Meier helps Cardinal women remain in playoff hunt

- WOMEN

COEUR d’ALENE — It is nearly the time of year for players to show up, get to work and do the necessary things to make a run at the playoffs.

On Saturday, North Idaho College got that in many different ways, beating Yakima Valley Community College 81-78 in Northwest Athletic Conference play at Rolly Williams Court to remain fourth in the East Region.

The top four teams in each region qualify for the NWAC playoffs.

“We got off to a great start early and it just kept going,” said NIC coach Chris Carlson, whose team led 27-10 after the first quarter. “It was back and forth and a heck of a battle.”

Lake City High product Whitney Meier had 26 points and seven rebounds to lead the Cardinals.

“Whitney’s amazing,” Carlson said. “She had another great day and continues to lead the charge and provide so much good basketball for our team. She’s having a fantastic year. Sydney, you always have those kids that work so hard and provide so many things. But she just puts the work boots on and goes to work. She’s just awesome for us.”

Ronnie Harris scored 14 points and Sydney Hovde had 15 rebounds for NIC, which travels to Columbia Basin College of Pasco, Wash., on Wednesday.

NIC (14-7, 5-4 NWAC), which beat Yakima Valley 84-63 to open conference play on Jan. 6, jumped out to a 27-10 lead after the first quarter, then held on late in the fourth quarter.

Sequoia Wheeler had 27 points and nine rebounds for Yakima Valley (14-8, 4-6).

YAKIMA VALLEY

Shiniah Holt 0-2 0-0 0, Carly Davis 4-5 4-4 12, Sydney Layaoen 0-0 0-0 0, T’Mesh Mills 2-6 2-3 6, Kamri Von Oehlhoffen 9-21 0-1 20, Sequioa Wheeler 11-20 3-5 27, Bailey Andrews 0-1 0-0 0, Trista TakesEnemy 5-15 0-0 11, Makayla Lambert 0-1 0-0 0, Kali Kruger 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 32-74 9-13 78.

NORTH IDAHO

Lana Berg 2-7 1-2 6, Cierra Dvorak 1-9 4-6 7, Ronnie Harris 5-10 1-2 14, Shae Logozzo 1-4 5-8 8, Shelby Jordan 2-2 0-0 5, Whitney Meier 8-23 5-6 26, Zosha Krupa 1-4 1-2 4, Kelsey Auer 1-6 3-3 5, Sydney Hovde 3-5 0-0 6. Totals 24-70 20-29 81.

Yakima Valley 10 19 25 24 — 78

North Idaho 27 9 19 26 — 81

3-point goals — YVCC 5-21 (Holt 0-1, Mills 0-2, Von Oehlhoffen 2-9, Wheeler 2-5, TakesEnemy 1-4), NIC 13-27 (Berg 1-1, Dvorak 1-2, Harris 3-3, Logozzo 1-3, Jordan 1-1, Meier 5-11, Krupa 1-4, Auer 0-2). Rebounds — YVCC 43 (Von Oehlhoffen 10), NIC 50 (Hovde 15). Assists — YVCC 11 (Davis, Wheeler 3), NIC 16 (Dvorak 5). Team fouls — YVCC 24, NIC 17. Fouled out — Mills, Von Oehlhoffen, Dvorak).

- MEN

North Idaho 100

Yakima Valley 81

COEUR d’ALENE — RayQuan Evans had 30 points — 23 coming in the second half — and 12 rebounds, leading the Cardinals past the Yaks in a Northwest Athletic Conference game at Rolly Williams Court, the Cardinals’ fourth straight conference win.

“We’ve been able to get to the hoop a lot better in the last few weeks,” NIC coach Corey Symons said. “We did a good job tonight of using our size to our advantage.”

Jalen Burkett added 20 points and Tyler Brimhall 18 points for NIC (17-5, 7-2 NWAC), which shot 39 of 68 from the field, including 23 of 36 in the second half. Yakima Valley beat NIC 83-77 in the conference opener on Jan. 6 in Yakima. NIC is tied with Walla Walla for the East Region lead at 7-2.

“Jalen’s been playing really well for us,” Symons said. “RayQuan, it was a big game for him and it’s pretty tough to keep him out of the lane.”

NIC travels to Columbia Basin College of Pasco, Wash., on Wednesday.

Gamaun Boykin had 27 points and five assists for Yakima Valley (15-8, 6-4).

YAKIMA VALLEY

Quentin Raynor 4-9 3-4 12, Gamaun Boykin 8-15 6-8 27, Jordan Blodgett 3-6 2-2 10, Maurice Hodge 0-0 0-0 0, David Lindgren 5-9 2-4 14, BJ Gaitor 0-0 0-0 0, Modesta Britten 4-8 0-3 8, Trey Delp 3-10 0-0 8, Kashif Davis 1-3 0-0 2, Phillip White 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 13-21 81.

NORTH IDAHO

RayQuan Evans 12-19 4-4 30, Milan Lester 0-0 2-2 2, Aushanti Potts-Woods 0-1 0-0 0, Iaian McLaughlin 0-0 0-0 0, Jalen Burkett 9-19 1-3 20, Charles Williams 2-4 3-5 8, Jarod Greene 5-6 4-6 14, Jacob Cowley 0-1 2-2 2, Tyler Brimhall 8-15 0-0 18, Seth Christiaens 3-3 0-0 6, Keegan Crosby 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 39-69 16-22 100.

Halftime — NIC 43-33. 3-point goals — YVCC 12-27 (Raynor 1-5, Boykin 5-7, Blodgett 2-4, Lindgren 2-4, Delp 2-7), NIC 6-15 (Evans 2-5, Burkett 1-2, Williams 1-2, Brimhall 2-6). Rebounds — YVCC 28 (Britten 8), NIC 42 (Evans 12). Assists — YVCC 14 (Boykin 5), NIC 9 (Burkett 3). Team fouls — YVCC 19, NIC 18. Fouled out — Davis. Technical fouls — Davis.