NIC HOOPS: Staggs provides spark as Cardinal women go 3-0 in tourney
* WOMEN
COEUR d'ALENE - Kara Staggs is making the most of her opportunity.
Staggs, a 5-foot-7 freshman who moved into the starting lineup when Gonzaga signee Georgia Stirton suffered a knee injury, scored a game-high 23 points as North Idaho College downed Williston (N.D.) State 68-44 on Sunday to wrap up the NIC Thanksgiving Classic at Rolly Williams Court.
Staggs, from Okanogan, Wash., sank 7 of 8 3-pointers and was 8 of 11 from the field overall for the Cardinals (9-1), who have won six straight games.
"She's been stringing a few together," NIC coach Chris Carlson said. "She stepped in when Georgia (was injured), and rose to the occasion. She's been playing better and better and better, and seizing the moment."
Renae Mokrzycki totaled 13 points and 15 rebounds for NIC. Stirton, coming off the bench as she heals, added 13 points and six assists as the Cardinals finished 3-0 in the tourney.
"We kind of felt today was championship day - Williston was 2-0 (in the round-robin tournament) and we were 2-0," Carlson said. "We put an emphasis on it like that."
NIC held Williston to 25.9 percent (15 of 58) shooting from the field.
"Overall I was happy with our defense," Carlson said. "We put an emphasis on it, worked on it at practice, and it showed."
Carlson said sophomore Jansen Butler, the Lake City High product, has also played well in Stirton's absence. All three guards figure to be counted on more, Carlson said, as the Cardinals fear forward Mariah Swanson may have suffered a torn ACL and possibly a torn MCL in Friday's game vs. Wenatchee Valley.
NIC plays host to Columbia Basin on Tuesday night.
WILLISTON STATE
Emma Keller 0-12 2-5 2, McKayla Haugeberg 4-12 0-0 9, Jaden Lynch 0-2 0-0 0, Danie Hudson 2-8 1-3 6, Kendra Heier 1-5 0-0 3, Taylor Jean McGrady 0-3 0-2 0, Jaylen Newman 3-6 1-2 7, Kelcie Hutchins 1-1 0-1 2, Peyton Schieffer 0-0 2-2 0, Tori Kirkaldie 4-7 2-3 10, Tia Conrad 0-2 3-4 3. Totals 15-58 11-22 44.
NORTH IDAHO
Georgia Stirton 5-7 1-2 13, Katie King 0-2 0-0 0, Jansen Butler 0-6 0-0 0, Bailey Schroeder 1-6 0-0 3, Morgan Grier 1-7 0-0 3, Ryleigh Swagerty 0-2 0-0 0, Kara Staggs 8-11 0-0 23, Sabrina Earle 0-1 0-0 0, Renae Mokrzycki 6-10 0-2 13, Caitlyn Behymer 2-3 0-0 4, Maggie Kirscher 0-2 0-0 0, Panisessi Taimani 4-4 1-5 9. Totals 27-61 2-9 68.
Halftime - NIC 33-20. 3-point goals - WSC 3-11 (Keller 0-2, Haugeberg 1-2, Lynch 0-2, Hudson 1-1, Heier 1-3, Newman 0-1), NIC 12-26 (Stirton 2-3, King 0-2, Butler 0-4, Schroeder 1-4, Grier 1-3, Swagerty 0-1, Staggs 7-8, Mokrzycki 1-1). Rebounds - WSC 40 (Newman 7), NIC 50 (Mokrzycki 15). Assists - WSC 8 (McGrady 3), NIC 13 (Stirton 6). Fouled out - none. Total fouls - WSC 12, NIC 22.
North Idaho 89
Blue Mountain 70
COEUR d'ALENE - Braxton Tucker and Bryce Leavitt scored 19 points each, and Will Dorsey added 18 as the Cardinals beat the visitors from Pendleton, Ore., to finish 2-0 at the NIC Thanksgiving Classic at Rolly Williams Court.
Leavitt also had nine rebounds, three assists and two steals for NIC (8-2).
"Bryce Leavitt was huge again; he's doing a little of everything," NIC coach Jared Phay said. "Braxton Tucker is continuing to be a matchup problem for other teams."
NIC shot 52.6 percent from the floor, and held Blue Mountain to 34.9 percent shooting. Coleman McElroy had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Blue Mountain.
"I liked that we were balanced again, and we were able to get some points off the bench," Phay said, noting the 11 points of reserve forward Shikei Blake. "We took good care of the basketball; we only had five turnovers."
NIC plays host to Columbia Basin on Tuesday.
BLUE MOUNTAIN
Darius Butler 6-15 3-5 19, Dylan Martin 1-6 2-2 4, Jalen Watson 0-1 1-2 1, Coleman McElroy 6-18 2-2 19, Chris Randall 1-6 0-2 3, Max Mueller 2-4 0-0 4, Trevon Kiser 0-2 0-0 0, Brandon Hoisington 2-4 0-1 4, Austin Drake 2-4 2-2 8, Jake Wells 0-0 2-2 2, Jon Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Cody Tomson 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 22-63 12-18 70.
NORTH IDAHO
Jason Wheelock 0-1 2-2 2, Braxton Tucker 5-10 9-10 19, Brad Wallace 1-3 1-2 3, Bryce Leavitt 5-7 8-9 19, Nathan Rathbun 2-4 0-0 4, Will Dorsey 6-15 5-7 18, Cole Kesler 0-3 0-0 0, Fuquan Niles 3-3 0-2 6, Tatafu Nuku 1-2 1-1 3, Jordon King 1-3 0-0 2, Shikei Blake 5-5 1-3 11, Ty Higbie 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 30-57 27-36 89.
Halftime - NIC 45-34. 3-point goals - BMC 14-38 (Butler 4-8, Martin 0-3, Watson 0-1, McElroy 5-12, Randall 1-6, Kiser 0-2, Drake 2-3, Miller 0-1, Tomson 2-2), NIC 2-7 (Leavitt 1-1, Dorsey 1-3, Kesler 0-3). Rebounds - BMC 40 (McElroy 10), NIC 37 (Leavitt 9). Assists - BMC 10 (Butler, Randall, Hoisington 2), NIC 12 (Leavitt, Dorsey 3). Fouled out - Watson, Hoisington. Total fouls - BMC 24, NIC 19.