Top seed North Idaho upset by Tacoma in NWAC tourney

Khalil Thompson scored 28 points, hitting 6 of 15 from beyond the arc, and Tacoma eliminated North Idaho 86-81 in the first round of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday at Everett Community College.

North Idaho (25-5) came into the tourney as the top seed from the East Region, edging out CC Spokane by a game, while Tacoma (16-13) was the No. 4 seed from the West Region.

Tacoma goes on to face North Region No. 2 Peninsula on Friday in the Elite 8.

Kahliel Wyatt added 22 points with 13 rebounds for the Titans. Wyatt went 3 of 3 on 3-point attempts and made 7 of 8 from the line.

Zaequan Satterthwaite went 14 of 21 for 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds for NIC. Sam Dowd scored 17 points with nine assists and Jalen Burkett added 11 points.

Cardinals leading scorer Markus Golder, averaging 19.3 points entering play, struggled with 3-of-12 shooting for eight points.

Tacoma hit 15 of 39 3-point attempts, made 19 of 25 from the line and outrebounded NIC 47-38. The Cardinals were 7 of 16 beyond the arc and 8 of 15 on free throw attempts.