Salt Lake men, CSI women win Region 18 hoop titles

| March 2, 2014 8:00 PM

Gary Payton II earned Region 18 tournament MVP honors after scoring 12 points and grabbing 14 rebounds to lead the second-seeded Salt Lake Bruins past the top-seeded Southern Idaho Golden Eagles 62-49 in the championship game on Saturday night at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.

Salt Lake (26-6) will host Mesa on Saturday in a play-in game to the men's NJCAA tournament in Hutchinson, Kan.

Southern Idaho (27-5) awaits a possible at-large bid to nationals.

REGION 18 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Gary Payton II, Salt Lake (MVP); Jaleni Neely, Utah State-Eastern; Bryce Leavitt, North Idaho; Dallas Anglin, Southern Idaho; Jaden Jackson, Salt Lake; Montigo Alford, Southern Idaho.

* WOMEN

Southern Idaho 67

Salt Lake 65

Zuleika Grinsell scored 15 points, including a key basket with 1:14 remaining to lead the second-seeded Golden Eagles (29-3) past the top-seeded Bruins (25-7) in the women's Region 18 tournament championship game in Ephraim, Utah, to advance to the NJCAA tournament.

REGION 18 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Patrice Toston, Southern Idaho (MVP); Whitney Saunders, Snow; Renae Mokrzycki, North Idaho; Bella Swan, Salt Lake; Holly Blades, Southern Idaho; Cassidy Fraughton, Salt Lake.