NIC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Cardinals advance to championship

LONGVIEW, Wash. — Sophomore Shelby Cloninger scored 18 points to lead the North Idaho College women’s basketball team past the Lower Columbia Red Devils 73-62 in the semifinals of the Red Devil Holiday Classic on Tuesday night.

NIC (13-2) will face Umpqua in today’s championship game.

NIC beat Umpqua 81-78 in the championship game of the Bellevue tournament earlier this month.

Maci Benedict chipped in 16 points for NIC, which shot 27 of 71 from the field, but were 10 of 14 from the free throw line.

Ebony Norman added 12 points and seven rebounds for NIC.

Mireya Villanueva scored 15 points for Lower Columbia, which faces Centralia in today’s third-place game.

Stormee Van Belle had 12 rebounds and three assists and four players had two steals each for NIC, which finished with 12 steals as a team.