NIC BASKETBALL: Cardinal teams move into title games
• MEN’S BASKETBALL
COEUR d’ALENE — After watching Big Bend play Green River in Friday’s opening round of the Bigfoot/Cardinal Classic, North Idaho College coach Corey Symons knew that if his team could turn Saturday’s matchup into a track meet, they’d enjoy some success.
As it turns out, Symons was right on.
Brayon (BJ) Blake scored 26 points and Haywood Irwin added 18 points off the bench as the Cardinals beat the Big Bend Vikings 121-92 in a semifinal game at Rolly Williams Court to advance to today’s championship game at 3 p.m.
“They had a little bit of trouble with the press (on Friday), so we knew if we could come out and press them, our depth would hurt them,” Symons said. “And it worked out for once.”
NIC (10-0), which shot 44 of 72 from the field, will face Everett in today’s championship game at NIC at 3 p.m. Everett upset the Community Colleges of Spokane 95-92 in the other semfinal at Spokane Community College.
“I’ve been preaching to the guys that it’s all about the percentages,” Symons said. “As long as we’re taking good shots, it will average out. We’ve got a lot of good shooters, and they were just falling tonight.”
Today at NIC, Big Bend will face Spokane in the third-place game at 1 p.m., preceded by Whatcom and Yakima Valley in the fourth place game at 11 a.m.
BIG BEND
Keshawn Liggins 7-18 2-2 19, Wyatt Johnson 2-5 1-2 7, Connor Meyerhoffer 0-1 0-0 0, Mogga Lado 6-9 3-4 15, Leo Behrend 3-6 4-4 10, Ryker Pierce 5-13 1-1 13, Riley Bruneel 0-0 2-4 2, Jai Jai Ely 6-12 2-3 14, AJ Miles 3-8 0-0 9, Weston Meacham 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 33-73 15-20 92.
NORTH IDAHO
Sam Dowd 3-3 2-3 8, Lucas Antunez 4-7 4-5 13, Haywood Irwin 8-11 0-0 19, Trey Burch-Manning 3-7 0-0 6, Brayon (BJ) Blake 10-17 6-8 26, Braian Angola-Rodas 7-13 6-7 22, Kaleb Warner 3-7 0-2 9, Kyle Guice 4-4 1-2 11, Zaequan Satterhwaite 0-1 0-0 0, Scott Turner 2-2 0-0 5, Tony Naccarato 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 44-72 21-29 121.
Halftime — NIC 55-45. 3-point goals — BBCC 11-33 (Liggins 3-9, Johnson 2-5, Meyerhoffer 0-1, Pierce 2-5, Ely 0-4, Miles 3-8, Meacham 1-1), NIC 12-21 (Antunez 1-1, Irwin 3-5, Burch-Manning 0-1, Blake 0-2, Angola-Rodas 2-4, Warner 3-5, Guice 2-2, Turner 1-1). Rebounds — BBCC 42 (Liggins 9), NIC 32 (Blake, Angola-Rodas 6). Assists — BBCC 8 (Liggins 4), NIC 2 (Antunez 8). Team fouls — BBCC 22, NIC 23. Fouled out — none.
• WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
North Idaho 91
Highline 46
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Sophomore Stormee Van Belle had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Cardinals romped past the Thunderbirds in the semifinals of the Bulldog Classic at Bellevue College.
“Things are starting to click a little bit,” NIC coach Chris Carlson said. “I think our defense is starting to get a lot more aggressive and playing with some intensity.”
Maci Benedict scored 14 points, and Shelby Cloninger and Monica Landdeck added 13 point each for NIC (7-1), which faces Everett in the championship game today at 3 p.m.
Umpqua beat tournament host Bellevue 99-96 in the other semifinal.
HIGHLINE
Alyson Rippingham 0-0 0-0 0, Holly Suggs 1-3 0-0 2, Jasmyne Holmes 3-7 2-2 9, Chantal Hill 0-2 2-2 2, Linae Myhand 0-0 0-0 0, Vanessa Roueche 1-3 1-2 3, Alicia Westbrook 5-13 2-4 13, Alycea DeLong 1-2 0-0 2, Ivy Swanes 1-2 0-2 2, Chardonae Miller 6-10 0-5 12, Taylor Coffey 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 18-45 8-21 46.
NORTH IDAHO
Gracie Roberts 3-5 1-4 7, Maci Benedict 6-8 0-0 14, Alyssa Case 2-6 0-2 6, Shelby Cloninger 6-11 0-2 13, Kaylee Olson 2-4 0-0 6, Monica Landdeck 5-10 2-2 13, Jocelyn Cook-Cox 1-4 0-0 2, Ebony Norman 3-6 2-2 8, Clarissa Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Stormee Van Belle 8-10 0-0 16, Grace Varcoe 1-1 0-0 2, Charity Marlatt 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 39-68 5-12 91.
Highline 8 11 14 13 — 46
North Idaho 18 23 24 26 — 91
3-point goals — High 2-7 (Suggs 0-2, Holmes 1-2, Roueche 0-1, Westbrook 1-2), NIC 8-23 (Benedict 2-4, Case 2-4, Cloninger 1-5, Olson 2-3, Landdeck 1-5, Norman 0-1, Smith 0-1). Rebounds — High 30 (Miller 8), NIC 37 (Van Belle 9). Assists — High 6 (Holmes 2), NIC 21 (Van Belle 6). Team fouls — High 15, NIC 24. Fouled out — Cloninger, Marlatt.