NIC BASKETBALL: Cardinal men close out home tourney with romp
• MEN
COEUR d’ALENE — Ne’quan Brown, a freshman from Tacoma, had 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting for North Idaho College in a 101-70 win over previously unbeaten Tacoma on Sunday in the Coeur d’Alene Best Western Inn-vitational at Rolly Williams Court.
Sophomore Vaughn Weems had 25 points and seven rebounds and freshman Deng Diew 12 points and nine rebounds for NIC, which led 38-22 at halftime.
The Cardinals (10-5) outrebounded Tacoma 43-22.
NIC opens Scenic West Athletic Conference play at the College of Southern Idaho on Saturday in Twin Falls.
Trey Knight scored 15 points for Tacoma (11-1).
TACOMA
Trey Knight 4-14 6-11 15, Cameron Andre-Covington 3-12 2-2 9, Marc Eyman 3-10 4-6 10, Wesley Bjornsgard 5-10 0-0 14, Ethan Skelton 0-2 0-0 0, Denali Hatcher 1-7 0-22, Dylan Wiggins 3-3 1-5 7, Dalton Brown 5-7 2-2 13. Totals 24-65 15-27 70.
NORTH IDAHO
Ne’quan Brown 8-10 5-5 23, Jacori Ervin 1-3 0-0 2, Vaughn Weems 8-12 6-7 25, Tayshawn Colvin 1-4 1-2 4, Sam Marbury 3-5 2-2 8, Deng Diew 3-9 6-7 12, Mehmet Bener 1-1 0-0 3, Jeremiah Sibley 1-3 3-6 6, Romell Russell 2-2 4-5 8, Tautoko Wynyard 2-2 1-1 5, Bryce Henry 0-0 2-2 4, Ajayi Simmons 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 31-56 30-37 101.
Halftime — NIC 38-22. 3-point goals — Tacoma 7-32 (Knight 1-8, Andre-Covington 1-6, Eyman 0-6, Bjornsgard 4-8, Hatcher 0-2, Brown 1-2), NIC 9-19 (Brown 2-3, Weems 3-5, Colvin 1-2, Marbury 0-2, Bener 1-1, Sibley 1-2, Simmons 1-4). Rebounds — Tacoma 22 (Eyman 5), NIC 43 (Diew 9). Assists — Tacoma 14 (Hatcher 7), NIC 13 (Marbury 5). Team fouls — Tacoma 25, NIC 25. Fouled out — Skelton, Wiggins. Technical fouls — Tacoma team 3.
• WOMEN
Cochise 84
North Idaho 58
TUCSON, Ariz. — Sophomore Kylani Rookstool had a team-high 18 points for the Cardinals in a loss to the Apaches of Douglas, Ariz., in the Aztec Holiday Classic on the campus of Pima Community College.
“Kylani’s an amazing competitor and great leader,” NIC coach Nathan Covill said. “Earlier in the season, we were trying to find ways to get her the ball and now she’s figuring how how to find her spots. Teams are going to pack it in and dare us to shoot, and now she’s figuring out how to get everyone else involved as well as get her shots in the offense now.”
Freshman Chloe Collin scored 10 points for NIC, which shot 20 of 49. Cochise was 37 of 62.
“Our slow start really hurt us today,” Covill said. “We won the second quarter and tied in the third, and cut the deficit to 13 in the third quarter, but just kind of ran out of gas. Cochise is really good and continued to play really physical.”
Michelle Nkolo scored 18 points for Cochise (7-6).
COCHISE
Jessie Joaquim 7-9 1-1 15, Michelle Nkolo 9-12 2-3 18, Karolina Padilla 6-8 0-2 12, Micayla Silas 8-21 3-5 21, Kaylynn Asberry 4-8 2-3 11, Gloria Maffoma’a Thio 0-0 0-0 0, Lesline Penge 1-1 0-0 2, Paule Nkwetchou Njoukwe 1-1 0-2 2, Laetitia Kamdoum 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 37-62 7-18 84.
NORTH IDAHO
Chloe Collin 4-4 1-2 10, Kylani Rookstool 7-14 2-3 18, Emmalee Secrest 1-3 2-3 4, Iratxe Amorrortu 1-5 1-2 3, Summer Faleafa 1-6 5-5 7, Tiarnee Smith 0-1 1-2 1, Larkin Christiansen 1-2 0-0 2, Esmeralda Galindo 3-9 0-0 7, Ripeka Edwards 1-3 0-0 3, Molly Axell 1-2 0-0 3, Tayler Adams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-49 11-16 58.
Cochise 24 20 18 22 — 84
North Idaho 7 21 18 12 — 58
3-point goals — Coch 3-11 (Silas 2-8, Asberry 1-2, Padilla 0-1), NIC 7-25 (Collin 1-1, Rookstool 2-7, Amorrortu 0-4, Faleafa 1-4, Galindo 1-5, Edwards 1-2, Axell 1-2). Rebounds — Coch 38 (Nkolo 13), NIC 26 (Smith 6). Assists — Coch 16 (Silas 9), NIC 9 (Amorrortu 3). Team fouls — Coch 15, NIC 19. Fouled out — none.