NIC BASKETBALL: Cardinal men cap unbeaten regular season with romp
Photo courtesy of NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE North Idaho College sophomores Kaylee Banks (24), Meghan Calley (23) and Paige Beem (22) celebrate after the Cardinals win over Wenatchee Valley, clinching a berth in the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships starting next week in Pasco, Wash.
• MEN
COEUR d’ALENE — From here, they can go anywhere.
On Wednesday night, North Idaho College’s men’s basketball team did something previously done during the 2015-16 season.
Sophomore Brendan Johnson had 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists for top-ranked North Idaho College, which rolled past Wenatchee Valley 86-59 at Rolly Williams Court in the Northwest Athletic Conference regular season finale for both programs, clinching an unbeaten regular season.
“Before the season, we circled some games that were really big games,” NIC coach Corey Symons said. “I wouldn’t have predicted a 28-0 season, but they’re a tight-knit group that kept playing for each other. We had a really big win at San Francisco (Dec. 3) and the guys realized, ‘hey, we could do this.’”
NIC (28-0, 16-0 NWAC) beat Wenatchee Valley 89-71 in a conference game on Feb. 13.
Sophomore Julius Mims had 17 points and seven rebounds for NIC, which clinched its berth to the NWAC Championships at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., and opens on March 11 at 8 p.m. against the fourth-place team from the North Region.
“I know how hard it is and it’s not going to be easy,” Symons said. “Anyone can beat anyone. Each day, we’re going to have to go 1-0 four more times.”
Wenatchee Valley finished 8-20, 4-12.
WENATCHEE VALLEY
Ayoni Benavidez 4-13 4-6 12, Donato Joseph 5-12 2-2 14, David Roe 3-6 2-2 8, Nico Castaneda 2-6 2-4 6, Justin Loveless 3-7 2-2 9, Evik Amy 0-2 0-0 0, Bryson Williams 3-9 0-0 8, Ladu Kaden 1-3 0-1 2. Totals 21-58 12-17 59.
NORTH IDAHO
Julius Mims 6-13 4-4 17, Xavier Bailey 5-11 2-2 14, Brendan Johnson 7-12 0-0 18, Vanti Erving 2-4 0-0 4, Taden King 4-13 0-2 9, Jeremiah Sibley 1-4 1-2 3, Michael Durkin 1-3 0-0 2, Kamryn Thomas 3-3 0-0 6, Phil Holmes 1-2 2-4 4, Kyle Karstetter 4-11 0-0 9. Totals 34-76 9-14 86.
Halftime — NIC 47-22. 3-point goals — WVC 5-27 (Benavidez 0-3, Joseph 2-6, Roe 0-1, Castaneda 0-4, Loveless 1-3, Amy 0-2, Williams 2-8), NIC 6-26 (Mims 1-4, Bailey 2-3, Johnson 4-6, Erving 0-2, King 1-6, Sibley 0-1, Durkin 0-1, Karstetter 1-4). Rebounds — WVC 34 (Loveless 11), NIC 48 (Bailey 10). Assists — WVC 12 (Benavidez, Castaneda 4), NIC 17 (Johnson 6). Team fouls — WVC 15, NIC 15. Fouled out — Thomas.
• WOMEN
North Idaho 60
Wenatchee Valley 55
COEUR d’ALENE — Freshman Solei Elletson scored 20 points off the bench for the Cardinals, who beat the Knights in the regular season finale at Rolly Williams Court, clinching a spot in the Northwest Athletic Conference Championships starting next Thursday in Pasco, Wash.
With the win, NIC (16-11, 10-6 NWAC) will be the third seed from the East Region. Wenatchee Valley (13-14, 10-6) will be the fourth seed from the region.
“I’ve been telling the girls that we need to start playing our best basketball at the end of the season,” said first-year NIC coach Nathan Covill, whose team finished 8-3 in their final 11 games, winning the final three to clinch. “When we lost to Walla Walla, we knew we needed to win three in a row. We got down to Spokane, then the girls dug their heels in and turned it around.”
Sophomore Paige Beem had 10 points and 11 rebounds for NIC. Freshman Addie Kiefer had 11 points off the bench for NIC, which opens the tournament March 9 at 6 p.m. against South Puget Sound, the West Region second-place team.
“Solei, Paige and Addie had great games,” Covill said. “Solei is someone we’ve been telling she needed to be more aggressive, and she’s played great as of late.”
Wenatchee Valley lost the previous matchup against NIC on Feb. 13 due to forfeit.
Ciahna Oatman scored 16 points for Wenatchee Valley.
WENATCHEE VALLEY
Farrah Parrish 4-8 3-4 12, Ciahna Oatman 6-15 1-1 16, Monica Miller 4-10 4-4 14, Posika Hvichiana 2-4 0-0 4, Alexes Stein 3-6 0-0 6, Kierstin Constantino 0-4 0-0 0, Alaina Ahrens 0-0 0-0 0, Jordyn Gieffers 0-7 0-0 0, Celicia Enos 1-7 0-0 3. Totals 20-61 8-9 55.
NORTH IDAHO
Laney Smith 1-4 0-0 3, Sorrell Aldendorf 1-5 0-0 3, Paige Beem 3-9 3-4 10, Meghan Calley 3-7 0-0 6, Kaylee Banks 3-9 0-0 7, Katie Blume 0-3 0-0 0, Solei Elletson 6-10 6-8 20, Addie Kiefer 5-8 1-4 11. Totals 22-55 10-16 60.
Halftime — NIC 32-23. 3-point goals — WVC 7-19 (Parrish 1-1, Oatman 3-7, Miller 2-4, Hvichiana 0-1, Constantino 0-1, Enos 1-5), NIC 6-26 (Smith 1-4, Aldendorf 1-4, Beem 1-2, Calley 0-4, Banks 1-6, Blume 0-2, Elletson 2-3, Kiefer 0-1). Rebounds — WVC 25 (Miller 7), NIC 44 (Beem 11). Assists — WVC 9 (Hvichiana 5), NIC 10 (Beem 4). Team fouls — WVC 13, NIC 12. Fouled out — Parrish.