Nic Women Face Big Week
The bandwagon has plenty of good seats remaining.
The North Idaho College women’s basketball team is 14-3 and 6-3 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, and the Cardinals are one game out of first place entering their biggest homestand of the season.
So, why the gnashing teeth?
“We continue to come up short of expectations, both mine and the team,” coach Greg Crimp said. “We’re still capable. We just have to have everybody on board and playing for the right reasons.”
NIC can’t win the SWAC title this week, but the Cardinals could fall out of contention as they entertain Salt Lake CC (13-6, 6-3) tonight and two-time regular-season champion Utah Valley (15-6, 6-3) on Saturday. Game times are 5:30, followed by the men at 7:30.
Like NIC’s men, the women have sufficient talent, but are groping for chemistry and consistency. The Cards scrape by mediocre opponents instead of burying them.
NIC has tended to play better against top teams, Crimp said, a requirement tonight and Saturday as NIC faces the teams it is tied with for third place.
Not quite as Salty
Salt Lake’s men whipped NIC in December, but tonight the Bruins will be without 6-foot-8 Lamar Wright, who was recently booted off the team.
But don’t feel too sorry for Salt Lake (17-4, 7-2), tied for first in the SWAC. Slashing guard Eddie Gill, who has signed with Weber State, averages 13.9 points and six assists. He will be guarded by NIC’s Nathaniel Bailey, who returns to the starting lineup.
If the game’s on the line with 4 seconds remaining, the odds favor NIC.
Salt Lake led Dixie (19-2, 7-2) by two with 4 seconds left when a Bruin missed a free throw. Dixie raced downcourt and hit a game-winning 3-pointer. Last week, Southern Idaho led Salt Lake by 1 with 4 ticks remaining when a Bruin made 1 of 2 free throws, forcing overtime. CSI eventually won.
Meanwhile, NIC (12-7, 3-6) has a two-game winning streak.
“The last time Salt Lake hit eight 3s on us and five were uncontested,” NIC coach Hugh Watson said. “That tells you something about how well we got back on defense.”
Utah Valley (17-4, 6-3) also has a revamped lineup since defeating NIC in December. Beau Archibald, who played at Washington State last year, is out with a knee injury.
However, Silester Rivers, one of the SWAC’s top players, remains, and averages 17.2 points.
Vandals sign linebacker
Barrett Nelson, a standout at Borah High School in Boise, has orally committed to play football at Idaho.
Nelson, an all-state linebacker, made 110 tackles and had 15 sacks. The 6-foot-1, 225-pounder runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and bench presses 325 pounds.
, DataTimes