CALDWELL, Idaho – Two years ago, The College of Idaho had their season ended abruptly in Sioux Falls, S.D., as the COVID pandemic ended the NAIA National Championship after the first-round. Tonight, the Coyotes began their march at finishing what the 2020 team couldn't.
Drew Wyman led five Coyotes (30-4) in double-figures with 18 points, as C of I ran past Vanguard University, 97-78, in the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship Caldwell Bracket inside a raucous J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
"Our job is just to finish what we started," said fifth-year senior Ivory-Miles Williams, playing in his fourth NAIA Championship. "We have a lot of new guys, a lot of young guys, but we are locked in an ready for a battle tomorrow."
C of I will meet Ottawa University of Arizona at 7 p.m. for a trip to Kansas City and the NAIA Final 16. OUAZ earned a 93-70 victory over Tennessee Southern in today's first semifinal.
The win was the 100th in the career of head coach
Colby Blaine – becoming the fastest C of I coach to 100 wins. It was the Coyotes fourth 30-win season in the last five years.
The Yotes converted nearly 60 percent of their field goal attempts, including 21-of-31 shots in the first half, as the No. 9-ranked team in the NAIA sprinted to a 53-32 halftime lead – as a boisterous crowd of 1,705 willed the home team.
"Shooting cures everything for us, it gets the crowd into it and allows us to play loosely," Blaine said. "The crowd was so energetic, Vanguard could not call their sets. They were electrifying. If my only job is to raise my hands and pump them up – we are in a really good spot."
A 14-4 run early in the half broke a 7-7 tie, as Wyman converted a 3-point play and a short jumper, followed by baskets from
Charles Elzie,
Jake O'Neil and Miles-Williams. C of I's guards took command, as
Johnny Radford and
Ricardo Time canned triples, 7-foot post
Paul Wilson scored in transition and Radford capped the run with a 4-point play, extending the margin to 47-27.
"Guys have confidence in each other, we all have different roles," Wilson said. "I was able to make a couple buckets tonight, but in the end of the day, it comes back to my teammates."
C of I controlled the first 10 minutes of the second half, with a Wyman triple giving the hosts their largest lead of the night at 82-54. But the California squad did not go down without a fight.
Garrett White scored 26 of his game-high 30 for the Lions (18-13) in the second half – including 15-straight points at one stretch, as a 19-5 run cut the margin to 87-73 with 3:28 left. Miles-Williams answered with the dagger, a 10-foot runner as the shot clock expired and the Yotes connected on 6-of-6 free throws to cap their school-record 20th home win of the season.
Time, Radford, O'Neil and Wilson all scored 12 points in the win, as C of I had 21 assists on their 34 made field goals, while posting a 36-26 edge on the glass.
James Moore scored 16 points and Jordan Caruso had nine points and eight assists in the loss for VU.
