NIC BASKETBALL: Skalskiy, in reserve, helps Cardinals beat Umpqua

| December 17, 2021 1:10 AM

• MEN

EVERETT, Wash. — Jalen Skalskiy, a freshman from Lakeland High, had 20 points and 16 rebounds off the bench for North Idaho College in an 85-71 win over the Umpqua Riverhawks in the opening game of a Northwest Athletic Conference Crossover game at the Walt Price Student Fitness Center on Thursday.

Skalskiy was 8 of 11 shooting and 4 of 5 from the foul line for NIC, which outscored Umpqua 52-44 in the second half.

“He does a lot of the dirty work for us inside,” NIC coach Corey Symons said. “He came off the bench and played really well for us tonight.”

Sophomore Julius Mims had 20 points and five rebounds and freshman Taden King had 15 points and eight rebounds for NIC (5-5). Cooper DeWitt had 14 points six rebounds and five assists for NIC.

“We’re starting to figure out how to play with each other and share the ball,” Symons said. “The guys played well tonight.”

NIC faces Pierce today at 5 p.m.

Nathan Webb had 29 points and 10 rebounds for Umpqua (6-1).

NORTH IDAHO

Julius Mims 9-19 0-0 20, Brendan Johnson 1-8 2-2 4, Cooper DeWitt 5-10 2-3 14, Taden King 6-13 2-5 15, Akeyse Rice 0-0 0-0 0, Daniel Santana 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Kiesbuy 4-6 0-0 9, Trae Hugs 0-0 0-0 0, Xavier Bailey 0-5 2-2 2, Jalen Skalskiy 8-11 4-5 20, Gavin Gilstrap 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 33-72 13-19 85.

UMPQUA

Aaron Dolny 3-13 0-0 8, Dante Sofia 0-4 0-0 0, Nathan Webb 10-20 5-7 20, Kane Hynes 0-0 0-0 0, Talon Valdes 5-17 1-2 14, Kell Schwers 1-5 2-2 4, Robbie Moore 5-8 1-2 12, Jaden Schwab 0-3 0-0 0, Spencer Hathaway 1-1 0-0 2, Brig Schofield 0-1 0-0 0, Marcus Sherwood 0-5 2-2 2, Collin Jeppson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 25-79 11-15 71.

Halftime — NIC 33-27. 3-point goals — NIC 6-15 (Mims 2-4, Johnson 0-2, DeWitt 2-3, King 1-5, Kiesbuy 1-1), UCC 10-28 (Dolny 2-5, Webb 4-9, Valdes 3-6, Schwers 0-3, Moore 1-3, Schwab 0-1, Schofield 0-1). Rebounds — NIC 57 (Skalskiy 16), UCC 43 (Webb 10). Assists — NIC 18 (DeWitt 5), UCC 16 (four with 3). Team fouls — NIC 16, UCC 16. Fouled out — Skalskiy. Technical fouls — Schwers.

• WOMEN

North Idaho at

Edmonds, canc.

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — The Cardinals opening game in the NWAC Crossover at Edmonds Community College was canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the host school.

NIC (3-3) is scheduled to face Portland today at 2 p.m. in Lynnwood.