CALDWELL, Idaho – Defense was the key throughout the 2021-22 season for The College of Idaho and in tonight's NAIA National Championship Opening Round Caldwell Bracket title game – it was no different. The No. 3-seeded Coyotes held Ottawa University of Arizona to a season low 52 points in a gritty 57-52 win inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Yotes (31-4) tied the school record for wins in a season and advance to the Round of 16, meeting Grace (Ind.) on Thursday at 1 p.m. (CDT) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
"We followed our road map," said head coach
Colby Blaine, as his Coyotes have won 13-straight games and finished the year 21-1 on their home floor. "We have learned to communicate with each other, we trust each other and believe in our system and believe in teamwork."
C of I held OUAZ (24-10) to 35-percent shooting on the night and 2-of-19 shooting from 3-point range – 24 hours after the Spirit made 13 triples in a first-round win over Tennessee Southern.
"Our defense plays sticky," Blaine said. "Our motto is to be sticky and boy were we good tonight."
Leading 29-26 at the break, C of I used a 10-0 run early in the second half, as
Drew Wyman and
Derek Wadsworth hit 3's, as the lead grew to 45-32.
The Spirit didn't quit.
"The word we had on the board was fight," said OUAZ head coach Matt Keeley. "We fought until the final buzzer went off."
OUAZ held C of I without a made field goal for nearly six minutes, cutting the margin to 45-40 on a Devin Collins free throw.
Senior
Ricardo Time stepped up for the hosts – ended the drought with a 3-pointer, while canning a triple with three minutes to play to give the Coyotes a 52-46 lead.
C of I had a 55-50 lead after a
Tyler Robinett 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining, but the visitors had a final chance. Cam Malbrough picked up a steal and basket in back court and a defensive stop gave OUAZ a chance to tie – but Kesahwn Bruner missed an open look from three and Wyman sealed the victory with two free throws.
"C of I went man-to-man on the final possession and we had a play drawn up to work against zone or man," Keeley said. "Keshawn had a decent look, but it just didn't fall."
Wyman led C of I with 13 points, despite playing the majority of the second half with four fouls. Time added 12 points and five rebounds – 11 points shy of the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Jake O'Neil scored nine points and led the Yotes with 11 rebounds – including four on the offensive end.
"In a low scoring game, you have to get a lot of rebounds," O'Neil said. "It comes back to being the toughest team on the court."
The Yotes made just 34-percent of their field goals on the night, but had a 43-36 rebound edge.
Josiah De'laCerda led OUAZ with 13 points, with Devin Collins scoring seven points with 14 rebounds.
NOTES – C of I heads to Kansas City for the first time since 1991 – the final year of the stand-alone NAIA Championship, before the association split into two divisions…the 1988 and 1989 teams each advanced to the national quarterfinals, a feat both the 2000 and 2015 teams achieved…the 2018 and 2019 C of I teams reached the NAIA semifinals, while the 1996 team won the NAIA national title…C of I is the lone Northwest team remaining in the tournament, as Oregon Tech, Montana Tech and Carroll all lost second-round games.
