Redshirting Walker wins at Spokane tourney
- WRESTLING
SPOKANE — Esco Walker, wrestling unattached this year while redshirting at North Idaho College, won the 125-pound weight class Sunday at the Spokane Open at the Spokane Convention Center.
Walker placed seventh for NIC last year at the NJCAA tournament as a freshman.
“He wrestled real well, for his first tourney of the year,” NIC coach Pat Whitcomb said.
Nick Hara (133 pounds) and Bryce Parson (157) each finished second for NIC. Jacob Frias (125) was third. Jacob Garrison (125), Sal Silva (141) and Winston Scott (184) each finished fifth. Silva was wrestling unattached.
Cooper McCullough (157) took sixth. Former NIC wrestler Levi Perry, wresting unattached as he finishes up his schooling at NIC, was sixth at 184.
“They all got a ton of matches, and they all wrestled well,” said Whitcomb, who said three starters either didn’t wrestle or didn’t finish the tourney due to injuries.
“I think they bounced back really good from Clackamas (a 34-3 loss on Friday),” Whitcomb said. “We wrestled two really good duals (Saturday) and had some good competition today.”
NIC returns from Thanksgiving break next Thursday vs. third-ranked Western Wyoming in Las Vegas, a precursor to the Cliff Keen Invitational the next two days in Vegas.
- WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
North Idaho 77
Chandler-Gilbert 64
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Trailing by three points at halftime, NIC came on strong to beat the Coyotes, finishing 2-1 on its season-opening three-day, three-game road trip to Arizona.
“Our second-half defense — we just locked them up,” NIC coach Chris Carlson said.
Keara Simpson, a freshman from Lake City High, poured in 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Cardinals. Alivia Williams, a freshman from Frenchtown, Mont., added 23.
“Keara was really strong on the inside,” Carlson said. “And obviously Alivia is a tough guard for everybody.”
Halle Eborall had 12 rebounds, Alex Carlson five assists for NIC.
“The way we came back in the second half,” Carlson said, “it was a group of girls that wanted to win a basketball game.”
NIC returns to action Dec. 1 at home vs. the Gonzaga club team.
NORTH IDAHO
Sydnie Peterson 0-4 2-2 2, Alex Carlton 2-13 2-2 6, Halle Eborall 2-6 0-0 4, Alivia Williams 8-12 5-6 23, Heidi Sellmann 1-3 5-6 7, Keara Simpson 10-16 4-7 25, Zosha Krupa 2-2 1-1 6, Anna Schrade 2-4 0-2 4. Totals 27-60 19-26 77.
Three-point goals — NIC 4-14 (Peterson 0-2, Carlton 0-4, Eborall 0-1, Williams 2-3, Simpson 1-2, Krupa 1-1, Schrade 0-1). Rebounds — NIC 33 (Eborall 12). Assists — NIC 13 (Carlton 5).