LEWISTON, Idaho – No. 4-ranked Lewis-Clark State closed the game on a 7-0 run, all at the foul line, as the Warriors outlasted upset-minded College of Idaho, 74-71, in Game 1 of the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, inside the LCSC Activity Center.
The Coyotes (7-8) took a 71-67 lead on a
Ricardo Time 3-pointer with just over two minutes left, but the defending CCC champs did not score again. Jake Albright canned two freebies and following a loose-ball foul, Trystin Bradley made a pair from the stripe to tie the game with a minute left.
LC (15-1) got the ball back inside the final 30 seconds after a charging call on the Yotes, with Damek Mitchell missing a jumper with three seconds left, but Albright was sent to the line after being fouled on a rebound attempt. After the Warrior forward missed the first free throw, the C of I bench was assessed a technical foul – allowing Mitchell to hit two go-ahead free throws and Albright canning a third to push the lead to three. A C of I desperation pass up floor was intercepted to close the wild finish.
The hosts started strongly, jumping out to a 20-9 lead over the first 10 minutes – getting a pair of Hodges Bailey triples. C of I answered, as
Ricardo Time and
Otto Taylor canned triples to start a 20-6 run, capped by a
Charles Elzie 3-pointer, giving the visitors a 33-30 lead just before the break.
Tied 41-41 early in the second half, the Coyotes built their biggest lead of the night, as Elzie and Time converted baskets in an 8-0 run to build an 8-point lead. C of I would lead 62-56 with seven minutes to go, before LCSC pulled even on a Bradley jumper – setting up the finish.
Time led the Yotes with 18 points and eight rebounds, with Elzie scoring a career-high 16 points.
Paul Wilson came off the bench to score nine points with six rebounds.
Mitchell led LC with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists, with Bradley and Albright each scoring 14.
The series shifts to Caldwell for Game 2, set for Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m. – broadcast live on the Yotes Digital Network.
NOTES:
- The Yotes held a 39-31 edge in rebounds and made 48-percent of their field goals, but LC doubled-up C of I at the free throw line – making 16-of-26 free throws (compared to 8-of-13 for C of I)
- The loss snapped a C of I 9-game win streak in the CCC Championships and ended a 6-game win streak in the LCSC Activity Center, dating back to 2012
- If C of I wins Game 2 – a coin flip following the game will determine the site of a winner-take-all Game 3, set for Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
