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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

NIC earns Region 18 host role

It may have lacked artistic flare, but that will be long forgotten when the North Idaho College women’s basketball team lines up for its first game at the Region 18 Tournament on its home court in two weeks.

The Cardinals cemented regional hosting rights with a ragged 62-46 victory over College of Eastern Utah on Friday, bringing the women’s and men’s tournaments back to Christianson Gym for the first time in nine years.

The 13th-ranked Cardinals (22-6, 15-2 Scenic West Athletic Conference) clinched at least a share of the SWAC championship.

A win tonight over CEU – tip-off is at 5:30 – would give NIC an outright championship. NIC, which will have a bye into the semifinals of the Region 18 Tournament March 10, is off next week while the rest of the SWAC teams close out the regular season.

“It’s just a tremendous feeling,” second-year NIC coach Chris Carlson said. “These girls are champions. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but like they’ve done so many times they just gutted it out and showed what kind of heart and determination they have.”

They needed every ounce of both to prevail in one of their sloppier games of the season. In the first half, the Cardinals shot just 23.3 percent and committed 15 turnovers – and they still led 25-13.

CEU (16-11, 7-8), which scored more than 95 points in three of its previous four games, had little success against NIC’s zone defense. The Golden Eagles made just 6 of 30 shots (20 percent), including 0 for 9 on 3-pointers.

Another statistical oddity: NIC’s starting five combined for just four points and CEU’s went scoreless.

“There were a lot of nerves this week, especially with (wife) Carey, I could tell and she’s usually a pretty good barometer of things,” Carlson said. “It was just wanting to get it done and talking about it and being so close.”

NIC stretched its lead to 36-17 on Caitlin Courchaine’s layup with 13:55 left, but following a game-long theme, nothing would come easy. CEU rattled off the next 12 points and closed within 46-40 with 4:35 remaining. NIC responded by scoring nine unanswered points.

“It was a little bit of a struggle, but we gutted it out and got the job done,” said Courchaine, who had 12 second-half points. “That’s the most important thing.”

Sara Dennehy scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half. Dennehy also had 13 rebounds. Lindsey Koppen and Nichole Scott each scored 12 points.

CEU, which missed all 18 of its 3-point attempts, shot 30.4 percent.

North Idaho 62, Eastern Utah 46

Eastern Utah (7-8, 16-11) – Mecham 0-2 0-0 0, Fager 0-7 0-0 0, Rasmussen 1-3 0-0 2, Glover 1-6 0-2 2, Taylor 0-1 0-0 0, Powell 0-0 0-0 0, Blaisdell 2-6 0-0 4, Billings 1-3 0-0 2, Fardig 4-9 0-0 8, Fiso 0-3 2-2 2, Harris 5-11 1-1 11, S.Little 1-4 0-0 2, Wallace 5-11 1-2 11, Holm 1-2 0-0 2, J. Little 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-69 4-7 46.

North Idaho (15-2, 22-6) – Hill, 1-4 0-0 2, Bengaii 0-1 0-0 0, Bascacci 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlin 5-10 2-2 12, Dennehy 5-14 4-6 14, Jones 0-2 3-4 3, McIntyre 0-1 0-0 0, Scott 4-9 4-6 12, Koppen 4-16 2-2 12, McGowan 0-0 1-2 1, Gilmore 2-8 2-2 6. Totals 21-65 18-24 62.

Halftime–North Idaho 25, Eastern Utah 13. 3-point goals–Eastern Utah 0-18 (Holm 0-1, Mecham 0-1, Fiso 0-1, Wallace 0-2, Blaisdell 0-2, Glover 0-3, Harris 0-3, Fager 0-5), North Idaho 2-16 (Koppen 2-10, Dennehy 0-3, Caitlin 0-2, Hill 0-1). Fouled out–None. Rebounds–Eastern Utah 34 (Wallace 10), North Idaho 46 (Dennehy 13). Assissts–Eastern Utah 3 (Glover 2), North Idaho 11 (Jones 3). Totals Fouls–Eastern Utah 19, North Idaho 11.

Men

The Cardinals, who blew a 17-point lead against College of Southern Idaho in their last home game, saw a 12-point halftime edge melt to two with 8 minutes left.

But NIC came through with key buckets, most supplied by Frank Clair and Bayo Arigbon, and made 9 of 10 free throws in the final 70 seconds to hold off the Golden Eagles 81-75.

Sophomore guard Keelan Donald hit 6 of 6 free throws and Mac Hopson added 3 of 4 to help the Cardinals hold on.

“Keelan’s dad was here watching from Chicago,” NIC coach Jared Phay said, “so we’re going to start flying him out for every one of his games.”

Donald led NIC with 23 points, four steals and three assists. Clair had 22 points and six rebounds. Arigbon came off the bench to score 12 points and snag seven boards.

Tyler Kepkay made four 3-pointers en route to 22 points for CEU (17-9, 8-7).

NIC (22-7, 12-5 SWAC) is nearly assured the second seed in the Region 18 Tournament.

The second seed has added significance after Salt Lake was banned from the tournament for using an ineligible player a few seasons ago.

That reduced the field to six teams and gives the top two seeds first-round byes March 9.

Southern Idaho (21-6, 12-3) would earn the top seed with one win in its final three games.

NIC and CEU square off again at 7:30 tonight.

North Idaho 81, Eastern Utah 75

Eastern Utah (8-7, 17-9) – Rogers 6-12 6-6 18, McCrary 2-8 5-6 9, Kepkay 9-16 0-0 22, Pearson 1-5 0-0 3, Billings 7-13 2-3 17, Lathan 0-0 0-0 0, Sanchez 1-2 0-0 2, Williams 0-1 0-0 0, Sorensen 1-6 2-4 4, Totals 27-63 15-19 75.

North Idaho (12-5, 22-7) – Hopson 2-11 4-6 8, Donald 7-12 6-6 23, Nagle 2-8 4-7 9, Clair 8-12 5-6 22, Parks 1-7 0-0 2, Wesley 0-0 0-0 0, Craddock 1-2 0-0 2, Stockwell 1-5 0-0 3, Sutton 0-1 0-0 0, Arigbon 5-7 2-4 12, Totals 27-65 21-29 81.

Halftime––North Idaho 41, Eastern Utah 29. 3-point field goals–Eastern Utah 6-19 (Kepkay 4-6, Billings 1-3, Pearson 1-5, Sanchez 0-1, McCrary 0-4), North Idaho 6-18 (Donald 3-6, Nagle 1-2, Clair 1-2, Stockwell 1-5, Hopson 0-3). Fouled out–Billings. Rebounds–Eastern Utah 39 (Sorensen 9), North Idaho 32 (Arigbon 7). Assists–Eastern Utah 12 (Kepkay 4), North Idaho 14 (Hopson 5). Total fouls–Eastern Utah 19, North Idaho 15. Technical fouls–None. A–NA.