EUGENE, Ore. – In a game filled with momentum swings and clutch performances, the College of Idaho Yotes fought valiantly but fell 66-61 to Bushnell University on Friday night at the Morse Center. Despite leading for over 22 minutes and building a seven-point cushion in the second quarter, a late fourth-quarter push by the Beacons proved too much to overcome.
The game featured eight lead changes, with each shift adding to the drama. The Yotes took their first lead at the 6:53 mark of the first quarter when Brooke Beresford completed a three-point play to make it 6-5. Bushnell responded immediately, with Liv Tjoelker nailing a three-pointer, reclaiming an 8-6 advantage.
Momentum swung wildly as the Yotes surged ahead early in the second quarter. Lainee Houillon's jump shot at put the Yotes up 18-17, and Mia Austin followed with a three-pointer, extending the lead to 21-17. When Austin struck again from deep at, the Yotes held their biggest lead at 26-19, forcing a Bushnell timeout with 7:41 left in the half.
But the Beacons refused to go away, chipping away at the deficit and setting the stage for a back-and-forth battle in the final quarter.
Holding a 43-40 lead entering the fourth, the Yotes looked poised to close out a hard-fought victory. Brooke Zimmermann's jump shot at the beginning of the fourth extended the lead to 45-41, but Bushnell responded with a flurry. The Beacons would go on a run with Mandy Sisul's layup at 7:25 tying the game at 47.
From there, the lead changed hands six times in the final seven minutes making it an extremely tense affair. The two teams would deliver blows to one another until the Beacons delivered the knockout blow with a 10-2 run that put the Beacons up 57-52.
The Yotes made a last-gasp effort, cutting the deficit to 61-58 after a three-pointer from Austin with only fourteen seconds remaining. However, Bushnell iced the game at the free-throw line.
Cold spells haunted the Yotes, particularly in the third quarter, where they shot just 23.5% from the field and managed only nine points. Overall, College of Idaho shot 37.9% for the game, while Bushnell finished at 44.2%, including a 57.1% fourth quarter.
Bushnell's dominance on the glass was another key factor, as the Beacons outrebounded the Yotes 45-31, including a 12-9 edge on the offensive boards. Despite forcing 17 turnovers and scoring 21 points off those takeaways, the Yotes couldn't overcome their struggles in the paint, where Bushnell outscored them 36-28.
Beresford led the Yotes with 17 points and six rebounds, while Austin added 17 points on five three-pointers. Houillon provided a spark off the bench with 11 points.
With the loss, the Yotes fall to 10-10 overall and 8-7 in conference play, while Bushnell improves to 9-12 and 8-7. The Yotes look to recapture momentum tomorrow at the Corban Warriors. Tipoff is scheduled for 4pm MT.
