Cardinals Rough Up Vikings Lopsided Victory Puts Nic In Host’s Role For Region 18 Tournament

The tone of this game was set early. Bumping, pushing, grabbing, chattering - all as North Idaho College’s starting five was being announced.

One of the curious trends in college basketball: Players shoving their teammates into other teammates as they’re introduced.

Whatever works.

The game that followed certainly wasn’t artistic, but NIC’s 83-61 victory over Ricks on Friday night served its purpose.

It locked up NIC’s right to play host to the Region 18 men’s and women’s tournaments in early March. NIC’s men last hosted the tourney in 1985 and the women in 1988.

Now the Cardinals men (23-2 overall, 13-3 Scenic West Athletic Conference) chase goal No. 2.

“We want to win the Scenic outright,” grinning coach Hugh Watson said. “We want this thing, baby. We’re not going to let down” on next week’s road trip to Salt Lake and Utah Valley.

NIC is a half game in front of College of Eastern Utah (12-3), which thumped Utah Valley 109-83.

“We’ve got the talent to go to Hutchinson (Kansas, site of the national tournament),” said reserve forward Leonard Myles, who had six points and four creative assists.

A crowd of 1,496, some of which spilled into the aisles and along the baselines at Christianson Gym, saw the Cardinals shut down Ricks’ usually accurate outside shooting. Danny Bower and Jared Peterson, the Vikings’ main perimeter threats, combined for only 12 points and Peterson didn’t make a field goal.

It was loosely-whistled - and there were still 53 fouls called and 63 free throws attempted - which seemed to aid NIC. The Cards’ pressure defense hurried Ricks into 21 turnovers and generated a frantic feel throughout.

Ricks would prefer a slower tempo to run its pattern offenses.

“When it’s called that way, it’s a disadvantage to us because of their athleticism,” said Ricks coach Clyde Nelson, whose club dropped to 22-6, 10-6. “We’ve got great kids, but I have the feeling they think there are other things more important to them.

“Once we get beat up like that, I don’t know if we have the insides to fight back, to fight through it.”

There were numerous hard fouls both ways and a load of flying elbows. But NIC’s intensity never wavered. “It turned into a war,” Watson said.

“Ricks played physical,” Myles said, “but we would have won if it was a finesse game, too.”

NIC eased in front 36-28 at half by outscoring the Vikings 12-2 in the final 4 minutes.

Ricks was within 41-36 when NIC’s Cameron Banks canned a jumper and Chris Harrison took a feed from Shawn Myrick and made a layup.

Ricks went 9 minutes without a field goal - scoring only via 11 free throws - before Bryson Vaughn’s 3-pointer with 9 minutes remaining.

By that time, NIC was in front by 17.

Todd Myles, Leonard’s cousin, had 15 points, six rebounds and eight assists. Myrick had 13 points and Andre McKanstry contributed 12 points and five boards, despite being in foul trouble.

Banks had 11 points and 8 rebounds before departing with a tender lower back after a heavy fall under the Cards’ basket.

“We got a lot of help off the bench,” Watson said. “We did what we had to do and it’s nice to have the tourney here.”

North Idaho 83, Ricks 61

Ricks (22-3, 10-6) - Vaughn 1-3 2-2 5, King 4-8 4-4 16, Payne 1-4 2-2 4, Bower 3-9 4-7 10, Peterson 0-6 2-4 2, Johnston 0-0 0-0 0, Jenkins 1-4 0-0 2, Howard 0-1 0-0 0, Dahle 2-4 3-4 7, Rueckert 1-1 0-1 2, Greene 5-6 1-3 11, Layton 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-47 18-27 61.

North Idaho (13-3, 23-3) - Myrick 2-9 9-10 13, Johnson 4-5 0-0 8, T. Myles 4-9 6-7 15, Houston 2-2 2-3 6, McKanstry 5-8 2-4 12, Harrison 4-8 0-0 8, Banks 4-10 2-5 11, Bussell 0-1 0-0 0, Ryan 0-0 4-6 4, L. Myles 3-5 0-1 6. Totals 28-57 25-36 83.

Half- NIC 36, Ricks 28. 3-point goals - Ricks 5-15 (King 4-5, Vaughn 1-2, Payne 0-1, Bower 0-3, Peterson 0-3, Jenkins 0-1), NIC 2-14 (T. Myles 1-3, Banks 1-3, Myrick 0-4, McKanstry 0-1, Harrison 0-2, L. Myles 0-1). Total fouls - Ricks 28, NIC 25. Fouled out - Dahle, Howard, Peterson. Technical fouls - none. Rebounds - Ricks 25 (Bower, Howard, Dahle and Greene all 4), NIC 40 (Harrison, Banks each 8). Assists - Ricks 18 (Vaughn 5), NIC 21 (T. Myles 8). Attendance 1,496.

, DataTimes