NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinals bounce back to defeat Northwest

• MEN’S BASKETBALL

CASPER, Wyo. – Due to injury, the North Idaho College men’s basketball team had to make some adjustments early in the game.

On Saturday, the Cardinal found the right combination.

Sophomore Vaughn Weems had 31 points and 18 rebounds for the Cardinals in an 86-77 win over the Northwest Trappers at the Casper College Tournament on Saturday.

“We’re just going through trial and error right now,” said NIC coach Corey Simons, whose team was without Jeremy Sibley (foot) and Ne’quan Brown (foot) due to injuries. “We have some new guys in different places and we’re still trying to figure out what we need to do.”

Gage Ontiveros, a 6-foot-10 player from Pocatello High, is out for the season with a broken leg.

“Our guys played hard and competed,” Simons said. “But we still have work to do.”

NIC (1-1) will face South Plains College, the current No. 1 team in the NJCAA, to open play in the Title One Invitational at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls on Thursday.

Northwest – 1-1.

NORTH IDAHO

Vaughn Weems 10-29 7-7 31, Sam Marbury 3-9 0-0 8, Cody Wright 0-0 0-0 0, Tautoko Wynyard 2-2 1-1 5, Ajayi Simmons 3-5 0-0 7, Dan Dew 3-6 0-0 7, Dace Pleasant 3-7 0-0 7, Mehmet Bener 0-0 0-0 0, Tayshawn Colvin 1-3 6-7 9, Vander Braun 0-0 0-0 0, Anchors Ervin 2-3 0-0 4, Bryce Henry 4-7 0-0 9. Results 31-71 14-15 86.

NORTHWEST

Kaden Christensen 2-5 0-0 4, Tate Monroe 5-7 2-2 15, Gunnar Erickson 0-0 0-0 0, Tesloh Tong 4-10 7-9 15, Colin Hayes 3-12 7-7 15, Carter Clark 1-1 0-0 3, Preston Condie 2-6 0-0 5, Trey Rinn 0-2 0-0 0, Eli Patterson 2-8 1-2 5, Ruben Bos 2-7 0-0 5, Drew Larson 5-10 0-0 12, R’Ja Whittle 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-71 17-20 77.

Break – NICK 44-42. 3-Point Goals – NIC 10-31 (Weems 4-14, Marbury 2-7, Simmons 1-2, Pleasant 1-3, Colvin 1-2, Henry 1-3), NWC 8-27 (Christensen 0-2). Monroe 3-6, Tong 0-3, Clark 1-1, Condy 1-1, Rinn 0-2, Patterson 0-2, Bos 1-5, Larson 2-4). Rebounds — NIC 48 (Weems 18), NWC 31 (Tong, Bos, Larson 5). Assists – NIC 19 (Simmons 5), NWC 14 (Tong 7). Team fouls – NIC 17, NWC 14. Foul – none.

• WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Collin County 84

North Idaho 77

GRAYSON, Texas — Freshman Esmeralda Galindo scored a game-high 22 points for the Cardinals, who led the Cougars 59-55 after three quarters before being ranked by Grayson College.

“I’m proud of our girls,” NIC coach Nathan Colvin said. “The girls played hard and were right for three quarters against a team ranked 11th in the NJCAA rankings. We were just tired in the fourth quarter, but I’m proud of how we fought.”

Sophomore Iratche Amorrotu scored 13 points for NIC (0-2), which will face Lake Region State on Nov. 15 in Williston, North Dakota.

Sophomore Alisha Nunley scored 21 points for Collin County (2-0).

Collin County 18 15 22 29 — 84

North Idaho 24 16 19 18 – 77

COLLIN COUNTY — Willis-Gusters 20, Dada 0, Lassie 21, Robinson 0, McLeod 6, Mapengo 0, Fowler 0, Nunley 21, Basaran 0, Smallwood 0, Holmes 0, Martin 15.

NORTHERN IDAHO — Colleen 9, Rookstool 10, Christiansen 0, Galindo 22, Axell 0, Secret 3, Holakeytuay 10, Amorrotu 13, Falifa 10.