CALDWELL, Idaho – Three players accounted for 82 percent of the scoring for Rocky Mountain in a 66-57 win over College of Idaho on Friday night in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The trio of Kloie Thatcher, N'Dea Flye and Shauna Bribescas each accounted for double-digit offensive outputs for the Battlin' Bears (4-1) in the victory, with Thatcher leading the way with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Flye had 18 points, eight rebounds and six steals from her guard position, with Bribescas adding 15 points and seven rebounds.
After falling behind 8-2 to start the game, the Yotes (5-3) concluded the first quarter in a promising fashion, at one point going on an 11-0 run to jump on top 16-11 after the first 10 minutes.
Allie Cannon was a major key to the first quarter success, coming in off the bench and draining three triples.
Kaylee Krusemark had five points in the first quarter on the way to finishing with 10 points and four rebounds.
Trailing 24-22 with just under seven minutes left in the first half following a
Lexi Mitchell layup, Rocky ramped up the defensive pressure on the way to a 9-2 run entering the break.
Sienna Riggle had 10 points in the third quarter to keep the game tight, with the Battlin' Bears clinging to a 46-42 advantage entering the final 10 minutes.
A 14-0 run by the visitors to start the fourth quarter built the separation that Rocky needed to pick up the win, extending the lead out to 60-42.
C of I battled back to cut the lead down to 62-55 late, however the Yotes ran out of time in their comeback efforts when Rocky hit their final four at the charity stripe.
A physical game saw Rocky shoot 37 free throws. Struggles at the line for the opposition kept C of I in the game throughout, as the Battlin' Bears hit just 18 of their attempts at the line for a 49 percent clip.
Mitchell had a double-double for the Yotes with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Riggle finished with 10 points and nine boards. Krusemark was the other scorer in double figures with 10 points.
Kenadee French and Cannon made contributions as well, with French scoring eight points and bringing down eight boards. Cannon had nine points and eight rebounds.
C of I won the rebounding battle 49-31. The Yotes have had a double-digit rebounder in all eight games this season.
The Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic concludes on Saturday with Eastern Oregon playing Rocky Mountain at 3 p.m. and the Yotes hosting Simpson at 5 p.m. The Mountaineers topped the Red Hawks 57-42 on Friday.
