Tucker scores 28 points to lead Cardinals to nonconference win
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 12 years, 1 month AGO
PENDLETON, Ore. - Freshman forward Braxton Tucker dominated by scoring 21 of North Idaho College's 39 points in the first half of a 80-65 nonconference win over Blue Mountain Community College in men's basketball action on Wednesday night.
Tucker finished with a game-high 28 points.
"He really carried us," NIC men's basketball coach Jared Phay said. "He was taking them off the dribble, taking them to the hoop. A lot of it was just working around the basket."
The Cardinals (4-1) led just 50-48 with 10 minutes left in the game, but ran away with the game from that point on, outscoring the Timberwolves, 30-17.
"They made a run and cut it to two in the second half," Phay said. "We took control midway throughout the second half."
Bryce Leavitt had 11 points, five rebounds and a team-high seven assists. Will Dorsey added 16 points.
NIC hosts Dawson Community College on Friday.
Darius Butler scored 17 points and Coleman McElroy had 13 points for Blue Mountain of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.
NORTH IDAHO
Braxton Tucker 13-21 2-5 28, Will Dorsey 5-11 5-6 16, Bryce Leavitt 3-4 5-8 11, Cole Kesler 1-4 1-1 3, Tatafu Nuku 2-3 1-2 5, Fuquan Niles 3-4 0-2 6, Brad Wallace 2-4 1-1 5, Nathan Rathbun 1-3 3-4 5, Jordon King 0-3 1-2 1, Jason Wheelock 0-2 0-0 0, Ty Higbie 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 30-59 19-31 80.
BLUE MOUNTAIN
Darius Butler 7-18 2-2 17, Dylan Martin 1-6 5-5 7, Max Mueller 3-9 0-0 6, Brandon Hoisington 4-4 0-3 8, Austin Drake 1-2 2-3 4, Coleman McElroy 5-8 0-0 13, Chris Randall 2-7 0-0 6, Jake Wells 0-0 0-0 0, Cody Tomson 0-0 2-2 2, Jon Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Davis 0-1 0-0 0, Jalen Watson 1-2 0-0 2. 24-57 11-15 65.
Halftime - NIC 39-31. 3-point goals - NIC 1-6 (Dorsey 1-3, Tucker 0-1, Leavitt 0-1, Kesler 0-1). BMC 6-21 (McElroy 3-5, Randall 2-7, Butler 1-3, Martin 0-3, Watson 0-1, Mueller 0-1, Drake 0-1). Rebounds - NIC 40 (Niles 8). BMC 30 (Butler 8). Assists - NIC 17 (Leavitt 7). BMC 14 (Martin, Randall, Drake 3). Team fouls - NIC 17, BMC 20. Fouled out - Drake.