Cardinal women, men clinch playoff berth

- WOMEN

COEUR d’ALENE — After a setback on Saturday, all the North Idaho College women had to do was win at home to lock down a spot in the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament.

No doubt.

They did it.

Sophomore Cierra Dvorak had 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, leading the Cardinals to an 82-74 win over the visiting Wenatchee Valley Knights on Wednesday in the regular season finale for both at Rolly Williams Court.

NIC (19-9, 10-6 NWAC), clinched the third seed out of the East Region to the NWAC tournament, which begins March 8 at Everett Community College. Wenatchee Valley finishes 16-13, 7-9.

Ronnie Harris scored 18 points for NIC, which shot 27 of 67 from the field and 14 for 30 from beyond the 3-point line.

Seeds and matches for the tournament will be announced Sunday during the conference’s selection show on the NWAC Sports Network at 2 p.m.

Ashlynn Burgess had 29 points and 15 rebounds for Wenatchee Valley.

WENATCHEE VALLEY

Zaria Jones 1-8 2-2 4, Riley Denton 4-13 0-0 11, Ione Chimburas 0-2 0-0 0, Ashlie Watts 3-6 0-0 9, Lara Creighton 2-4 3-5 7, Rachel Odima 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Uschmann 0-1 0-0 0, Whitney Shapp 6-10 0-0 13, Amelia Houser 0-0 1-2 1, Ashlynn Burgess 11-15 7-8 29. Totals 27-59 13-17 74.

NORTH IDAHO

Lana Berg 1-3 3-6 5, Cierra Dvorak 6-16 8-8 23, Ronnie Harris 6-16 2-2 18, Shae Logozzo 2-9 1-1 6, Shelby Jordan 0-0 0-0 0, Whitney Meier 5-13 0-0 14, Zosha Krupa 1-3 0-0 3, Gia Sorn 0-0 0-0 0, Kelsey Auer 3-4 0-0 7, Sydney Hovde 3-3 0-0 6. Totals 27-67 14-17 82.

Wenatchee Valley 14 21 17 22 — 74

North Idaho 18 20 22 22 — 82

3-point goals — WVCC 7-18 (Jones 0-1, Denton 3-9, Watts 3-5, Shapp 1-3), NIC 14-30 (Berg 0-1, Dvorak 3-4, Harris 4-8, Logozzo 1-3, Meier 4-10, Krupa 1-3, Auer 1-1). Rebounds — WVCC 40 (Burgess 15), NIC 35 (Dvorak 8). Assists — WVCC 15 (Denton 5), NIC 20 (Dvorak 7). Team fouls — WVCC 15, NIC 19. Fouled out — Hovde.

- MEN

North Idaho 100

Wen. Valley 69

COEUR d’ALENE — Idaho transfer Tyler Brimhall scored a game-high 28 points, leading the Cardinals past the Knights in the Northwest Athletic Conference final for both at Rolly Williams Court.

NIC (21-8, 11-5 NWAC) clinched a playoff spot and will open the NWAC Tournament next week at Everett Community College on March 10. NIC will find out its opponent on Sunday during the conference’s selection show on the NWAC Sports Network starting at 3 p.m.

RayQuan Evans had 21 points and 11 rebounds, Jalen Burkett 16 points and 11 rebounds and Aushanti Potts-Woods 15 points for NIC, which outrebounded Wenatchee Valley 45-35 in the game.

Wenatchee Valley finishes 16-12, 10-6.

WENATCHEE VALLEY

Justin Martin 2-9 3-4 9, Kenny Louie-McGee 0-3 0-0 0, Ryan Warner 1-2 0-0 2, Thomas Wabaunsee 3-3 0-2 7, Dale Hagan 2-2 1-6 5, Connor Dowdy 2-8 3-6 8. Trevor Shurtliff 3-11 5-7 13, Korbin Gardner 4-12 0-0 11, Justin Dorius 3-4 8-10 14. Totals 20-55 20-35 69.

NORTH IDAHO

RayQuan Evans 8-12 5-6 21, Brody Lundblad 0-1 0-0 0, Milan Lester 0-0 0-0 0, Aushanti Potts-Woods 4-9 4-4 15, Iaian McLaughlin 0-3 0-0 0, Jalen Burkett 7-9 2-4 16, Charles Williams 3-7 0-0 8, Jarod Greene 2-2 1-2 5, Jacob Cowley 0-2 0-0 0, Tyler Brimhall 9-17 7-9 28, Seth Christiaens 1-1 0-0 2, Keegan Crosby 2-7 0-0 5. Totals 36-70 19-25 100.

Halftime — NIC 44-35. 3-point goals — WVCC 9-32 (Martin 2-6, Louie-McGee 0-3, Warner 0-1, Wabaunsee 1-1, Dowdy 1-3, Shurtliff 2-8, Gardner 3-9), NIC 9-26 (Evans 0-2, Lundblad 0-1, Potts-Woods 3-8, Williams 2-3, Brimhall 3-9, Crosby 1-3). Rebounds — WVCC 35 (Dorius 7), NIC 45 (Burkett, Evans 11). Assists — WVCC 10 (Martin 3), NIC 18 (Brimhall, Evans 4). Total fouls — WVCC 18, NIC 22. Fouled out — none.