Huddle, Lindhe Spur Nic

It’s always a good idea to Huddle before you regroup.

North Idaho College’s Becki Huddle’s stat line Saturday: 27 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, innumerable floor burns. Mandy Lindhe’s stat line for 36 minutes: no points.

But Lindhe scored 10 points in the final 3 minutes to complement Huddle’s gamelong sharp-shooting as NIC - two days removed from a wretched offensive performance - handled Snow College 76-67 Saturday night in women’s basketball at Christianson Gym.

The game was a polar opposite of NIC’s 60-36 loss to Dixie on Thursday. Especially for Huddle and Lindhe. Held to four points against Dixie, they poured in 37 on Snow, which dropped to 16-9 overall and 8-5 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference.

“I just took better shots and stopped forcing things as much,” said Huddle, who took a handful of hard spills after her madcap drives to the basket. “Same thing for Mandy, too. We didn’t think about it as much tonight.”

In fact, the Cardinals (14-8, 5-8) altered their outlook following Thursday’s disaster.

“I really wasn’t very worried because we couldn’t get any lower,” NIC coach Greg Crimp said. “Our only pressure is to play hard.”

Effort wasn’t a problem as the Cardinals chased the Badgers through the first half. Snow led 30-24 before NIC rattled off the last eight points. Huddle had four points and Lorricha Broxton and Kenyawna Hudgens added field goals allowing NIC to lead 32-30 at half despite making only 13 of 37 shots.

Snow forced the 12th tie of the game after Nicole Paul stole the ball. Her short jumper knotted the score at 55 with 5:50 remaining.

Then Huddle, Lindhe and Jodi Fisher went to work. Huddle’s 3-pointer and Fisher’s baseline jumper off a Huddle feed put NIC on top 60-55. Fisher’s jumper and Lindhe’s free throws pushed NIC ahead 64-57, but Melissa Braegger’s 3 trimmed the lead to four.

Lindhe hit consecutive 3-pointers to push NIC’s lead to 70-60 with 2:25 left.

“That might be the first game we didn’t give up runs, one, two or three of ‘em,” Crimp said. “We were able to score a few points tonight and Becki had a great game, probably her best of the year. If you would have asked me at the beginning of the year, that’s the way it would be. As Becki goes, we go.”

Becki might go for some ice.

“I’m going to be sore tomorrow,” she said.

Huddle had help from her teammates. Fisher, operating against much taller Snow players, had 11 points and five rebounds. Bianca Ryan hit four 3-pointers and scored 12 points.

Paul’s 20 points topped Snow, which was slowed by 28 turnovers.

North Idaho 76, Snow 67

SNOW (16-9, 8-5) - Russell 1-5 6-6 9, Boyce 1-2 0-0 2, Bennion 6-12 0-0 12, Southward 0-2 0-0 0, Bellamy 4-6 0-2 8, Johnson 0-3 0-0 0, Braegger 1-4 1-2 4, Paul 8-12 2-5 20, Hawkins 0-1 0-0 0, Nielsen 3-4 3-5 12, Kimball 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 12-20 67.

NORTH IDAHO (14-8, 5-8) - Huddle 9-19 7-7 27, Lindhe 2-5 4-4 10, Fisher 5-10 1-2 11, Ryan 4-8 0-0 12, Shaw 1-11 1-2 3, Middlesworth 0-3 0-0 0, Lemon 2-6 0-0 5, Broxton 1-1 0-0 2, Meece 0-0 0-0 0, Hudgens 3-5 0-1 6. Totals 27-68 13-16 76. Half - NIC 32, Snow 30. 3-point goals - Snow 7-17 (Nielsen 3-4, Paul 2-4, Russell 1-3, Braegger 1-4, Southward 0-1), NIC 9-26 (Ryan 4-7, Lindhe 2-2, Huddle 2-8, Lemon 1-5, Shaw 0-2, Middlesworth 0-2). Total fouls - Snow 21, NIC 21. Fouled out - Ryan. Technical fouls - none. Rebounds - Snow 39 (Bennion 8), NIC 26 (Fisher, Huddle each 5). Assists - Snow 12 (Russell 6), NIC 18 (Lindhe 4).

Saint Mary’s 69, Gonzaga 44

The Bulldogs (7-15, 3-7 WCC) stayed close for the first half, but the Gaels pulled away in the second half for a convincing victory at Martin Centre.

Gonzaga trailed by as many as eight points, 13-5, in the first 8 minutes, but tied the game at 29 in the closing minutes of the half on Kristin Deal’s layup.

Deal, a junior forward, finished with 10 points for the Bulldogs. Reserve forward Heather Osberg led GU with 12 points. Saint Mary’s scored first in the second half and added onto its lead from there. Forward Tracy Morris finished with 18 points to lead a trio of Gaels in double digits.

Freshman Brianne Jolley, a former Lakeside High standout, came off the Saint Mary’s bench and scored five points in 12 minutes.

St. Mary’s (20-5, 7-3) - Payne 2-5 0-0 6, Quintal 3-6 1-2 10, Jerm. Dosty 5-8 1-4 11, Berg 3-9 0-0 8, Morris 7-13 4-5 18, Pranaitye 0-1 2-2 2, Jolley 1-4 3-8 5, Jerk. Dosty 1-2 0-0 2, Abraham 1-2 2-2 4, Prado 0-1 0-0 0, Hall 0-0 0-0 0, Volmer 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 24-52 13-23 69.

Gonzaga (7-15, 3-7) - Waltz 0-5 0-0 0, Carroll 0-3 1-2 1, Osberg 3-12 4-5 12, Bergman 0-1 0-0 0, Turner 2-9 1-2 6, Jeffries 0-0 0-0 0, Malone 2-10 3-5 7, Deal 2-6 6-6 10, Tipps 1-4 2-2 4, Correa 0-0 0-0 0, Perno 2-6 0-2 4. Totals 12-56 17-24 44. Halftime - Saint Mary’s 29, Gonzaga 29. 3-point goals - Saint Mary’s 8-19 (Quintal 3-6, Payne 2-3, Berg 2-6, Volmer 1-1, Pranaiyte 0-1, Jolley 0-1, Prado 0-1), Gonzaga 3-21 (Osberg 2-8, Turner 1-4, Bergman 0-1, Carroll 0-1, Malone 0-3, Waltz 0-4). Fouled out - Morris, Tipps. Rebounds - Saint Mary’s 45 (Dosty 10), Gonzaga 39 (Deal 7). Assists - Saint Mary’s 16 (Payne 5), Gonzaga 5 (Waltz, Tipps, Malone, Correa, Osberg 1). Total fouls - Saint Mary’s 21, Gonzaga 18. Technicals - Saint Mary’s coach. A - 722.