DILLON, Mont. - The College of Idaho men's basketball team battled through stretches of strong play but couldn't overcome Montana Western's hot shooting Monday night, falling 96–79 to close out their Montana road trip at 1–1.
The Yotes (1–1) found offensive rhythm in spurts, including a second-half stretch where Utrillo Morris scored six straight points to cut into the deficit. Morris finished with 14 points off the bench on 7-of-12 shooting. Samaje Morgan led the way with 19 points and three assists, while Dougie Peoples matched him with 19 and four steals. Rey Johnston added 11 points and six rebounds, and Chance Winter pulled down seven boards.
College of Idaho was strong on the glass with 42 rebounds and turned 18 offensive boards into 20 second-chance points. The Yotes also shot 86% from the free-throw line, showing grit despite shooting just 35% from the field.
After trailing by only two at halftime, the Yotes continued to push in the second half but couldn't fully close the gap as Western stayed hot from deep. College of Idaho returns home this weekend to open its home slate at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
