NIC teams reach semis

The North Idaho College men’s and women’s basketball teams both advanced to the semifinals with victories at the NJCAA Region 18 tournaments in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Humberto Perez scored 17 points and five players dished out three assists apiece to lead the Cardinals men (20-11) to a 74-57 victory over the Snow Badgers (14-17).

Fifth-seeded NIC advances to play top-seeded Southern Idaho in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. today. The top two seeds – CSI and No. 2 Salt Lake – had byes in the quarterfinals. Salt Lake will play No. 3 Eastern Utah in the quarterfinals. Eastern Utah beat Colorado Northwestern 90-74 in the other quarterfinal.

Kerry Williams chipped in 14 points, while Steve Wesley and Melvin Jones had 10 apiece for North Idaho.

In women’s play, Kia Gibson had 17 points – one of 10 Cardinals with six or more – to lead NIC (21-9) past winless Colorado Northwestern (0-27) 96-59.

Third-seeded NIC will face No. 2 Salt Lake at 11 a.m. today in the semifinals. The other semifinal pits No. 1 Southern Idaho versus No. 5 Eastern Utah, a 55-46 quarterfinal-round victor over Snow. Like the men, the top two seeds have byes.

•Johanna Closson made 11 of 12 free throws on her way to 13 points to lead the Montana Grizzlies (23-5, 13-2) to a 62-48 Big Sky Conference victory over the Eastern Washington Eagles (4-24, 1-14).

Julie Piper and Tatjana Sparavalo scored 10 points apiece for EWU.

Softball

Whitney Dilworth hit a three-run homer in the nightcap and Community Colleges of Spokane swept a doubleheader from South Mountain Community College, 7-2 and 6-2.