Card women get No. 3 seed to regionals; men unbeaten at home

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

COEUR d'ALENE - Freshman Tugce Canitez had 18 points and four rebounds as the 19th-ranked Cardinals closed out the regular season with a 84-57 Scenic West Athletic Conference win over Colorado Northwestern at Rolly Williams Court on Saturday afternoon.

North Idaho (24-6, 14-6) will enter next week's Region 18 tournament in Price, Utah, as the No. 3 seed, following Southern Idaho's win over Eastern Utah earlier on Saturday at Twin Falls. CSI (also 14-6 in conference) earned the No. 2 seed based on splitting four games with SWAC champion Salt Lake. NIC went 1-3 vs. the Bruins.

"We got everyone out their tonight," North Idaho coach Chris Carlson said. "Timena (Shebala) played very well for not getting much time this season."

Kama Griffitts and Katie Sanders each had 11 points for North Idaho, which faces Colorado Northwestern (3-25, 1-19) in the opening round on Thursday at 11 a.m. PST. The winner plays CSI on Friday in the semifinals.

No. 4 Snow College plays No. 5 Eastern Utah on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. That winner plays Salt Lake in the semis on Friday. The winner of Saturday's regional championship game advances to nationals.

NIC is the defending Region 18 champions.

COLORADO NORTHWESTERN

Yateria Wilson 3-6 7-8 15, Tiana Wilder 1-1 0-0 2, Arial Sanchez 1-2 0-0 2, Kelsey Samuelson 2-6 0-0 4, Charlotte Epperson 0-1 2-2 2, Keosha Blue 1-4 0-0 2, Danielle Jackson 5-16 4-7 14, Da'Naiveia McDade 7-12 1-2 16. Totals 20-48 14-19 57.

NORTH IDAHO

Chantel Divilbiss 1-3 3-4 5, Camille Reynolds 2-6 2-3 6, Timena Shebala 2-3 4-5 9, Amy Warbrick 3-6 1-2 8, Mariana Lamperti 0-1 0-0 0, Kiki Edwards-Teasley 4-6 0-0 8, Kama Griffitts 4-10 2-2 11, Katie Sanders 3-7 5-6 11, Sadie Lazzarini 0-2 1-2 1, Amanda Carlton 1-2 1-4 3, Deanna Dotts 2-5 0-0 4, Tugce Canitez 7-9 4-4 18. Totals 29-60 23-32 84.

Halftime - NIC 40-25. 3-point goals - CNCC 3-10 (Wilson 2-2, Sanchez 0-1, Samuelson 0-1, Blue 0-1, Jackson 0-3, McDade 1-2), NIC 3-13 (Divilbiss 0-1, Reynolds 0-1, Shebala 1-2, Warbrick 1-2, Lamperti 0-1, Griffitts 1-4, Sanders 0-1). Rebounds - CNCC 27 (Wilson, Jackson, McDade 5), NIC 41 (Dotts 7). Assists - CNCC 10 (Jackson 4), NIC 18 (Reynolds 4). Team fouls - CNCC 24, NIC 16. Fouled out - none.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

North Idaho 96

Colo. N'western 61

COEUR d'ALENE - Idell Bell scored a team-high 16 points as the sixth-ranked Cardinals finished an unbeaten home schedule with a win over Colorado Northwestern in SWAC play to end the regular season.

"I'm proud of the guys," North Idaho coach Jared Phay said of the 17-0 home record. "It's kind of an honor. It really shows our great fan support. You've probably have to go back a long time to see the last time that happened. It's not something that happens too often. We've enjoyed playing in front of our home fans."

B.J. Shearry added 15 points for the Cardinals (26-4, 16-4 SWAC), who will open as the No. 1 seed at the Region 18 tournament in Price, Utah, in the semifinals on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PST against the winner of Thursday's game between No. 4 Southern Idaho and No. 5 Snow.

"It was a get-through-it game for us tonight," Phay added. "It didn't mean anything as far as seeding goes - but it was an opportunity for Brandon (Haas) and Steven (Hodney) to step up and play."

Hodney had 13 points, Haas 12 in starting roles on Saturday.

"We had a great effort," Phay said. "Everyone played a little bit tonight. Brandon, Steven and Nick (Fromm) had a great effort tonight."

Steven Robinson led the Spartans (1-27, 1-19) with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 3 Salt Lake plays No. 6 Colorado Northwestern in Thursday's other first-round game. That winner plays No. 2 Eastern Utah in the semifinals on Friday.

The winner of Saturday's regional title game will play host to the Region 1 champion on March 9 for a berth to nationals.

COLORADO NORTHWESTERN

Teddy Aergerter 3-6 0-0 7, Justin Dunn 0-3 0-0 0, Dominic Tillmon 1-2 1-2 3, Kenneth Gilbert 4-11 0-1 9, Steven Robinson 6-17 4-6 17, Seth Holly 1-6 0-0 3, Terrance Tatum 4-16 7-10 16, Jon Henderson 0-10 0-0 0, Dustin Welch 3-6 0-0 6. Totals 22-77 12-19 61.

NORTH IDAHO

DeAndre Taylor 1-6 0-0 2, Idell Bell 2-8 10-10 16, Steven Hodney 5-13 0-2 13, Renado Parker 3-7 0-0 6, Michael Hale 1-4 0-0 2, Nick Fromm 4-5 5-11 13, Logan Jones 1-2 1-2 3, B.J. Shearry 7-9 1-2 15, Taylor Stevens 2-7 0-0 6, Brandon Haas 4-7 3-4 12, Guy-Marc Michel 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 34-74 20-31 96.

Halftime - NIC 43-15. 3-point goals - CNCC 5-27 (Aegerter 1-3, Dunn 0-2, Gilbert 1-5, Robinson 1-4, Holly 1-4, Tatum 1-4, Henderson 0-5), NIC 8-30 (Taylor 0-2, Bell 2-7, Hodney 3-11, Hale 0-1, Stevens 2-6, Haas 1-3). Rebounds - CNCC 43 (Robinson 10), NIC 62 (Fromm 12). Assists - CNCC 7 (Robinson, Tatum 3), NIC 18 (Jones 6). Team fouls - CNCC 25, NIC 20. Fouled out - Gilbert. Technical fouls - Colorado Northwestern bench (2), Welch.

SOFTBALL

Southern Idaho 7-3

North Idaho 3-7

TWIN FALLS - North Idaho managed one victory to finish its four-game series at Southern Idaho, rallying for six runs in the top of the seventh inning to win the second game 7-3 at Golden Eagle Field.

Lauren Maloney hit a home run in each game, with a two-run shot coming in the first game. Briggett Plenger had two hits in the second game for the Cardinals (17-11, 14-6 SWAC).

Jessica Ross struck out a combined eight Golden Eagle (20-10, 11-5) batters in the doubleheader for North Idaho.

North Idaho travels to Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton, Ore., for a nonconference doubleheader Friday.

FIRST GAME

North Idaho 002 000 1 - 3 4 3

Southern Idaho 204 001 x - 7 12 0

Alyssa Erickson, Jessica Ross (3) and Renae Kimbell; Generra Nielson and Chelsea Nix. W - Nielson. L - Erickson.

HITS: NIC - Maloney, Ross, Hartnett, Chestnut. CSI - Albertson 2, Griffin 2, Bryant 2, Gonzales, Groenewegen, Powell, Nix. 2B - Ross, Powell. HR - Maloney, Bryant.

SECOND GAME

North Idaho 000 010 6 - 7 9 1

Southern Idaho 000 210 0 - 3 9 8

Kathy Comack, Jessica Ross (5) and Renae Kimbell; Kelsey Bryant, Brie Dimond (7) and Lyndi Miller. W - Ross. LP - Bryant.

HITS: NIC - Hawley, Maloney, Ross, Hartnett 2, Plenger 2, Kimbell, Stark. CSI - Albertson, Griffin 2, Miller, Bryant 2, Gonzales, Powell, Buttars. 2B - Hartnett, Bryant. HR - Maloney.