NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinals lead early, then fall to Casper at CSI tourney
• MEN'S BASKETBALL
TWIN FALLS — There’s still plenty to build on for the North Idaho College men’s basketball team.
Friday’s game is a good example of that.
NIC led by 19 points at 34-15 with 10:51 remaining in the first half, but the Cardinals eventually fell 103-100 to Casper (Wyo.) College in the Battle for the Boot at the College of Southern Idaho on Friday.
Vaughn Weems, a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, had 38 points and 12 rebounds for NIC (1-3).
After leading by 19, the Cardinals behind 51-48 at haftime after three straight 3-pointers by Casper, which beat the Cardinals 91-83 in the opener for both last Friday in Casper, Wyo.
“We got up, but we don’t know how to stay on the gas,” NIC coach Corey Symons said. “We’re not very disciplined right now, and we took bad shots. And that’s on me for us to get better.”
Casper led 73-67 with 10:51 remaining before NIC was called for a blocking foul. NIC then received two technical fouls as the Thunderbirds stretched the lead to 79-67.
“It was a tight game back and forth,” Symons said. “There was a call that was bang-bang on one end where we got called for a charge, then they called us for a blocking foul. The lead went from 2 to 10 in a hurry. It was tough, but I’ve got to do a better job in that situation.”
NIC concludes the tournament against Western Wyoming today at 2 p.m. PST.
“We’ve got some work to do,” Symons said. “We’ve got a tough schedule early on to see where we’re at and it doesn’t get any easier from here.”
NORTH IDAHO
Vaughn Weems 14-21 7-7 38, Deng Diew 3-4 3-4 10, Tayshawn Colvin 3-6 3-4 10, Sam Marbury 6-12 3-3 17, Tautoko Wynyard 0-2 0-1 0, Ne’quan Brown 3-6 0-0 7, Dace Pleasant 3-16 4-6 12, Jacori Ervin 3-3 0-2 6, Ajayi Simmons 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 35-72 20-27 100.
CASPER
Abdul Bashir 15-27 9-9 45, Ethan Connery 2-8 0-1 5, Nate Sasser III 0-0 0-0 0, Stephen Osei 7-10 5-6 19, Yel Deeng 2-10 3-3 8, Blake Neverdon 1-5 0-0 3, Buai Luak 1-1 0-0 2, Rohan Butler-Kowlessar 2-2 0-0 5, Parker Davis 3-6 2-2 9, Kamil Cardot 3-8 0-0 7, Binael Basil 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 36-80 19-21 103.
Halftime — Casper 51-48. 3-point goals — NIC 10-29 (Weems 3-5, Diew 1-1, Colvin 1-3, Marbury 2-6, Brown 1-4, Pleasant 2-10), Casper 12-31 (Bashir 6-12, Connery 1-3, Deeng 1-3, Neverdon 1-4, Butler-Kowlessar 1-1, Davis 1-4, Cardot 1-4). Rebounds — NIC 41 (Weems 12), Casper 46 (Connery 10). Assists — NIC 15 (Marbury 5), Casper 16 (Connery 5). Team fouls — NIC 23, Casper 24. Fouled out — Brown, Bashir, Deeng. Technical fouls — Brown, NIC team.
• WRESTLING
North Idaho vs.
Evergreen State, ppd.
Friday's match between North Idaho and Evergreen State, scheduled for Tahoma High, was postponed due to "unforeseen circumstances" according to NIC athletics.
"We are disappointed that the match won't take place," said NIC coach Derrick Booth, whose team is No. 1 in the NJCAA preseason rankings. "Our team had been preparing for this event, and we were looking forward to some competitive wrestling."
No makeup date has been announced.