* WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

COEUR d'ALENE - North Idaho College clamped down on defense for the second time in three nights, holding Snow College to 13 first-half points en route to a 54-35 victory in Scenic West Athletic Conference women's basketball Saturday at Rolly Williams Court.

The win clinched a tie for the conference title for NIC, which leads by three games with three SWAC games left.

NIC (21-4, 10-2 SWAC), ranked No. 9 in the NJCAA, held Salt Lake to 16 first-half points on Thursday.

"Our defense on our home court has been super solid," NIC coach Chris Carlson said.

As part of that defense, the Cardinals held high-scoring guard Erica Martinez of Snow (14-12, 7-5) to 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting, including 2 of 10 from 3-point range. NIC played mostly zone, but when the Cardinals went to a man-to-man, Korina Baker earned kudos for her defense on Martinez.

Angela Woods made three 3-pointers in a critical second-half stretch that helped the Cardinals pull away, Carlson said.

NIC plays host to the College of Southern Idaho on Saturday, then concludes the regular season March 2 at Colorado Northwestern and the following day at Utah State University-Eastern Utah.

Rees Becca 0-1 0-0 0, Kelsi Wells 2-6 1-2 7, Katie Vincent 1-2 0-2 2, Tori McGrath 0-3 0-1 0, Courtani Duncan 0-0 0-0 0, Jordi Wilden 0-1 0-2 0, Cassie Holmes 0-4 1-2 1, Erica Martinez 4-15 1-2 11, Havili Vika 2-2 1-3 5, Kaitlyn Diaz 2-7 0-0 4, Lockheart 2-5 1-3 5. Totals 13-48 5-17 35.

NORTH IDAHO

Angela Woods 4-8 0-0 11, Katie Buskey 2-8 4-4 9, Tori Davenport 1-1 0-0 2, Hailey Petit 0-0 0-0 0, Korina Baker 1-5 5-8 7, Dani Kastrava 0-0 2-2 2, Aimee Durbidge 2-5 2-2 6, Julia Salmio 3-8 1-2 7, Mollie Kramer 1-1 0-0 2, Hannah Love 2-4 0-1 4, Danika Johnson 2-3 0-0 4, Ashley Kelman-Poto 0-3 0-4 0. Totals 18-46 14-23 54.

Halftime: NIC 21-13. 3-point goals: Snow 4-20 (Becca 0-1, Wells 2-3, McGrath 0-1, Holmes 0-2, Martinez 2-10, Diaz 0-3), NIC 4-11 (Woods 3-5, Buskey 1-1, Baker 0-3, Durbidge 0-1, Salmio 0-1). Rebounds: Snow 33 (Wells 9), NIC 43 (Salmio 11). Fouled out: none. Total fouls: Snow 15, NIC 18.

• MEN’S BASKETBALL

Snow 55

North Idaho 50

COEUR d’ALENE — The host Cardinals focused on stopping Travis Wilkins, the SWAC’s leading scorer, but Teancum Stafford stepped up with 21 points to lead the Badgers at Rolly Williams Court.

Keon Lewis scored 14 points for NIC (21-6, 7-5 SWAC), which is in a three-way tie with Snow (20-7, 7-5) and Salt Lake (20-7, 7-5) for second place with three conference games left. No. 4 Southern Idaho (24-3, 10-2) leads by two games. Snow won at CSI on Thursday.

NIC plays host to CSI this Saturday.

Sam Hoopes 1-4 1-2 3, Brandon Vega 3-9 2-4 8, Riley Crosbie 0-2 0-0 0, Bamba Tuegbie 3-7 1-2 7, Nick Gruniger 0-0 0-0 0, Connor Van Brocklin 3-9 1-1 8, Travis Wilkins 2-10 0-0 5, Cheikh Tidiane Sane 1-4 0-0 2, Teancum Stafford 8-17 2-2 21, Brad Mears 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 21-63 8-13 55.

NORTH IDAHO

Jordan McCloud 0-2 1-2 1, Antoine Hosley 6-9 0-3 12, Connor White 0-0 0-0 0, Keon Lewis 6-9 2-4 14, Michael Middlebrooks 2-6 2-4 6, Edrico McGregor 2-4 0-0 4, Tyrell Lewis 1-1 0-0 2, Petar Joksimovic 1-7 0-0 2, Kaj Sherman 1-4 7-10 9. Totals 19-42 12-23 50.

Halftime: Snow 22-21. 3-point goals: Snow 5-19 (Tuegbie 0-4, Van Brocklin 1-5, Wilkins 1-3, Stafford 3-7), NIC 0-7 (Hosley 0-2, K. Lewis 0-1, Joksimovic 0-4). Rebounds: Snow 35 (Hoopes 5), NIC 41 (Sherman 9). Fouled out: none. Total fouls: Snow 21, NIC 15.

• SOFTBALL

North Idaho 4-1

Snow 3-6

MOSES LAKE — Amber Meyers hit a two-run home run and Ashley Moon followed with a solo shot in the sixth inning and the North Idaho College Cardinals edged the Snow College Badgers 4-3 in Game 1 before losing the nightcap 6-1 in Scenic West Athletic Conference play in games moved to Moses Lake due to poor field conditions at Memorial Field.

Shelby Carter had an RBI double in the fifth inning to put NIC on the board and Emily Perlich struck out five Badgers (7-5, 5-3 SWAC) to pick up her fifth win on the season.

North Idaho (10-15, 8-8) hosts Western Nevada next Friday and Saturday in doubleheaders scheduled for Memorial Field, weather permitting.

FIRST GAME

Snow 001 010 1 — 3 7 0

North Idaho 000 013 x — 4 6 0

Katie Greenberg and Jessyca Fulmer; Emily Perlich, Jenifer Rosie (6) and Shelby Carter. W — Perlich (5-6). L — Greenberg.

HITS — Snow: Simmonds, McFarlane, Basinger 2, Fulmer 3. NIC: Carter 2, Atkinson 2, Meyers, Moon. 2B — Carter. HR — Fulmer, Meyers, Moon.

SECOND GAME

Snow 000 040 2 — 6 7 0

North Idaho 000 010 0 — 1 7 1

Nicole Johnson and Jessyca Fulmer; Jenifer Rosie, Emily Perlich 4) and Shelby Carter. W — Rosie (2-4). L — Johnson.

HITS — Snow: Craner, A. Carter, Greenberg, McFarlane, Basinger, Park, Hunsaker. NIC: B. Bishop 3, Moon 2, Hockett, H. Bishop. 2B — Craner, H. Bishop. HR — A. Carter, Greenberg.