Utah Valley Pulls Away From Nic

Women’s basketball

It used to be like this almost every year - North Idaho College and Utah Valley battling for Scenic West Athletic Conference women’s basketball superiority.

NIC turned back the clock Thursday night, but its game effort fell short in a 73-55 loss to the Wolverines at Christianson Gym.

“You old fox,” Utah Valley coach Tom Perkins told NIC counterpart Greg Crimp as the two old rivals shook hands afterward. “I told my kids, don’t be misled by their record. Greg will come up with something.”

Sixth-ranked Utah Valley improved to 8-0 in the SWAC, 19-0 overall. NIC, led by sophomore center Stephanie Suter’s 14 points and 18 rebounds, dropped to 2-6, 6-11.

“The (final) score was wrong,” Perkins said. “That was a five-point game most of the way.”

And much of the way it was NIC with the lead. The Cardinals took a 25-16 lead midway through the first half, but two prolonged turnover spells - one in each half - proved costly.

Utah Valley went ahead for good at 50-49 on Jodi Hawkins’ 3-pointer with 10 minutes remaining. Still, it was just 57-52 with 7 minutes to play when NIC’s offense again stalled. Further trouble developed when point guard Julie Wilkins and Suter fouled out minutes later.

“We turned it over quite a few times, especially in the halfcourt offense,” Crimp said. “They did a good job on defense. I was pleased with our effort, as I have been most of the year.

“If anything was dysfunctional, it was the coaching. I didn’t have the tools in place to deal with what they were doing to us in the second half.”

Utah Valley got untracked when somebody besides Kim Morris and Marci Stilson scored. That player turned out to be Hawkins, who had 11 points in a decisive 16-3 Wolverines run in the second half.

Hawkins finished with 16 points, and Morris and Stilson had 17.

Beth Palmer had 12 points for NIC, but the Cardinals had 30 turnovers.

Utah Valley 73, NIC 44 UTAH VALLEY (8-0, 19-0)

Harrison 1-2 0-0 2, Hawkins 6-9 3-5 16, Morris 6-18 5-8 17, Ta. Ferrin 4-9 0-1 9, Ames 0-3 3-4 3, Stilson 6-10 5-7 17, Tr. Ferrin 2-6 0-0 4, Ney 2-7 1-7 5. Totals 27-64 17-32 73.

NORTH IDAHO (2-6, 6-11)

McCullough 4-8 1-2 9, Howerton 0-0 1-2 1, Wilkins 3-5 0-0 7, Tollin 1-4 0-0 2, Dickson 0-2 2-2 2, Palmer 5-10 2-2 12, Suter 5-9 4-4 14, Schraufnagel 0-1 0-2 0, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Ross 3-9 0-2 6, Greenwood 1-9 0-0 2. Totals 22-57 10-16 55.

Half-North Idaho 33-30. Rebounds-UVSC 40 (Stilson 11), NIC 40 (Suter 18). Assists-UVSC 19 (Ta. Ferrin 7 ), NIC 15 (Wilkins 5). Fouled out-Wilkins, Suter. Total Fouls-UVSC 22, NIC 14.

Oregon 84, WSU 66 In Eugene, Ore., Renae Fegent’s game-high 22 points led the Ducks over the Cougars at McArthur Court.

All five starters for the Ducks (3-1 Pac10, 10-3) scored in double figures. Arianne Boyer scored 19, Cindie Edamura 15, Jessica Schutt 14 and Sally Crowe 10.

WSU (2-3, 9-5) was paced by Susie Jarosch’s 17 points, while Jenni Ruff scored 14. The Cougars also received 10 points each from Kireen Ellis and Julie Wight.

WASHINGTON STATE (66)

Ruff 7-16 0-0 14, Saneholtz 2-7 3-4 7, Ellis 5-11 0-0 10, Jarosch 6-8 0-0 17, Wight 3-8 1-2 10, Kronberger 0-5 0-3 0, Erickson 3-8 0-0 6, Evans 0-0 0-0 0, Kunze 1-1 0-0 2, Keith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-64 4-6 66. OREGON (84)

Schutt 4-8 5-5 14, Boyer 5-8 9-11 19, Fegent 10-14 2-2 22, Edamura 4-8 6-6 15, Crowe 5-11 0-0 10, Boeving 1-4 2-4 4, Edwards 0-1 0-2 0, McKnight 0-0 0-0 0, Barton 0-0 0-0 0, Brewster 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-54 24-30 84.

Halftime score - Oregon 40, WSU 32. 3-point goals - WSU 8-20 (Ruuff 0-2, Wight 3-5, Jarosch 5-7, Erickson 0-3, Kronberger 0-3), UO 2-6 (Schutt 1-4, Edamura 1-1, Crowe 0-1). Fouled out - Erickson. Rebounds - WSU 30 (Saneholtz, Eight 6), UO 34 (Fegent 6). Assists - WSU 12 (Jarosch 55), UO 17 (Crowe 5). Steals - WSU 8 (Ruff, Ellis, Jarosch 2), UO 11 (Crowe, Boyer 3). Turnovers - WSU 25 (Saneholtz 6), UO 19 (Crowe 6). Total fouls - WSU 23, UO 12. Technicals - None. A - 1,385. Washington 63, Oregon St. 58 WASHINGTON (14-4)

Lewis 6-12 0-2 12, Savasta 4-17 0-0 8, Pelz 2-4 0-0 4, Kelly 2-7 2-3 8, Smith 7-16 1-2 15, Niemela 2-6 0-0 5, Gonsalves 2-5 5-5 9, Tilbrook 1-2 0-0 2, Wuschnig 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-69 8-12 63.

OREGON STATE (9-4)

Mollerstrom 1-4 0-1 2, Kostic 4-12 8-11 16, Vidic 4-8 2-2 10, Dionne 4-10 2-2 12, Lelas 6-8 2-3 14, McGrew 0-0 0-0 0, Lewis 1-1 0-0 2, Staton 0-4 2-2 2. Totals 20-47 16-21 58.

Halftime-Washington 27, Oregon St. 24. 3-Point goals- Washington 3-14 (Kelly 2-6, Niemela 1-5, Savasta 0-3), Oregon St. 2-4 (Dionne 2-2, Mollerstrom 0-1, Staton 0-1). Fouled out-Pelz, Vidic. Rebounds-Washington 41 (Smith 15), Oregon St. 35 (Kostic 7). Assists-Washington 16 (Savasta 7), Oregon St. 11 (Vidic 5). Total fouls-Washington 20, Oregon St. 18. A-1,632.