Nic Keeps Ricks Frustrated In Cda

The streak lives.

North Idaho College, which hasn’t lost a home men’s basketball game to Ricks College since the 1969-70 season, extended the Vikings’ misery for another year with an 89-75 victory on Friday night at Christianson Gym.

“It may be quite a while before we ever win here,” said Ricks coach Clyde Nelson, who played at Ricks in the 1970s. “Some buildings are like that.”

As important as maintaining its hex over Ricks was the fact that NIC finally defeated a quality Scenic West Athletic Conference club. Ricks (10-4 SWAC, 18-7 overall) dropped out of a first-place tie with College of Southern Idaho (11-3), which defeated Dixie 100-96.

“We needed that,” said Cardinals’ coach Rolly Williams, whose club is 6-8, 14-12. “We needed to get back a little respectability. We really haven’t defeated anybody that we weren’t supposed to beat.”

NIC sophomore guard Eddie Turner nearly had a triple-double. He scored 27 points, snatched 10 rebounds and doled out eight assists.

“We had good practices all week,” said Turner, satisfied with NIC avenging an 101-85 setback to Ricks last month. “We knew we could beat them.”

He joined backcourt mates Teodor Russinov (18 points, five rebounds) and Steve Helm (11 points, five assists) in an early run that placed Ricks in a 15-2 hole.

The Cards buried Ricks in transition. And when Ricks did set up its defense, NIC often beat defenders off the dribble and scored or passed to open teammates.

Ricks’ vaunted 3-point attack only surfaced late, after the issue was decided. The Cardinals’ man defense was augmented by switching on Ricks’ screens.

Ricks is known for the same defense.

“It shouldn’t have bothered us because that’s what we do, but it did,” Nelson said. Ricks shot 35 percent and star wing Ben Caton had only 11 points, half of his average.

NIC reserve guards Tijuan Dial and Jamie Snook contributed nine points on 3-of-3 3-point shooting.

Dial’s trey was especially crucial. After Ricks had pulled within 65-62 with 6:30 left, Dial toned down the rally with a long-distance 3-pointer that started a decisive NIC flurry.

Russinov scored off an over-theshoulder feed from Troy Thompson and Russinov then assisted on Turner’s layup. Thompson, who had 11 points, followed with a thunderous dunk and was fouled as NIC led comfortably at 78-64.

North Idaho 89, Ricks 75

RICKS (10-4, 18-7)

Schofield 1-3 6-6 8, Anderson 2-12 4-4 8, Stafford 5-11 2-2 13, Caton 4-14 2-2 11, Ruy 2-5 0-0 4, Tollestrup 3-11 3-5 10, Nebeker 1-3 1-2 3, Beck 1-5 0-0 2, Gee 7-10 2-4 16. Totals 26-74 20-25 75.

NORTH IDAHO (6-8, 14-12)

Dial 2-4 0-0 6, Helm 4-8 2-2 11, Snook 1-1 0-0 3, Thompson 4-8 3-3 11, Turner 9-17 7-9 27, Russinov 8-12 2-3 18, Palumbis 2-3 1-2 5, Kruiswyk 2-5 2-4 6, Beall 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 33-62 17-23 89.

Halftime-NIC 37, Ricks 32. 3-point goals-Ricks 3-18 (Anderson 0-5, Stafford 1-2, Caton 1-5, Tollestrup 1-5, Nebeker 0-1), NIC 6-13 (Dial 2-2, Helm 1-1, Snook 1-1, Thompson 0-1, Turner 2-5, Russinov 0-1, Kruiswyk 0-1, Beall 0-1). Rebounds-Ricks 43 (Anderson 9), NIC 38 (Turner 10). Assists-Ricks 12 (Stafford 5), NIC 21 (Turner 8). Total fouls-Ricks 19, NIC 17. Fouled out- Schofield. Attendance- 1,000.