GAME DETAILS:
Venue: Johnson Sports Center
Last Meeting: NNU won 80-70 in Caldwell
Rankings: College of Idaho - No. 4 / Northwest Nazarene University - NR
School Websites: College of Idaho - www.yoteathletics.com / Northwest Nazarene University - www.nnusports.com
211TH EDITION OF CANYON COUNTY CLASH: Tonight's contest will resume the oldest basketball rivalry in the Gem State between College of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene in the first of two games of the United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup series. The recorded history of the C of I-NNU series began in 1933, with C of I knocking off NNU, 23-16. Statistically, the two teams have met 210 times in men's basketball, with the Coyotes holding a 122-82 advantage in countable games – not including a 1-5 mark in exhibition contests. The Coyotes have had three seven-game win streaks in the series (1952-56, 1960-62. 1984-86), while a 7-game win streak by NNU was snapped in 2012.
HISTORY IN THE MAYORS' CUP: The United Heritage Insurance Mayors' Cup match-up marks the 13th-straight year that the Canyon County schools will meet in a home-and-home series (not including the 2020-21 season that was shortened due to COVID). The two teams met seven times at the Idaho Center before the rivalry game was moved to campus sites in 2009, with the Yotes picking up wins in 2000 (73-59), 2001 (99-86), 2005 (78-71), 2006 (88-80), and 2007 (60-54), while NNU notched wins in 2004 (78-75) and 2008 (76- 71). C of I holds an 8-4 record in Caldwell since the home-and-home series restarted in 2009, including wins in 7-straight games in the Activities Center, while NNU has a 9-2 record in Nampa – including 5-straight wins.
RETURN TO TV: The game will return to being televised locally by KTVB after a brief hiatus last season. The game has been carried live on local television in the Treasure Valley since the 2003 with the exception of the matchup, last season.
FIRST POLL at No. 4: College of Idaho is ranked No. 4 in the first NAIA Men's Basketball Top 25 of the 2022-23 season. Last season, the highest ranking for College of Idaho was No. 9 on Feb. 7 and 21. The last time that College of Idaho was ranked No. 4 or higher was in the final poll of 2019-20 (NAIA Division II) when the Yotes spent the whole season in the top five with a No. 1 ranking for the final three weeks. This season, College of Idaho was ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll and it marked the ninth-straight year that College of Idaho has been in the preseason top 25 and eighth time in nine years that College of Idaho has been ranked in the top 10.
REJECTION: College of Idaho blocked nine shots in Saturday's win over Embry-Riddle (Ariz.). The nine rejections were the most by a Yotes team since a 12 blocked shot effort against Eastern Oregon on February 28, 2015.
DEFENSE: After seeing No. 1 Arizona Christian shoot 57.4% (31-for-54) in the season opener, the Yotes defense has locked down its opponents to a lower shooting percentage in the last three games, including a stifling 35.6% (21-for-59) effort against Embry Riddle. The 35.6% effort is the lowest by a Yote opponent since they held Loyola (Louisiana) to 32.8% (21-for-64) in the season finale, last year. 18 times in the last 41 games, College of Idaho has held an opponent under 40% shooting from the field.
IS THERE AN AREA CODE? College of Idaho has made 34 3-pointers (8.5 made per game) on the 2022-23 season. Nine-different Yotes have hit a three pointer on the season with
Johnny Radford knocking down a team-high 11 of 31 (35.5%) of his attempts. For his career, Radford has made 80 3-pointers which ranks 42nd in program history.
SAMAJE GIVING GIFTS: Freshman
Samaje Morgan has already started the holiday season with gifts for his teammates. The freshman from Eugene, Oregon has had six assists each in the last three games. The last Yote to hand out six assists in three-straight games was Talon Pinckney in 2018-19.
FIRST POINTS: Redshirt freshmen
Whitt Miller and
Bryan St. Clair scored their first collegiate points in the 78-51 rout of Embry Riddle (Ariz.). St. Clair knocked down a 3-pointer to go along with a layup and Miller scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in the win.
BOARD MEETING: The Yotes have outrebounded its first four opponents with a 17-rebound advantage in the win over Montana Western. College of Idaho has outrebounded its opponent in its last 27 games, dating back to last season. The last opponent to outrebound College of Idaho was Bushnell on December 31, 2021.
DON'T I KNOW YOU: The roster for the Yotes features 12 returning letterwinners from a NAIA Elite Eight squad in 2022-23. Among the newcomers is freshman
Samaje Morgan, who is the brother of assistant coach
Emanuel Morgan. Assistant Coach
Jacob McLeod is reunited with his former co-worker and Yotes head coach
Colby Blaine as the two worked together at the College of Southern Idaho.
TALES FROM SAFFORD - Longtime Director of Athletic Communications Mike Safford left behind these notes - BEYOND THE 3-POINT LINE SUCCESS: Since college basketball adopted the 3-point line at the start of the 1986-87 season, the Coyotes have made a 3-pointer in every game played but one – a loss to Idaho State during the U.S. Bank Tip-Off Tournament at Boise State on Dec. 2, 1988. Since then, C of I has run a string of games with a trey to 1,093 – one of five programs (UNLV – 1,166, CCC rival, Corban – 1,153, Duke – 1,157and Western Kentucky – 1,100) which have made a 3-pointer in over 1,080-or-more straight games. UNDER 60 POINTS / OVER 95 POINTS: C of I has a dominating 208-13 mark when holding teams under 60 points over the last 40+ years. During the stretch, the Coyotes are 51-1 when opponents fail to score 50. In addition, the Yotes have won 52 of their last 53 contests (dating back to 2006) when scoring 95 points per game.
HOME SWEET HOME: With wins over the weekend of Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) and Montana Western, College of Idaho extended its home winning streak to 21 games. Since the start of the 2013-14 season, College of Idaho has posted a 137-16 record. Last season, the Yotes posted a 20-1 mark at home surpassing the 2019-20 team that finished 18-1 at home, with both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams finishing 17-0. Since the Activities Center opened in 1991, the Yotes have recorded a 352-99 all-time record – with the mark ballooning to 469-108 when accounting the previous decade at O'Connor Fieldhouse.
