Balanced Cardinal men top Walla Walla

MOSES LAKE - Antoine Hosley and Kaj Sherman scored 14 points apiece as the North Idaho College Cardinals beat the Walla Walla Warriors 78-51 in the opening game of the men's Big Bend Classic on Friday on the campus of Big Bend Community College.

"They like to run a four-guard offense and shoot the 3," said NIC coach Jared Phay of Walla Walla, which shot 12 of 34 from the 3-point line. "We didn't get many fouls because they weren't driving to the hoop and never really attacked the hoop, which we're not complaining about."

Jordan McCloud and Michael Middlebrooks had 12 points apiece for NIC (11-1), which held Walla Walla to 18-of-60 shooting from the field. NIC shot 33 of 68 and outrebounded the Warriors 54-27.

NIC will face Big Bend today at 6 p.m. to conclude the tournament.

NORTH IDAHO

Jordan McCloud 6-13 0-1 12, Antoine Hosley 5-12 2-2 14, Connor White 0-2 0-0 0, Kwame Bates 2-4 0-0 4, Casey Ward 1-3 0-0 2, Keon Lewis 4-9 1-1 10, Michael Middlebrooks 4-11 2-3 10, Edrico McGregor 5-7 2-2 12, Joel Underdahl 0-0 0-0 0, Kaj Sherman 6-7 2-3 14. Totals 33-68 9-12 78.

WALLA WALLA

Michael Crane 1-4 0-2 2, Dylan Radliff 1-15 0-0 3, Jay Payne 5-12 0-0 15, Mac Stannard 1-5 0-0 2, Dahrius Miles 0-0 0-0 0, Caleb Bravard 0-0 2-2 2, Dallen Bills 2-6 1-1 5, Hunter Hahn 8-17 0-0 22, Jake Hight 0-0 0-0 0, Kylor McGee 0-1 0-0 0, Dillon McGraw 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-60 3-5 51.

Halftime - NIC 36-19. 3-point goals - NIC 3-9 (McCloud 0-1, Hosley 2-4, White 0-1, Bates 0-1, Lewis 1-2), WW 12-34 (Crane 0-2, Radliff 1-7, Payne 5-11, Stannard 0-2, Hahn 6-12). Rebounds - NIC 54 (Middlebrooks 14), WW 27 (Bills 6). Assists - NIC 7 (Lewis 4), WW 14 (Crane, Radliff 4). Team fouls - NIC 8, WW 13. Fouled out - none.

North Idaho 71

Walla Walla 65

WALLA WALLA - The Cardinals rallied from 17 points down in the second half to pull out the nonconference win.

NIC (7-2) trailed 50-33 with 13 minutes left, "and just went on a tear," Cardinals coach Chris Carlson said. "It was like that CSI win when we went to nationals for the first time."

Carlson said freshman Katie Buskey, who had four steals and three assists to go with her nine points, was a big part of NIC's defensive effort in the comeback.

Julia Salmio led NIC with 19 points, Korina Baker added 18, and Angela Woods scored 11, and hit a couple of big 3-pointers down the stretch.

NIC is now idle until Dec. 28, when the Cardinals face North Seattle in the first round of the Lower Columbia Holiday Classic in Longview, Wash.

NORTH IDAHO

Angela Woods 4-14 0-1 11, Katie Buskey 4-7 0-2 9, Tori Davenport 1-4 1-2 3, Shanee McBride 0-1 0-0 0, Korina Baker 5-10 7-8 18, Dani Kastrava 1-2 0-2 2, Aimee Durbridge 0-1 0-0 0, Julia Salmio 8-13 2-2 19, Mollie Kramer 0-2 1-2 1, Hannah Love 1-4 1-3 3, Danika Johnson 1-2 1-2 3, Ashleigh Kelman-Poto 1-7 0-0 2. Totals 26-67 13-24 71.

WALLA WALLA

Michelle Seitz 0-4 0-0 0, Janae Klarich 3-5 0-0 7, Brooke Hawkins 0-0 0-0 0, Leslie Stillar 8-15 5-7 25, Alex Pfefferly 0-1 0-0 0, Stevie Humphries 1-2 0-3 2, Hailey Felgenhauer 6-11 2-3 14, Sienna Edmunson 3-9 9-13 15, Tai Jensen 0-3 0-0 0, Gabby Anderson 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 22-51 16-26 65.

Halftime - WW 38-23. 3-point goals - NIC 6-25 (Woods 3-10, Buskey 1-2, Davenport 0-2, McBride 0-1, Baker 1-2, Kastrava 0-1, Durbridge 0-1, Salmio 1-2, Kramer 0-1, Love 0-2, Kelman-Poto 0-1), WW 5-12 (Seitz 0-1, Klarich 1-2, Stillar 4-8, Felgenhauer 0-1). Rebounds - NIC 28 (Woods, Baker 5), WW 41 (Edmunson 9). Assists - NIC 10 (Buskey, Baker 3), WW 12 (Edmunson 6). Fouled out - Buskey, Kelman-Poto. Total fouls - NIC 23, WW 20.