SWAC Day One

WOMAN’S: NIC VS. CNCC
In the opening game of the Scenic West Athletic Conference tournament, the North Idaho College lady Cardinals faced off against the Colorado Northwestern Community College Spartans. NIC drew first blood with a shot from Katie Sanders. The Cardinals jumped out to an early 9-0 lead.
CNCC got their first points of the game with 15 minutes left in the half, making it 9-2. At the first media timeout, NIC held a 9-5 lead over CNCC. Danielle Jackson made a layup for CNCC to cut the Cardinal lead to two. NIC’s Kama Griffitts converted on a fast break making it 15-9 for the Cardinals. Charlotte Epperson hit a three for CNCC, making the score NIC 18 CNCC 16.
At the second-full-media time out, NIC extended their lead to 24-26. Amy Warbirck, made a lay-up extending NIC’s lead to 10 points. In the first half NIC was led in scoring by Tugce Canitez with 14 points and six rebounds. Danielle Jackson led CNCC with eight points in the first half.
NIC opened up the second half with a three pointer from Griffitts. Good shooting was on display for both teams early in the second half, but at the 16 minute mark, CNCC was down 49-33. At the first full media time out NIC held a significant 55-33 lead, was 6-10 from the floor and 3-6 from behind the arc. With 10 minutes left in the game, NIC held a commanding 70-43 lead.
The Cardinals overwhelmed the CNCC Spartans winning 88-57. Canitez was the leading scorer for NIC with 19 points and seven rebounds. Da’naiveia McDade racked up 14 points for the CNCC Spartans.

WOMAN’S CEU VS. SNOW
The College of Eastern Utah’s Eagles played their first tournament game against the rival Snow College Badgers. CEU looked to advance on their home court.
The game started at a fast pace, but with neither team scoring in the first minute of play. Bruna Deichmann opened up the scoring with a three pointer from the wing. Deichmann converted again on a fast break, receiving the pass from Livnat Alon, forcing Snow to take an early time out.
Alon drained a three from top of the arc extending the Eagles lead to 8-2. The Eagles enjoyed a loud cheering section thanks in part to the men’s team which was out in force to cheer on the CEU women. With 16 minutes left in the first half, CEU leads 11-6. Deichmann drained another three, making it 16-9 Eagles. Alon went down after colliding with a player.
At the first media time out CEU led 18-11. Snow cut the lead to one following an Amanda Farish layup making it 18-17 CEU with 11 minutes to go. Snow took their first lead of the game with 10:37 left in the half, going up 19-18. Savanah Gines hit a three to cut Snow’s lead to 26-21. Despite CEU’s good play early on, Snow took control. With 4:39 left in the half, Snow had a 34-21 lead. Monique Bruggeman made a nice basket in the post for CEU, but the Eagles were still on the wrong end of a 44-29 score.
At the half Snow enjoyed a 47-32 lead. Deichmann was the leading scorer for the Eagles with 10 points. The Badgers are were by Farish with 13 points.
The Eagles started to show some signs of life early in the second half, playing better defense, but still found themselves down 54-47 with 17:20 left in the game. With 15 minutes, Deichmann hit a nice turn-around shot, followed by back-to-back CEU buckets by Stacey Stringham and Kaylie Robinson.
The Eagles trailed 62-46 with 13:38 left in the game. At the 10-minute mark, it’s CEU 50 Snow 69.
The Eagles struggled to produce points for much of the second half. With five minute left; the Badgers had 84-62 advantage. CEU tried to mount a late comeback, but it was not enough and the women Eagles fall 92-69.

MEN’S: SLCC VS. CNCC
The Salt Lake Community College Bruins faced off against the Colorado Northwestern Community College Spartans in the opening game of the men’s tournament.
Wil Carter started the game strong for SLCC, helping the Bruins to an early 8-0 lead. CNCC cut the Bruins lead to one with a three pointer from Teddy Aegerter.
At the first media time out, SLCC had a slight 12-9 lead. Aegerter’s shooting kept the Spartans in the game early. Jake Dastrup drained a three for SLCC extending their lead to 18-11, with just over 11 minutes left in the half. Terrance Tatum hit a three pointer for CNCC which cut the lead to ten, with seven minutes left, it was SLCC leading 28-18.
With 5:25, SLCC had a 32-22 lead. Toward the end, the Bruins overwhelmed CNCC and with two minutes left, built a 42-22 lead. The teams went into the locker room with SLCC holding an impressive 25-point lead, 50-25.
SLCC was led in the first half by John Hayward-Mayhew and Collin Chiverton with nine points each. Every player on the Bruins had at least two points during the first 20 minutes.
CNCC’s leading scorer was Tatum, who finished with nine points.
SLCC’s Carter administered a hard foul sending Tatum to the line for CNCC early in the second half. Carter hit a nice turn around hook shot for the Bruin’s extending their lead to 62-42 with 15 minutes left.
Tatum shined for the Spartans, playing a physical game in the second half. Kenneth Gilbert was also a bright spot for CNCC converting back-to-back three pointers midway through the second half. With 11:33 left, the Bruins had a 78-50 lead. SLCC was just too much for CNCC to handle; with six minutes left, it was SLCC 90 NIC 56. The Bruins cracked the 100-point mark with 1:31 left when Ryan Harris hit a three to make it 102-67. SLCC easily dismissed the Spartans 104-69. Hayward-Mayhew led the Bruins with 19 points and seven rebounds, Chiverton had 18 points. CNCC was led by Steven Robinson’s 21 points.

MEN’S: SNOW VS. CSI
In the final game of the day, Snow College took on the College of Southern Idaho. Charles Odum got the scoring started for CSI with a three from the wing. Pierre Jackson converted another three for the CSI Eagles giving them an early 6-2 lead. CSI hit another three, this time it was Bago Diouf from the wing. CSI has an 11-6 lead with 15:39 left in the half.
Mitch Frei cut the CSI lead to one with a beautiful cutting layup, dropping CSI’s lead to 11-10. After the time out, SC took their first lead of the game, going up 12-11 with 12:15 left. Jordan Wood drained a three for SC and Reggie Shaw followed suit. Hitting another Badger three, blowing the roof off the gym and giving Snow an 18-11 lead. Shaw wowed the predominately Badger crowd with another cutting layup, extending Snow’s lead to seven points, 20-13.
With 10 minutes left in the half, Diouf stole the ball, and started the Eagles on a fast break, which displayed textbook passing before Josten Thomas capped off the play with a dunk.
With 8:31 left in the half, CSI’s Kenny Buckner got a cheap shot in on Vinicius Novaes of Snow, drawing a technical foul. The Badgers converted on their free throws making it a 24-19 SC lead.
As Buckner re-enters the game for CSI, he is greeted with chants of “dirty, dirty” from the Badger fans. CSI has gone cold in the latter part of the first half. Snow has extended their lead to 39-28 with 3:05 before halftime. At the break Snow takes a 41-34 lead into the locker room. Shaw dominated the scoring for Snow with 14 points in the first half. Thomas had 14 as well for CSI.
After a long halftime delay to fix the lighting in the BDAC, the game is set to resume. CSI’s Jackson made a nice steal, and finished with a layup, cutting the SC lead to five points, 45-40.
Carrick Felix nailed a three for CSI to pull the Eagles within four points. Felix wasn’t done yet, seconds later he converted on an alley oop making it 49-47. CSI would tie the game on their next possession, making it 49-49 at the media time out. Thomas went to the line for the Eagles at 12:22 and made it 51-51.
At 11:15 Felix drained a three for CSI cutting the SC lead to one. Idaho was plagued by sloppy play in the second half, racking up a number of fouls.
At the 10-minute mark CSI’s Jackson made a steal, then fed it to Thomas for the finish. CSI was down by two, 60-58. Felix tied up the game at 8:47 driving hard to the hoop and drawing a foul. He missed the foul shot but CSI rebounded and Felix nailed a three to give the Eagles a 63-60 lead.
With 7:43 left in the half, CSI was given a technical foul.
At the second media time out, it’s Snow 65 CSI 63. Jackson once again sliced through the SC defense and tied the game at 65 with six minutes left.
Double technicals were called on Novaes of Snow and Thomas of CSI. With five minutes left, it’s CSI with the 67-65 lead. It appears CSI can’t do anything without getting a foul called on them.
With two minutes left, CSI clung to a 69-67 lead. With 53 seconds left in regulation, CSI had a 72-70 lead. After a miss by Snow College, and a CSI rebound the Eagles went to the foul line again and extended their lead to 74-70 with 16 seconds left.
With six seconds CSI’s Buckner fouled out of the game sending Renato Portugal to the line for Snow. Portugal converted on both free throws making it 74-72 Snow. CSI was able to outlast Snow wining the game 76-72. Shaw led the Badgers with 20 points, and five rebounds. Felix and Thomas each had 23 points for the Eagles. Remarkably there were five technical fouls called in the game.