CALDWELL, Idaho - Fifth-seeded College of Idaho will look to continue its postseason run and show how much it has grown since early conference play when it faces top-seeded Lewis-Clark State in the Cascade Conference men's basketball semifinals on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT in Lewiston.
The Yotes (20-9) advanced with a 74-70 upset of No. 4 seed Oregon Tech on Wednesday night in Klamath Falls, using balanced scoring and depth to secure the road win.
Dougie Peoples led College of Idaho with 17 points in the quarterfinal, while Utrillo Morris added 16 points and eight assists. Tucker Tiddens scored 14 points off the bench as the Yotes shot 47.1% from the field and went 18 of 23 from the free-throw line to close out the game.
The matchup with Lewis-Clark State will be the third meeting between the teams this season, and the Yotes have shown noticeable growth since the first time they faced the conference leaders.
In the teams' first meeting earlier in the season, Lewis-Clark State controlled much of the game and came away with the win, forcing the Yotes to adjust as conference play unfolded. When the teams met again in Lewiston on Jan. 23, College of Idaho responded with a narrow 68-66 victory.
In that second matchup, Morris and Peoples each scored 14 points to lead the Yotes, while Rey Johnston added 11 points and eight rebounds. College of Idaho shot 50% from 3-point range and did not miss at the free-throw line, going 6 for 6. Ultimately, the win came from a last-second three-pointer from Peoples in the corner off an inbound play, a basket that sent Yotes fans across the country into a frenzy.
Lewis-Clark State got 15 points from John Lustig and 13 from Dylan Skaife in the game.
Since that first meeting with the Warriors, the Yotes have found more balance offensively and production from the bench. That was evident in Wednesday's quarterfinal, when College of Idaho finished with 27 bench points.
Now the Yotes return to Lewiston for a semifinal matchup against the tournament's top seed with a spot in the Cascade Conference championship game on the line.
