There were games this season in which North Idaho College’s Eric Sanchez never left the bench.

Perhaps that’s why he crammed a season’s worth of highlights into Thursday’s Region 18 men’s basketball tournament opener.

Sanchez scored six of NIC’s last eight points - including a 3-pointer that accounted for the 13th and final lead change - as the Cardinals edged No. 2-seeded Ricks 74-72 at College of Southern Idaho’s gym.

“I just kept working hard and I started getting some minutes again,” said Sanchez, who was starter at the outset of the season before slumping offensively. “It feels good to help.”

Seventh-seeded NIC (17-14) meets No. 6 Salt Lake (22-9), which dumped No. 3 Eastern Utah (24-7) 92-88, today at 1 PST in the semifinals.

Top-seeded Southern Idaho (28-3) downed Snow (15-16) 82-60 and will face No. 5 Utah Valley (22-9), a 105-101 victor over No. 4 Dixie (23-8).

Ricks finished 21-9.

In today’s women’s semifinals, No. 1 Ricks (28-3) meets No. 5 CSI (20- 11) at 5 p.m. and No. 2 Utah Valley (27- 3) faces No. 6 Eastern Utah (20-11) at 11 a.m.

North Idaho 74, Ricks 72

NIC continued its late-season improvement in a well-played game.

Ricks’ biggest lead was 20-14, and NIC’s was 49-44. The Vikings were up 69-66 with 3:35 left when Sanchez decided to prolong the Cardinals’ season.

“He played his tail off at the end,” NIC coach Rolly Williams said.

Sanchez sank a free throw, then came flying down the lane to snatch a rebound and hit a putback. That created the game’s 14th tie, 69-69.

Ricks’ Ben Caton made a pair of foul shots with 2:26 to go. With the shot clock nearly expired, Steve Helm drove and dished to Sanchez.

Part of the reason he lost his starting job earlier this season was his errant shooting. This time, Sanchez drilled a 20-footer for a 72-71 lead.

“I didn’t think about it. I just stepped up and shot it,” said Sanchez, who had 14 points. “I’ve been working on that in practice.”

Reserve forward Luke Palumbis added a pair of foul shots before Caton hit one of two to close NIC’s lead to 74-72. Ricks attempted two shots in the final 6 seconds, but it was the one that didn’t leave Caton’s hands that Ricks coach Clyde Nelson remembered.

Caton, who had 16 points in the first half before being hounded by Sanchez in the second, bypassed a 3-pointer. He instead passed to Rick Stafford, who missed from 12 feet. Travis Tollestrup’s 10-footer from the baseline was long at the buzzer.

“Ben maybe should have taken that,” Nelson said, “but that’s how we played. We played not to lose.”

NIC was just the opposite.

“We knew we could come in and win,” said Sanchez, a 6-foot-3 freshman who thrives down low. “No one else thought we could. Our record shows nothing of what we’re capable of. It’s just becoming more and more fun every time we step on the court.”

It’s enjoyable for Williams, too, though he joked afterward, “I’ve got a new patch of gray hair. When I think of the progress our kids have made individually, I’m really proud of them. We’re right where we want to be right now. We’re doing as much as we can do.”

Said center Roy Kruiswyk: “It’s the perfect little story. We started out so bad, but it’s all coming together.”

NIC’s Eddie Turner was just 3 of 15 and scored eight points, 14 below his average.

Center Roy Kruiswyk, Palumbis and wing Troy Thompson provided the points in the first half. Kruiswyk finished with 13 and Palumbis had 14. Troy Thompson added 12 and Turner contributed six assists.

NIC wing Teodor Russinov injured a tendon in his knee late in the first half. He played sparingly in the final half, but expects to play today.

North Idaho 74, Ricks 72

Ricks (21-9)

Schofield 1-3 2-2 4, Anderson 1- 4 1-3 3, Stafford 7-16 1-2 16, Caton 8- 12 5-6 23, Ruy 1-5 1-1 3, Tollestrup 1-6 0-0 3, Nebeker 0-2 0-0 0, Whitehead 2-2 0-0 6, Beck 1-2 0-0 2, Gee 4-6 4-5 12. Totals 26-58 14-20 72.

North Idaho (17-14)

Dial 0-1 0-0 0, Helm 1-2 0-0 2, Snook 2-7 0-0 4, Thompson 5-12 0-0 12, Turner 3-15 0-0 8, Russinov 3-7 1-1 7, Sanchez 6-8 1-2 14, Palumbis 5-7 4-4 14, Kruiswyk 6-8 1-1 13. Totals 31-67 7-8 74.

Halftime-NIC 42-40. 3-point goals-Ricks 6-14 (Schofield 0-2, Anderson 0-2, Stafford 1-2, Caton 2-4, Tollestrup 1-1, Nebeker 0-1, Whitehead 2 -2), NIC 5-9 (Dial 0-1, Snook 0-3, Thompson 2-4, Turner 2-8, Russinov 0-1, Sanchez 1-2). Rebounds-Ricks 30 ( Stafford, Ruy, Gee each had 5), NIC 30 ( Kruiswyk 30). Assists-Ricks 11 (Stafford 4), NIC 12 (Turner 6). Total fouls-Ricks 12, NIC 16. Fouled out- none. Attendance-1,000.

Utah Valley 105, Dixie 101

Bryon Ruffner’s 21 points led five Wolverines in double figures. Dixie’s Kevin Simpson scored 38 points.

Salt Lake 92, Eastern Utah 88

Marcel Johnson’s 31 points, including the clinching free throws in the final seconds, fueled the upset.

CEU’s Kenneth Pratt had 34 points.

CSI 82, Snow 60

Some CSI fans’ posters were prophetic: “Snow falls.” CSI led 20-6 early, 39-15 at half and coasted.

Ed Gray had 14 points and Shawn Bankhead 13, but starting center Aylton Tesch injured his ankle.