CALDWELL, Idaho – A furious rally over the final four minutes of the fourth quarter came up just short, as Bushnell University outlasted The College of Idaho, 60-56, in a Cascade Conference women's basketball match-up inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
Trailing 55-44 with just over four minutes left in the contest, the Yotes (14-10, 8-8 CCC) held BU without a made field goal the rest of the way and had a chance to tie in the waning seconds – but could not get the equalizer to fall.
Sienna Riggle scored an inside bucket and both
Kaylee Krusemark and
Lexi Mitchell converted 3-point plays, cutting the Beacons (15-9, 12-4) lead to 55-52. Trailing 57-54, Mitchell was fouled with 15 seconds remaining – making the first free throw, but missing the second. Riggle grabbed the offensive board and was fouled – but split the pair – cutting the margin to 57-56.
Beacons post Libby Mathis canned two free throws with 10 seconds left to extend the margin to three, with BU withstanding a game-tying 3-point attempt from
Taryn Riley that fell short.
The visitors used a 13-0 run spanning the first two quarters to erase a 16-15 C of I lead, extending the margin to 47-32 late in the third quarter on a Morgan McKinney lay-up.
Riggle led the Yotes with 18 points and seven rebounds, converting 7-of-9 field goal attempts. Krusemark had 13 points and Mitchell led all players with 12 rebounds.
McKinney scored 14 points with seven rebounds to pace BU, with Kalina Rojas scoring 12 and both Aly Mirabile and Bella Pedrojetti adding 11.
The Coyotes hit the road next weekend for games Friday at Lewis-Clark State and Saturday at Walla Walla.
