Men’s basketball blows out Yakima Valley

The NIC men’s basketball team used a strong second half to blow past Yakima Valley in a 112-88 victory at home Saturday afternoon.

Emmitt Taylor III pulls up for a three-pointer in the second half. Taylor III has made the seventh most three-pointers in the NWAC this season (77). Taylor III has only played for 495 minutes on the season, and the six players ahead of him average 882 minutes played.

The Cards started the night sluggish and found themselves down 13 points with eight minutes left in the first half. NIC came alive on both ends of the floor and scored 14 points while holding the Yaks to zero points in four minutes to take a 37-36 lead. 

The Cards had a 49-47 lead coming out of halftime, and much like many NIC games this season the game stopped being much of a contest around halfway through the second half. The Cards led by as much as 29 points, and came up with 13 steals in the 112-88 win.

Nate Pryor had a huge comeback from his dismal, but clutch, nine-point performance in Spokane and finished with a team-high 29 points and eight assists. Christian Guess poured in 21 points, and Emmitt Taylor III had 20 points while going 5-9 from the three-point line.

The Cards (15-0, 27-1) will have a chance to finish conference play undefeated at home in their final game against Columbia Basin (3-12, 8-19) Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

The game will be the final one in an NIC uniform for 11 out of the 15 players due to graduation and NIC’s three-year ban from postseason play.