walla 79-51. Butler transfer N'Dea Flye (18.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.5 spg) is an all-around weapon for the Battlin' Bears. Shauna Bribiescas (16.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 spg) and Kloie Thatcher (10 ppg, 5 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.5 spg) round out a trio that averages 62 percent of the points for Rocky this year.

OPPONENT PREVIEW - SIMPSON: The Yotes jumped ahead of the Red Hawks 11-0 back on Oct. 30 on the way to a 66-56 victory on the road. Simpson is led in scoring by Sandra Berrocal (11.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Breesia Northern (10.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg). Nisha King (45 percent) and Kayla Bonomini (44 percent) are dangerous options off the bench from beyond the perimeter. This is the fourth meeting in the last two seasons between the two programs, with C of I claiming the first three.
 
HISTORY IN THE BEST WESTERN CALDWELL INN AND SUITES CLASSIC: This is the 20th time that C of I will host the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic, formerly known as the Lady Yotes Classic. The Yotes boast a record of 22-15 in the event, with nine titles over that time period. Of the teams in the field of four this year, Eastern Oregon has appeared the most times, going 21-12 with six titles in 17 appearances. Rocky Mountain has appeared once, splitting a pair of games in 2016. This is the first appearance in the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic for Simpson.
 
FOUR STRAIGHT WINNING CONFERENCE SEASONS: With CCC play getting underway this week, C of I will be going for their fifth straight winning season in a row within the conference dating back to 2016-17. The Yotes won their last conference opener that was at home 76-70 in overtime over Warner Pacific in 2019.
 
40 PERCENT EQUALS WINS: When the Yotes connect on more than 40 percent of their shots from the field this season the team is 4-0, with the 56 percent effort against Pacific Union serving as the best shooting day so far this year for C of I.
 
STILL WINNING THE BOARDS: C of I extended the streak to six consecutive games to start the season winning the rebounding battle by outrebounding Montana Western 36-34 on Friday. The +14.3 rebound margin for the Yotes ranks second in the CCC.
 
MITCHELL MAKING MAJOR STRIDES: Junior Lexi Mitchell has been a key force in the early season success of the Yotes, averaging 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while contributing three double-doubles. Mitchell has raised her field goal percentage from a year ago by over 25 percent. By sinking 53 percent of her shots from the floor, Mitchell ranks 11th in the conference.
 
REED RACKING UP ASSISTS: Sophomore guard Jada Reed ranks second in the CCC with an average of 4.3 assists per game. Reed is also averaging 7 points per contest while hitting 45 percent of her shots from the field. Her aggressiveness on defense has led to 13 steals.
 
SIENNA SHOT MAKER: Senior forward Sienna Riggle is finishing at an impressive rate on the interior this season, going 37-for-62 (60 percent) from the floor on the way to averaging 13.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Kasey Hooter has the best field goal percentage in a single-season in C of I program history, going 78-for-128 (61 percent) from the field during the 2003-04 campaign. No other Coyote has hit more than 60 percent of their shots in a season.
 
CANNON OFF THE BENCH: Junior guard Allie Cannon has averaged 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, appearing in all six contests off the bench and averaging just a shade under 20 minutes per game. Cannon had a season-high 17 points and 11 rebounds at La Verne.
 
PORTER ON THE PERIMETER: Freshman guard Averee Porter has hit 5-of-6 shots from beyond the arc this season and has seen an increased role over the past two games, playing 27 minutes and scoring eight points with four rebounds and three steals at Bethesda before playing 15 minutes with six points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal against Montana Western.
 
KRUSEMARK CAREER UPDATE: Senior guard Kaylee Krusemark has drained 79 3-pointers in her career, putting her in 15th all-time in program history. Krusemark's 77 percent career free throw percentage entering the season is 10th all-time.

YOTES PICKED NINTH IN CASCADE CONFERENCE: C of I was picked ninth in the CCC Preseason Coaches Poll, with preseason favorite Bushnell receiving 10 first-place votes and 142 points in the poll. Eastern Oregon followed with one first-place vote and 127 points and Lewis-Clark State received the final first-place vote and 114 points. Oregon Tech was picked fourth, Southern Oregon fifth, Corban sixth, Northwest seventh and Warner Pacific eighth. Evergreen came in 10th behind the Yotes followed by Multnomah and Walla Walla.
 
TICKETS ON SALE: Season Tickets for the 2021-22 C of I basketball season are currently on sale through the C of I Ticket Portal. Season tickets are available for as low as $133 for a general admission senior pass. Gates to the J.A. Albertson Activities Center will open 90 minutes prior to the schedule tip time on game days. Per the Cascade Conference Return to Play protocol, all fans will be required to wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times while inside the Activities Center.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The Yotes hit the road for the first time in CCC action with a road trip to Klamath Falls and Ashland to play Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon next Friday and Saturday. OIT is 5-0 on the season and SOU has started 4-1.