Area roundup: NIC men upset 4th-ranked team

Humberto Perez scored 24 points and Michael Timmons 23 to lead North Idaho College to an 87-81 upset of fourth-ranked Northeastern Junior College of Sterling, Colo., Thursday at the Salt Lake Community College basketball tournament.

The 19th-ranked Cardinals (8-0) handed the Plainsmen their first defeat after 11 wins.

NIC rallied from a two-point deficit to take the win. David Johnson (17) and Kerry Williams (12) also scored in double figures.

The Plainsmen were called for 32 fouls and had two players foul out. That resulted in 46 free-throw attempts, with the Cardinals sinking 29 for 63 percent.

Rodeo

Ryan Gray of Cheney, kicking off his third National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, had the lowest score of 15 bareback riders with a 71.5 on Owl Hoot Trail. Jason Jeter of Mansfield, Texas, had an 86.5 on Coconut Roll of the Calgary Stampede chain to win the $16,394.23 first-place check.

Cody DeMoss of Heflin, La., rode Spring Blues of the Flying 5 Rodeo chain out of Ritzville to an 85 to win the first go-round of saddle bronc riding. Don Hutzell of Ritzville and Sonny Riley of Pomeroy, who own the stock contracting company, earned $5,000 for the performance of Spring Blues.

Tyson Durfey of Colbert finished out of the money in his first NFR run, placing seventh in tie-down roping in 10 seconds.

Women’s basketball

Heather Bowman scored 23 points, Michelle Elliott 19 and Tiffanie Shives 15 and Gonzaga (5-3) defeated the host UC Davis Aggies 71-58 in a non-conference game. Bowman also had 12 rebounds, as the Bulldogs dominated the glass 51-36. Neither team shot the ball well from the field, the Bulldogs hitting 38.3 percent of their shots and the Aggies 31.8 percent.

Hockey

The Spokane Chiefs maintained their No. 2 ranking in this week’s Canadian Hockey League poll. The Kitchener Rangers are No. 1. The Chiefs’ next game is Saturday at the Arena against the Swift Current Broncos.

Golf

Prairie Falls Golf Club in Post Falls has reopened on permanent greens.