Cardinal women romp in opener

LONGVIEW, Wash. — Maci Benedict scored 19 points, leading three North Idaho College players in double figures in an 81-34 win over the Blue Mountain Timberwolves in the opening round of the Lower Columbia Holiday Classic on Monday at Myklebust Gymnasium.

Stormee Van Belle scored 18 points and Alyssa Case added 13 for NIC, which jumped out to a 38-18 halftime lead.

NIC (12-2) will face host Lower Columbia in tonight’s semifinal round at 6.

Blue Mountain is 5-7.

BLUE MOUNTAIN

Laken Caple 0-1 2-2 2, Erin Ramsey 1-8 0-0 3, Brook Haringa 0-11 0-0 0, Savannah McHone 2-4 0-0 4, Kayla Reyna 2-11 2-2 8, Bailey Gregory 0-5 2-4 2, Savannah Heugly 7-14 1-1 15. Totals 12-54 7-9 34.

NORTH IDAHO

Gracie Roberts 3-7 0-1 6, Maci Benedict 7-11 2-2 19, Alyssa Case 6-9 0-0 13, Shelby Cloninger 2-10 1-1 5, Kaylee Olsen 0-1 0-0 0, Monica Landdeck 4-9 0-0 9, Jocelyn Cook-Cox 1-5 0-0 2, Ebony Norman 0-3 3-4 3, Clarissa Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Stormee Van Belle 9-13 0-2 18, Gracie Varcoe 1-3 1-2 3, Charity Marlatt 1-3 1-2 3. Totals 34-76 8-14 81.

Blue Mountain 11 7 8 8 — 34

North Idaho 25 13 19 24 — 81

3-point goals — BMCC 3-24 (Cagle 0-1, Ramsey 1-7, Haringa 0-5, McHone 0-1, Reyna 2-9, Gregory 0-1), NIC 5-23 (Benedict 3-5, Case 1-3, Cloninger 0-4, Olsen 0-1, Landdeck 1-4, Norman 0-3, Smith 0-2, Van Belle 0-1). Rebounds — BMCC 30 (Heugly 9), NIC 58 (Van Belle 8). Assists — BMCC 3 (McHone, Gregory, Heugly 1), NIC 22 (Roberts, Norman 5). Team fouls — BMCC 13, NIC 11. Fouled out — none.