NIC women cruise into consolation title game
SALINA, Kan. - Even after Shelton State pinched its way back into Friday's consolation game with North Idaho College, the Cardinals were able to pull away late in an 81-75 NJCAA tournament win at the Bicentennial Center.
With the victory, North Idaho (28-7) will face Copiah-Lincoln Mo. (30-2), today at 11 a.m. PDT in the consolation championship game (seventh/eighth place).
"I thought we had a good gameplan," North Idaho coach Chris Carlson said. "We came out strong and took a lead and made a good run before halftime. It was another good team effort. Everyone stepped up. It was very emotionally draining - but now we're guaranteed no worse than eighth."
North Idaho took a 44-32 halftime lead, then went on a 6-0 run to open the second half before the momentum began to shift.
"We scored the first six points of the half and were up 18 points," Carlson said. "Then they were calling a flagrant foul on Katie (Sanders) and it fired them up."
Sanders, who finished the game 6 of 7 from the field for 13 points, was being held and pinched for most of the first half before picking up the foul.
"Their post player just started grabbing her and pinching her in the stomach," Carlson said. "Katie swung around to get her off and they gave her an intentional foul. All of a sudden, all the Shelton kids are mad. It got them fired up and they ran off a bunch of points and got it down to four points."
NIC closed out the game on a jumper from former Lakeland High standout Camille Reynolds with 1:12 remaining to take a 79-73 lead.
"Camille's speed was really good on the open floor," Carlson said. "She was able to get deep in the lane and hit a couple pull-ups on their guard. She really clamped down on defense to help get a couple good stops at the end of the game."
Tugce Canitez led the Cardinals with 20 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Griffitts with 16 points and Sanders with 13 points.
"Katie had a really good game in spite of being pinched," Carlson said.
NORTH IDAHO
Chantel Divilbiss 0-2 0-0 0, Camille Reynolds 4-7 0-1 8, Amy Warbrick 0-4 0-1 0, KiKi Edwards-Teasley 5-8 2-2 12, Kama Griffitts 5-17 3-3 16, Katie Sanders 6-7 1-2 13, Sadie Lazzarini 1-2 3-3 8, Deanna Dotts 2-4 0-0 4, Tugce Canitez 8-11 4-5 20. Totals 28-54 13-16 81.
SHELTON STATE
Alison Michael 1-3 2-2 7, Areial Woods 5-11 2-4 12, Nicole Caddell 11-16 5-10 27, MyKeal Hall 1-2 0-0 2, Nashja Bethune 1-1 2-2 4, Temperance Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Sarathea Brown 1-7 1-2 15, Hillary Dedeaux 0-0 0-0 0, Alex Salomonsky 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 23-45 14-22 75.
Halftime - NIC 44-32. 3-point goals - NIC 4-13 (Reynolds 0-2, Warbrick 0-1, Griffitts 3-8, Sanders 0-1, Lazzarini 1-1), SSCC 5-17 (Michael 1-5, Woods 0-1, Hall 0-1, Jacobs 0-1, Brown 4-7). Rebounds - NIC 34 (Canitez 10), SSCC 46 (Caddell 13). Assists - NIC 10 (Reynolds 4), SSCC 8 (Michael 3). Team fouls - NIC 19, SSCC 21. Fouled out - none.