PORTLAND, Ore. – Less than 24 hours after clinching the Cascade Conference championship, No. 3 College of Idaho extended its win streak to 14 games in dramatic fashion, surviving a back-and-forth battle to edge Multnomah, 89-88, in the final-ever meeting between the two programs Saturday night at Lytle Gym.
With Multnomah set to close its doors after the spring term, the matchup carried an extra layer of emotion, and the Lions (16-8, 12-7 CCC) came out firing, building a nine-point halftime lead. But the Yotes (24-2, 19-1 CCC) responded like champions, shooting a blistering 73.1% from the field in the second half to claw their way back.
Johnny Radford led the way with 25 points, draining five three-pointers, while Drew Wyman added 19 points and six rebounds. Samaje Morgan took over in the second half, scoring 15 of his 17 points after the break while also dishing out four assists.
Despite the Yotes' offensive explosion, Multnomah refused to back down. With under two minutes to play, College of Idaho held a narrow 86-83 advantage after a free throw from Straton Rogers. Multnomah's Kadeem Nelson knocked down two from the stripe to cut the lead to one, but Wyman answered with a pair of clutch free throws to push the Yotes ahead 88-85 with 18 seconds left.
The Lions had one last chance. Nelson hit one of two free throws to make it a two-point game with four seconds on the clock. After College of Idaho missed its final free throw, Multnomah raced down the court, and Keilan Torkornoo launched a desperation jumper as time expired. The packed crowd erupted as the shot swished through the net, seemingly forcing overtime.
But the celebration was short-lived. After a review, officials determined Torkornoo's foot was on the line, ruling the shot a two-pointer—sealing a one-point win for the Yotes in their final showdown with the Lions.
With the victory, College of Idaho finishes the regular-season sweep of Multnomah and continues its push toward another deep postseason run. The Lions, led by Torkornoo's 27 points and Nelson's 22, delivered a valiant effort in their program's final home game.
The Yotes will now return home, looking to ride their 14-game win streak into the postseason as they chase another national title.
