COEUR d'ALENE - Former Coeur d'Alene High standout Connor White started Saturday's game for the North Idaho Cardinals against Utah State University-Eastern Utah Golden Eagles at 5 p.m.

White finished it at 7:30, hitting a 3-pointer with 1:38 remaining to give the Cardinals the lead for good on the way to a 81-78 win over the Golden Eagles in a triple-overtime Scenic West Athletic Conference men's basketball game at Rolly Williams Court.

NIC (20-5, 6-4 SWAC) took a 2-0 lead before the opening tip after Eastern Utah's Mufitcan Alp was given a technical foul for dunking the basketball during pregame warmups, and the Cardinals made the two free throws.

Eastern Utah (14-10, 2-8) led 25-18 at halftime after NIC shot 6 of 30 from the field.

"In that zone, they really packed it in," NIC coach Jared Phay said. "We were getting some shots inside at the basket, but they just weren't falling."

Trailing 51-38 late in the second half, NIC closed regulation with a 17-4 run, eventually forcing overtime on a layup by Keon Lewis at the buzzer.

Michael Middlebrooks dunked as time expired to send the game to a second overtime tied at 65.

Eastern Utah had the final possession in the second OT, getting a pair of free throws by Deshaun Wiggins to tie the game at 73 with 7 seconds remaining.

In the third overtime, despite missing his first five from beyond the 3-point line, White didn't miss the sixth.

"I was just looking at the back of the rim," White said. "I've been struggling shooting the last couple weeks. I wasn't thinking about it and just looked at it as another shot."

NIC finished the game 5 of 42 (11.9 percent) from beyond the 3-point line.

"I've never seen that before," Phay said of the percentage. "You've got to be able to hit a shot there."

Eastern Utah finished 25 of 75, including 5-of-21 in the three overtimes.

"I was really happy with our defensive effort during regulation," Phay said. "That's probably the ugliest games I've been a part of. But having Petar (Joksimovic) just back from injury and playing 45 minutes, I was proud of our effort."

Middlebrooks had 21 rebounds and 12 points and Kaj Sherman had 19 rebounds and 10 points for NIC.

Due to NJCAA sanctions, the Golden Eagles are ineligible for postseason play this season.

In addition, Eastern Utah men's basketball coach Brad Barton passed away in October.

"With everything that's happened to us this season, we're still fighting," Utah State-Eastern Utah interim coach Brian Edelstein said. "For a team without a postseason, we're still battling. We could be the best 2-8 team that's played in this league."

Wiggins finished with a game-high 31 points for Eastern Utah.

"We've lost six of eight games in our conference," Edelstein said. "We've been in a lot of them and should have won a few. It's really a testament to how hard our kids are playing. NIC did a good job of not quitting either. They had a few chances when we were up that they could have quit and got back into it."

NIC hosts Salt Lake on Thursday.

UTAH STATE-EASTERN UTAH

Travon Lanston 2-5 0-0 4, Dominique Lawson 0-0 0-0 0, Dashaun Wiggins 8-20 15-18 31, Eric Hansen 2-7 0-2 4, Demetrus Richardson 3-7 2-5 8, Chase Flint 5-12 2-3 17, Neveij Walters 3-15 0-4 6, Mufitcan Alp 0-2 0-2 0, McKay Lasalle 2-7 2-3 8. Totals 25-75 21-35 78.

NORTH IDAHO

Jordan McCloud 4-10 2-4 10, Antoine Hosley 5-28 3-3 15, Connor White 1-6 0-0 3, Keon Lewis 4-8 11-13 19, Michael Middlebrooks 4-8 11-13 12, Tyrell Lewis 1-8 1-2 3, Petar Joksimovic 3-16 1-3 9, Kaj Sherman 3-5 4-5 10. Totals 26-88 24-36 81.

Halftime - USEU 25-18. 3-point goals - 7-29 (Lanston 0-2, Wiggins 0-5, Hansen 0-5, Richardson 0-2, Flint 5-8, Alp 0-2, Lasalle 2-5), NIC 5-42 (McCloud 0-1, Hosley 2-14, White 1-6, K. Lewis 0-3, T. Lewis 0-4, Joksimovic 2-14). Rebounds - USEU 60 (Walters 12), NIC 65 (Middlebrooks 21). Assists - USEU 9 (Lanston, Richardson 2), NIC 4 (K. Lewis 3). Team fouls - USEU 27, NIC 26. Fouled out - Wiggins, Richardson, Flint, Lasalle, T. Lewis, Sherman. Technical fouls - Alp, K. Lewis