Staying with it until the end with a tough conference opponent the Salish Kootenai College Bison lost to North Idaho College on Saturday in Pablo. With two starters, guards Moss Tanner and John Young, not playing the bison were still able to keep it close against an athletic team that has made a habit of widening the margin of wins against SKC in the past.

Guard Dane Fisher lit up the scoreboard more than his fair share, tallying 30 in the win.

“I felt solid in my release and confident in my shot,” Fisher said.

Center Sonny Eppinette also found his stroke finishing with 18 in addition to his team leading seven rebounds.

Head coach Zach Camel said the team put together a good game, understanding that NIC has the size and talent to carry the odds in the matchup.

“We played well as a team,” Camel said. “We have to play almost a perfect game to beat those guys.”

He said his team found that level for about thirty minutes, and though NIC was able to get up by over twenty in the second SKC pulled within seven late.

“There were just a couple of mistakes, a couple of mental let downs that were hurting us,” he said.

It was the pull-up jumpers the other team forced inside that lead the team to a loss but powerful breaks, good bench energy and good shooting when open outside by the Bison propelled NIC to sweat for its win,

Camel said young is the energy guy. But sitting in the stands with Strep throat his energy must have carried over. His team did a fantastic of blocking out the visitors, Camel said.

Fisher said NIC was still having more success with hustle plays and moving the ball, but his team really came together for the effort. Even with a loss, he couldn’t deny the upside.

“This time we didn’t get blown out by 40 like last time,” Fisher said. “I think we did pretty good,

Camel said the team will be busy trying to find their “A” game in time for the season’s end.

“Right now I think we’re about at a ‘B’,” he said.

The Bison have a long rest after their final game against Big Bend Community College last Tuesday and then begin with games again after the break.