NIC BASKETBALL: Cardinal men, women win easily on sophomore night

| February 14, 2015 7:00 PM

* WOMEN

COEUR d'ALENE - Sophomores Caitlyn Behymer and Panisesi Taimani scored 16 points apiece to lead the North Idaho College Cardinals past the Colorado Northwestern Spartans 78-35 in a Scenic West Athletic Conference game Saturday at Rolly Williams Court.

Monica Landdeck scored 11 points for NIC (18-11, 5-8 SWAC), which travels to Snow on Thursday and wraps up the regular season at Salt Lake next Saturday.

Salt Lake (23-4, 12-1 SWAC) beat Snow (20-4, 8-5) 70-54 to clinch the SWAC championship and No. 1 seed to the Region 18 tournament in Price, Utah.

Salt Lake also clinched a spot in the NJCAA tournament March 16-21 in Salina, Kan. Region 18 will receive at least two bids to nationals, with a possible at-large selection also up for grabs. If Salt Lake wins the Region 18 tournament, the runner-up will also qualify for nationals.

Earlier, Utah State-Eastern (18-9, 7-7) beat Southern Idaho (17-11, 8-5) 93-92 in Twin Falls.

Jamie Revels scored nine points for Colorado Northwestern (6-21, 0-14), which finished the game 12 for 47 from the field.

COLORADO NORTHWESTERN

Brianna Schwartz 0-1 4-4 4, Sarah Midgley 2-15 1-2 5, Jasmine Kemm 1-5 0-1 2, Kellsie Edgington 0-4 2-2 2, Tyra Rodriguez 0-5 2-2 2, Jacey Schlegel 1-2 1-2 3, Adriana Trost 4-7 0-3 8, Jamie Revels 4-8 1-4 9. Totals 12-47 11-20 35.

NORTH IDAHO

Samara Hill 0-5 5-5 5, Katie King 0-1 0-0 0, Maci Benedict 1-2 2-2 4, Bailey Schroeder 0-0 0-0 0, Kara Staggs 4-9 0-0 9, Ryleigh Swagerty 2-6 0-0 4, Monica Landdeck 3-7 2-2 11, Sabrina Earle 0-1 0-0 0, Caitlyn Behymer 6-8 4-5 16, Mariah Swanson 2-4 4-4 9, Panisesi Taimani 6-12 4-5 16, Grace Varcoe 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 26-58 21-23 78.

Halftime - NIC 31-14. 3-point goals - CNCC 0-8 (Midgley 0-6, Rodriguez 0-2), NIC 5-24 (Hill 0-5, King 0-1, Staggs 1-5, Swagerty 0-2, Landdeck 3-7, Swanson 1-2, Taimani 0-1, Varcoe 0-1). Rebounds - CNCC 35 (Trost 9), NIC 37 (Taimani 6). Assists - CNCC 5 (Rodriguez 3), NIC 17 (Staggs 5). Team fouls - CNCC 19, NIC 20. Fouled out - Trost.

North Idaho 78

Colorado Northwestern 49

COEUR d'ALENE - Austin Pope had 16 points, six rebounds and four assists as the Cardinals beat the Spartans in a Scenic West Athletic Conference game at Rolly Williams Court.

Sophomore Jordan King scored 14 points and 6 of 10 shooting, including 2 of 3 from beyond the 3-point line for NIC (21-6, 8-5 SWAC), which travels to Snow on Thursday.

Fuquan Niles had 12 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks for NIC, which can lock up the third seed to the Region 18 tournament with a win against Snow (17-11, 6-7). The teams have split in two matchups this season, with both winning at home.

Terrylee Wedgewood and Alex Therrien scored 13 points each for Colorado Northwestern (7-22, 1-13), which hosts Utah State-Eastern next Saturday.

A win by Colorado Northwestern will clinch the No. 5 seed to the Region 18 tournament starting Feb. 26 on the campus of Utah State-Eastern in Price, Utah.

In other SWAC play, Southern Idaho (27-1, 12-1), ranked sixth in this week's NJCAA poll, held off Utah State-Eastern (11-15, 2-12) 83-79 in Twin Falls and Salt Lake (23-4, 11-2) beat visiting Snow (17-11, 6-7) 83-73.

COLORADO NORTHWESTERN

Terrylee Wedgewood 3-10 4-4 13, Jalen Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Tim Dal Bon 2-11 2-4 8, Trenton Brown 1-3 0-0 3, Brandon Doss 0-1 0-2 0, Van Merblin 1-4 1-2 3, A'donte Turner 1-4 1-2 3, Alex Therrien 4-12 1-2 13, Osahon Eghosa 2-9 2-6 6. Totals 14-54 11-22 49.

NORTH IDAHO

Jamaal Robateau 3-9 0-0 7, Lucas Antunez 1-5 4-4 6, Marcus Harris 3-5 0-0 7, D'Adrian Allen 2-2 1-2 5, Braian Angola-Rodas 0-5 0-0 0, Fuquan Niles 4-6 4-5 12, Jordan King 6-10 0-0 14, Kyle Guice 1-5 2-2 5, Ty Higbie 2-3 0-0 6, Austin Pope 7-9 2-2 16.

Halftime - NIC 41-22. 3-point goals - CNCC 10-23 (Wedgewood 3-6, Dal Bon 2-4, Brown 1-3, Merbin 0-2, Therrien 4-8), NIC 7-20 (Robateau 1-6, Antunez 0-2, Harris 1-3, King 2-3, Guice 1-3, Higbie 2-3). Rebounds - CNCC 36 (Dal Bon 7), NIC 39 (Niles 10). Assists - CNCC 8 (Brown, Therrien 2), NIC 17 (NIles 4). Team fouls - CNCC 13, NIC 21. Fouled out - none.