Julius Mims posts 29 points, 17 rebounds to lead North Idaho by CC Spokane 100-83

North Idaho’s perfect men’s basketball season continued Saturday with a 100-83 victory over Community Colleges of Spokane at Spokane Falls CC.

Julius Mims of the Cardinals (18-0, 6-0 Northwest Athletic Conference) had a double-double by halftime and finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds to go with a pair of blocks and steals.

“To be honest, we expect it from him,” NIC head coach Corey Symons said of Mims. “He’s such an unbelievable athlete.”

Mims, a 6-foot-9 forward, is averaging 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds .

“We are a bad rebounding team because he’s such a good rebounder,” Symons said.

NIC started with an 8-0 run before CCS found its rhythm. CCS fought back to get within one point with 7 minutes to go in the first half.

In a high-paced game, Gabe Hatler kept CCS within reach, going 3 for 3 on 3-pointers in the first half.

Despite the sharp shooting, NICs physical play proved to be too much for the Sasquatch. CCS was without 6-9 center Conrad Bippes, who missed his first game of the season after suffering a groin injury Wednesday.

“We put ourselves in a hole in the beginning, going down 8-0,” CCS coach Jeremy Groth said. “From that point forward, we were always in a fight-and-scramble mode.”

NIC took advantage of the size mismatches late in the first half. Mims collected five offensive boards and went into halftime with 15 points and 11 boards.

“With all our shooters out there, it creates a lot of space,” Mims said. “When the defense is focused on the perimeter, I make sure I get position in the paint. From there, it’s history.”

The Cardinals spaced the floor and continued to push the tempo, forcing 14 turnovers.

The spacing allowed NIC players to cut toward the basket or find Mims for one of his four alley-oop dunks .

But sophomore guard Brendan Johnson’s experience helped carry the Cardinals to the win, Mims said.

“He works really well with everyone on the floor,” Mims said. “It’s easy for him to get open looks and he gets everyone else open looks. We mesh really well and that’s how we blow away teams.

Johnson, a third-year student and second-year player due to the pandemic, totaled 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Gabe Hatler led the Sasquatch with 16 points. Carter Brown and Trey Stevens added 14 points apiece.

CCS dropped to 15-4, 5-2 .

Groth said the setback could prove to be a positive lesson .

“When you play a good team like that, it makes you clean things up,” Groth said. “I think this will make us go back to the drawing board and clean things up on both ends.”

CCS remains in second place in the NWAC East .

Symons said he plans to stick to the blueprint of “get out and go” offense, trusting that the defense will continue to improve as the season goes on.

“We like to get up and down and we like to run,” Symons said . “We like to outscore people.”

“We’re going to keep going and do our thing,” Mims said, “I’m predicting that we’re going to go 30-0.”