by CALDWELL, Idaho – Joel Yellow Owl (Blackfeet/Yakama) scored a game-high 31 points as Oregon Tech outlasted a furious College of Idaho second half rally to topple the Coyotes, 75-69, in a Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, semifinal contest inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
OIT (24-8) will host eighth-seeded Corban in the title game on Tuesday night in Klamath Falls for the league’s second automatic bid to the NAIA Championships. Corban upset second-seeded Eastern Oregon, 100-90, in the other semifinal.
The Owls used a stifling zone defense in the first half to stymie the Coyotes (23-9), who had their nine-game win streak and 11-game home win streak snapped. C of I led 23-16 with 11 minutes left in the period after a Joey Nebeker driving lay-up – but made one of their final 21 shots of the period, as Tech closed the period on an 18-3 run to grab a 34-26 lead at the break.
Brandon Halter drained a long triple early in the second half to give OIT their largest lead of the night at 42-28, but the Yotes battled back. A Nebeker jumper ignited an 11-0 run, capped by a Dominique Jordan 3-pointer from the right corner, to pull the hosts within 45-43.
The Owls, however, had an answer in Yellow Owl, who scored six straight points and Seth Erickson tipped home a basket after a flurry of offensive rebounds, to give Tech a 53-44 lead. C of I would cut the margin again to 53-50 after consecutive Talon Pinckney lay-ups – but a 9-0 OIT run, including a key Tyler Van Kirk put back, extended the margin to double-digits at 62-50.
The Coyotes made one last flurry, as Aitor Zubizarreta connected on a corner trey, stole the inbounds pass, and converted a conventional 3-point play, and Emanuel Morgan drained a triple to get the hosts within 68-63 inside the final two minutes. However, Yellow Owls proved to be too much, making five free throws down the stretch to cap the victory.
Yellow Owl was 10-of-21 from the field, made 11-of-15 free throws and added seven rebounds in the victory for Tech. Halter had 13 points, with Van Kirk adding seven points and seven rebounds – four on the offensive end in the second half.
Three Coyotes scored in double figures, as Nebeker, Zubizarreta and Aziz Leeks all scored 13 points, with Roosevelt Adams adding five points and a career-high 18 rebounds. The Yotes made just 36-percent of their field goals and struggled from outside, connecting on 7-of-32 3-point attempts. Both teams finished with 13 turnovers.
C of I will await their fate when the NAIA announces their national tournament qualifiers and pairings on Wednesday night at 5 p.m. – as the Yotes are hopeful to be one of nine at-large qualifiers for the Championships.
