Northwest Notes

NIC’s Dowd, Golder first-team

All-East Region picks

North Idaho College sophomore guard Sam Dowd and Cardinal freshman Markus Golder were named to the Northwest Athletic Conference Eastern Region first team, the conference announced.

Golder, who has verbally committed to Valparaiso, was also named Freshman of the Year and Dowd was also selected to the All-Defensive team. Sophomore Zaequan “Ziggy” Satterthwaite was named to the region’s second team.

NIC (25-4) opens play at the NWAC tournament today at 10 a.m. against Tacoma (15-13) at Everett Community College.

Big Bend sophomore Jacob McCord was named the region’s Most Valuable Player and Jeff Reinland of Walla Walla was named Coach of the Year.

NIC freshman guard Cierra Dvorak was named to the women’s East Region second team. The Cardinal women failed to advance to the conference tournament.

NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

at Everett Community College

Thursday’s Games (Sweet 16)

Game 1 — Peninsula (18-8) vs. Portland (12-14), 8 a.m.

Game 2 — North Idaho (25-4) vs. Tacoma (15-13), 10

Game 3 — Umpqua (18-9) vs. Bellevue (18-11), noon

Game 4 — Puget Sound (22-5) vs. Big Bend (19-10), 2 p.m.

Game 5 — Pierce (23-6) vs. Walla Walla (20-8), 4

Game 6 — Clark (17-9) vs. Whatcom (17-9), 6

Game 7 — Shoreline (17-8) vs. Mt. Hood (15-11), 8

Game 8 — Spokane (23-6) vs. Lower Columbia (21-8), 10

Friday’s Games (Elite 8)

Game 9 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.

Game 10 — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4

Game 11 — Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 6

Game 12 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 8

Saturday’s Games (Final 4)

Saturday, March 18

Game 13 — Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 6 p.m.

Game 14 — Winner Game 11 vs. Game 12, 8

Sunday, March 18

Championship game

Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 14, 5:15 p.m.

Lee, a QB/DB in high school,

signs with Vandals as receiver

MOSCOW — The Idaho football team added another athlete to its receiving corps with Friday’s signing of D.J. Lee to a letter of intent.

“He’s a great runner with the ball,” Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. “He can stop on a dime and change direction. He’s just a great playmaker.”

Lee played quarterback and defensive back at St. Thomas More High School (Champaign, Ill.,), which Petrino said makes him the perfect fit for the Vandal system at receiver.

“We’ve had a lot of success with high school quarterbacks coming in and playing receiver,” Petrino said. “The quarterback really understands the coverages and where the defense is soft so, with that part of it, there isn’t as much learning.”

Lee was an all-conference choice at defensive back, all-area at defensive back and quarterback, and all-state at quarterback. He passed for more than 4,000 yards in high school and rushed for another 1,300 with 500 more on receptions. He scored 53 career touchdowns either passing or rushing. He also returned kicks and had six interceptions as a defensive back.

He graduates this spring and will join the Vandals in the summer.