NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinal men triumph in Symons' head coaching debut
SHERIDAN, Wyo. - Freshman Dijuan Piper had 15 points to lead the 21st-ranked North Idaho College Cardinals past the Western Wyoming Mustangs 67-54 in the season opener on Friday, the head coaching debut at NIC for Corey Symons.
"We got off to a slow start in the first half," Symons said. "We were ready to play someone else, and had some first-game jitters, but played through it and played well. Western Wyoming is a pretty good team."
NIC took control of the game in the second half.
The Cardinals made 25 of 39 free throws as Western Wyoming committed 28 fouls.
"Our guys played well and attacked the rim," Symons said. "I told our guys to take a deep breath and relax at halftime and we came out and played a little more aggressive in the second half."
Fuquan Niles had five blocked shots for NIC, which faces host Sheridan College today at 6 p.m.
NORTH IDAHO
Jamaal Robateau 2-6 6-11 10, Lucas Autunez 1-1 6-6 9, Dijuan Piper 4-4 5-8 15, Marcus Harris 1-1 0-0 3, D'Adrian Allen 2-2 0-1 4, Braian Angola-Rodas 2-2 0-0 4, Fuquan Niles 2-2 1-2 5, Jordan King 3-3 7-9 14, Kyle Guice 0-0 1-2 1, Charlie Lockwood 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 13-37 25-39 67.
WESTERN WYOMING
Jarred Laws 3-10 2-2 10, Dimitri Saliba 3-5 0-0 7, Filipe Meirelles 2-5 0-0 2, Stefan Wright 1-6 1-2 3, Isaiah Parros 5-14 6-12 14, Jonas Santana 0-3 1-2 1, Jeremy Head 1-1 0-0 3, Gunner Javernick 3-8 1-4 7, Tyler Wells 0-2 0-0 0, Namdi Okonkwo 3-6 2-2 8. Totals 16-49 12-24 54.
Halftime - NIC 30-26. 3-point goals - NIC 5-24 (Robateu 0-4, Antunez 1-2, Piper 2-8, Harris 1-2, Angola-Rodas 0-1, King 1-4, Guice 0-1, Higbie 0-2), WWCC 4-10 (Laws 2-3, Saliba 1-2, Meirelles 0-1, Parros 0-2, Head 1-1, Wells 0-1). Rebounds - NIC 34 (King, Guice 5), WWCC 29 (Saliba 6). Assists - NIC 6 (Piper 2), WWCC 9 (Wright 5). Team fouls - NIC 20, WWCC 28. Fouled out - Wright.
* WOMEN
North Idaho 55
Western Wyoming 54
SHERIDAN, Wyo. - Monica Landdeck hit a late 3-pointer to help the 18th-ranked Cardinals past the Mustangs in the season opener for both schools in the Sheridan tournament.
"It was a typical early season game," NIC coach Chris Carlson said. "They got up on us in the first half by seven or eight, and then we got up on them. It was a real exciting game."
Samara Hill had 10 points, Shelby Cloninger 10 rebounds for NIC, which faces host Sheridan College today.
"It was a great learning process," Carlson said. "Some of the turnovers we had, you almost beat yourself in some games, but the response we had and the will to win late in the second half was awesome to see. Western's a pretty good team."
Full statistics were not available.