Helm Stands Tall For Nic

With the game on the line, the North Idaho College men’s basketball team needed someone to step up and play big in its Scenic West Athletic Conference matchup against Salt Lake Community College Thursday.

Ironically, the player who assumed that role for the Cardinals was the smallest guy on the court at the time.

With his team clinging to a 66-63 lead with just 8 seconds left on the clock, NIC guard Steve Helm blocked a potential game-tying 3-point attempt by Salt Lake’s Johnny Robison to help NIC to a 68-63 win over the Bruins.

On the ensuing inbounds pass, NIC’s David Cunningham and Eric Sanchez teamed up to strip the ball and Sanchez fed Cunningham for an uncontested lay-in to provide the final margin.

Helm’s block came on a desperation shot after the Bruins had failed to score on an earlier designed play.

“We chalked up a play there at the end, but they (the Cardinals) adjusted well and switched,” said SLCC coach Norm Parrish. “We just didn’t get a good look.”

Helm just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

“I didn’t expect them to set him (Robison) up for the 3,” he said. “I just ran at him and jumped as high as I could and as hard as I could and I got it.”

And the Cardinals got the win, improving them to 12-5 in SWAC play and 24-5 overall.

But the approximately 400 fans who attended the game at Christianson Gym had to wonder if anyone was ever going to take control.

Neither team played particularly well in the first half.

Salt Lake (5-12 SWAC, 16-13 overall) shot a dismal 37 percent on 15 of 38 from the floor, but NIC wasn’t much better at 39 percent.

“We played hard, we just didn’t execute,” said NIC coach Rolly Williams. “We missed a lot of cheap baskets. We couldn’t even make a lay-in for awhile.”

After NIC crept out to a 33-31 halftime advantage, the two teams spent the second half exchanging leads. The second half featured 14 lead-changes and seven ties.

But the Bruins’ last lead came with 5:44 remaining on a 3-pointer by Jeremy Jeppesen which made it 61-60.

NIC answered with a three-point play by Gabriel Rapier and three free throws by Helm setting up the game’s final seconds.

Parrish credited his defense for keeping the game close but said his team just didn’t play strong enough.

“It was a good physical game,” he said. “If you would have told me we were going to hold them to 68 points, I would have said flip a coin. The refs let the game get physical and the last 3 minutes, they were stronger with the ball than we were.”

The Cardinals were led by the 22 points of Troy Thompson and the 12 points and eight rebounds of Sanchez.

Four players scored in double figures for the Bruins, led by Greg Blake with 13 and Jeppesen and Matt Pinkney with 12 apiece.

NIC will wrap up its regular season tomorrow at home against league-leading Utah Valley at 7:30 p.m.

North Idaho College 68, Salt Lake 63

Salt Lake CC (5-12, 16-13) - Robison 2-5 2-2 7, Jeppesen 4-10 1-2 12, Tuttle 1-6 3-4 5, Scott 0-0 0-0 0, Welling 0-0 0-0 0, Dunkley 4-7 3-3 11, Pinkney 6-14 0-1 12, Blake 6-17 0-0 13, Edwards 1-4 0-0 3, Ramey 0-0 0-0 0, Marcy 0-0 0-0 0.

North Idaho (12-5, 24-5) - Hall 0-4 0-0 0, Helm 2-4 3-4 8, Cunningham 3-7 2-2 8, Thompson 10-21 0-0 22, Rapier 2-5 2-3 6, McCoy 1-6 0-0 2, Byrne 1-3 0-0 2, Robertson 1-4 0-0 2, Kruiswyk 2-9 2-2 6, Sanchez 5-10 1-2 12.

Halftime-NIC 33, SLCC 31. 3-point goals-SLCC 6-19 (Robison 1-2, Jeppesen 3-7, Blake 1-7, Edwards 1-3), NIC 4-15 (Hall 0-1, Helm 1-1, Cunningham 0-2, Thompson 2-4, McCoy 0-3, Snachez 1-4). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-SLCC 45 (Pinkney 13, Tuttle 9, Dunkley 8), NIC 36 (Kruiswyk 12, Sanchez 8). Assists-SLCC 18 (Robison 6), NIC 18 (Helm 7). Total Fouls-SLCC 14, NIC 12. Techinals-None. A-400.

, DataTimes