LEWISTON, Idaho - The fifth-seeded College of Idaho men's basketball team went toe-to-toe with top-seeded Lewis-Clark State Warriors for much of the night, but a second-half surge lifted the Warriors to a 74-62 victory in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal Saturday at the P1FCU Activity Center.
The Yotes (20-9) led by as many as 10 in the first half and were within two at the break, trailing just 27-26 after a tightly contested opening 20 minutes that featured six ties and seven lead changes.
College of Idaho came out sharp, getting early 3-pointers from Alex Germer and Rey Johnston to build an 11-2 advantage less than five minutes in. The Yotes shot 34.6 percent in the first half but controlled the tempo defensively, holding the Warriors to 35.7 percent shooting before the break.
Lewis-Clark State (23-6) edged in front in the closing seconds of the first half on a pair of free throws from John Lustig, who finished with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The Yotes briefly reclaimed momentum early in the second half. A layup from Utrillo Morris and a Johnston 3-pointer evened the score at 31-31, and Morris' inside finish moments later gave College of Idaho a 33-31 lead with 17:44 to play.
Morris paced the Yotes with 13 points and battled inside throughout, while Dougie Peoples added 12 points and four rebounds. Tucker Tiddens provided a strong spark off the bench with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, helping keep College of Idaho within striking distance.
The Warriors responded with a decisive run midway through the second half. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Dylan Skaife keyed a 9-2 stretch that turned a one-point game into a seven-point deficit, and Lewis-Clark State shot 50 percent after halftime to gradually extend its lead.
Despite the setback, the Yotes continued to compete on the glass and in the paint, outscoring the Warriors 28-24 inside and committing just eight turnovers. David Kludt pulled down nine rebounds, and the Yotes' bench matched Lewis-Clark State with 15 points.
The Warriors sealed the game at the free-throw line, converting 21 of 28 attempts compared to 11 of 17 for College of Idaho.
With the loss, the Yotes will now turn their attention to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Selection Show on Thursday evening, where they will learn whether their season will continue in the national tournament.
