NIC BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: Piper paces Cardinal men

| December 20, 2014 7:00 PM

PRICE, Utah - Djuan Piper totaled 17 points and eight assists as North Idaho College edged Utah State-Eastern 73-70 in Scenic West Conference men's basketball Saturday.

Braian Angola-Rodas added 16 points and four assists, and Kyle Guice grabbed 14 rebounds for the Cardinals (14-2, 2-1 SWAC).

Marcelo Ruediguer had 14 points and 11 rebounds, Bryan Harris 16 points and Nathaniel Wright 14 rebounds for Utah State-Eastern (9-7, 0-4).

NIC plays host to Medicine Hat College on Dec. 29.

NORTH IDAHO

Jamaal Robateau 2-8 0-0 5, Lucan Antunez 2-2 4-5 8, Djuan Piper 8-18 0-0 17, Marcus Harris 0-2 0-0 0, D'Adrian Allen 2-3 0-2 4, Braian Angola-Rodas 4-8 7-7 16, Fuquan Niles 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan King 2-6 1-2 5, Kyle Guice 3-12 0-0 7, Charlie Lockwood 1-3 2-3 4, Ty Higbie 3-5 0-0 7, Kellan Dohrman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-68 14-19 73.

UTAH STATE-EASTERN

Juwan Moody 1-8 0-0 3, Nathaniel Wright 2-9 2-3 6, Bryan Harris 7-12 2-3 16, Royale Ewing 2-6 0-0 4, Marcelo Ruediguer 4-8 6-9 14, Andre Hogan 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Sly 2-4 0-0 6, Hamdi Karoui 1-6 0-2 2, Phillip Winston 2-5 5-6 10, Josh Van Weezep 3-4 0-0 9, Chol Kiir 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-62 15-23 70.

Halftime - NIC 32-30. 3-point goals - NIC 5-31 (Robateau 1-7, Piper 1-4, M. Harris 0-2 Allen 0-1, Angola-Rodas 1-3, King 0-3, Guice 1-8, Higbie 1-3), USUE 7-20 (Moody 1-5, Wright 0-1, B. Harris 0-2, Ewing 0-1, Sly 2-3, Karoui 0-3, Winston 1-1, Van Weezep 3-4). Rebounds - NIC 40 (Guice 14), USUE 46 (Wright 14). Assists - NIC 14 (Piper 8), USUE 11 (B. Harris 3). Fouled out - Allen, Ruediguer. Total fouls - NIC 20, USUE 20.

* WOMEN

USU-Eastern 92

North Idaho 83

PRICE, Utah - Despite a 34-point outburst from Mariah Swanson, the visiting Cardinals fell to the Golden Eagles in Scenic West Athletic Conference play.

Kara Staggs added 27 points for NIC (8-4, 1-2 SWAC), which shot 36 percent (26 of 72) from the field.

Bryanna Adams had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Utah State-Eastern (12-13, 2-2), which led 47-40 at halftime, and never trailed in the second half. Jessica Anderson added 15 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.

"They're explosive; this is the best Eastern team I've seen since I've been here," NIC coach Chris Carlson said. "They're deep, they shoot it well. But we've got to play better defense."

Carlson also said USU-Eastern's 19 offensive rebounds were a factor.

NIC faces Whatcom Community College on Dec. 28 in the first round of the Lower Columbia College Holiday Classic in Longview, Wash.

NORTH IDAHO

Samara Hill 2-3 4-4 10, Bailey Schroeder 1-3 1-2 4, Kara Staggs 9-22 8-8 27, Mariah Swanson 11-20 7-8 34, Panisesi Taimani 1-5 1-2 3, Katie King 0-2 0-0 0, Maci Benedict 0-3 0-0 0, Ryleigh Swagerty 0-0 0-0 0, Monica Landdeck 1-5 0-0 3, Sabrina Earle 0-2 0-0 0, Caitlyn Behymer 1-5 0-0 2, Grace Varcoe 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-72 21-24 83.

UTAH STATE-EASTERN

Jessica Anderson 5-9 5-5 15, Maddy Murphy 3-8 6-6 13, Bryanna Adams 7-12 4-6 19, Jamie Smith 1-8 2-2 5, Caroline Fisher 2-10 0-0 6, McKenzie Burrows 1-2 0-0 2, Shayla Kime 2-2 2-2 6, Lejla Hadzialijagic 2-2 5-9 9, Ashley Price 0-0 0-0 0, Ana Borges 2-5 0-1 4, Barbara Cousino 4-7 2-2 13. Totals 29-65 26-33 92.

Halftime - USUE 47-40. 3-point goals - NIC 10-24 (Hill 2-3, Schroeder 1-2, Staggs 1-7, Swanson 5-8, King 0-1, Benedict 0-1, Landdeck 1-2), USUE 8-29 (Anderson 0-2, Murphy 1-4, Adams 1-3, Smith 1-6, Fisher 2-7, Burrows 0-1, Borges 0-1, Cousino 3-5). Rebounds - NIC 40 (Swanson 9), USUE 47 (Anderson 13). Assists - NIC 12 (Staggs 4), USUE 16 (Adams 6). Fouled out - Anderson. Total fouls - NIC 24, USUE 20.