Cardinals sweep CSI tournament
North Idaho College has a perfect 3-0 record for the official season after winning the last three games.
The Cards are 4-1 counting the two exhibition games before the season opener against the North Idaho All Stars on Nov. 3.
NIC travelled to Twin Falls to compete in the College of Southern Idaho tournament held on Nov. 11 and 12. The Cards won both games posting a 83-59 victory against La Jolla Prep on Nov. 11 and a 107-78 victory against Phoenix College on Nov. 12.
The Cardinal men’s basketball team defeated another set of opponents, the Gonzaga University’s men’s club team and the North Idaho All Stars team, in home games on Nov. 1 and 3 to begin the winning streak.
Sophomore Petar Joksimovic and freshmen Cole Luckett and Jordan McCloud lead the Cardinals as top scorers when they won against the Gonzaga University’s men’s club team, 108-78, and the North Idaho All Stars, 96-60.
Luckett scored a team-high 18 points against the North Idaho All Stars in their non-conference opener on Nov. 3. Joksimovic scored 16 points and McCloud and freshman Michael Middlebrooks each scored 13 points apiece. McCloud also lead the team in rebounds with 11. Middlebrooks followed with 10 rebounds.
“I felt that we are good offensively and defensively, but it’s going to be a long season so we have to keep improving,” Middlebrooks said. “I felt good during the game. My goal is to just be a good team player and help the team in any way that I can.”
Nate Clinton, former Coeur d’Alene High School stand-out and ex-NIC player, scored 18 points for the All Stars and Winston Brooks, former NIC and Gonzaga player, led the All Stars with 21 points.
NIC outscored the All Stars 49-23 in the first half and 47-37 in the second half.
“Offensively we need to slow down and relax so we can keep our composure,” said head coach Jared Phay. “One of the things we have been improving on is keeping up our defensive intensity.”
In the game against Gonzaga on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at Christianson Gymnasium, Luckett and Joksimovic scored a game high of 15 points each. McCloud and freshman Antoine Hosley scored 13 points apiece. Freshman Keon Lewis started off the scoring by hitting a 3-pointer in the first minute of regulation.
“Offensively it’s easier to click, so we just need to have better defensive recognition and recognize the hot shooters,” Joksimovic said. “Overall, everybody played well and everybody got into the game.”
NIC shot 63.6 percent from the field and 60 percent from behind the arc. The Cardinal men out-scored Gonzaga 54-43 in the first half and 54-35 in the second half.
“I felt good about this game, but we still have a lot of things to work on of course,” said Coach Phay. “Defensively we need to pick up our aggressiveness and keep it at a high level throughout the entire game.”
Lewis and freshman Edrico McGregor both scored 10 points each and Middlebrooks scored nine points.
“As a team we are just getting better,” Joksimovic said. “We are really working on getting the defensive concept down.”
NIC’s next home games will be Nov. 25-27 for the Thanksgiving Classic tournament. NIC plays Kootenai Salish College of Pablo, Mont. on Nov. 25 and Williston State College of Williston, N.D. on Nov. 26. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. They wrap up the tournament with a game on Nov. 27 against Peninsula College of Port Angeles, Wash. at 1 p.m.
