COEUR d'ALENE - The playoff picture in the Scenic West Athletic Conference is getting a lot more clear - and it appears that the North Idaho College men's and women's basketball teams will have an unfamiliar role.

Spoiler.

The eighth-ranked Salt Lake Community College women held NIC without a field goal for the final 6:03 of the game, erasing a 31-26 halftime deficit to defeat the Cardinals on Thursday night at Rolly Williams Court.

"We played a strong game, and some of the best basketball we've played all year the whole way through," NIC women's coach Chris Carlson said. "We needed to hit a few more free throws and got a little tentative toward the end. We've got to play 40 minutes, but our defense set the tone early on."

In the men's game, Salt Lake held NIC to 20-of-52 shooting from the field in a 72-59 win.

"They shot it really well and executed," NIC men's coach Jared Phay said. "They played well, really well and just seemed like we had a lot of good looks at the hoop that would have gotten us back in the game and they just didn't go in."

Both games were part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.

NIC plays host to Snow College on Saturday, starting with the women's game at 3 p.m., followed by the men at 5.

WOMEN: Sophomore Renae Mokrzycki had 19 points and seven rebounds for NIC (20-7, 6-7 SWAC), with 13 points coming in the first half.

"She's been playing like that all year," Carlson said. "She's been amazing and having an unbelievable year. She got us going and did everything in first half. We just didn't execute and got a little tentative on offense, but it's really a few small things."

"We just couldn't guard her," Salt Lake coach Betsy Specketer said of Mokrzycki. "She did almost anything she wanted to do in the first half. We made it so that when she got the ball on the block, we were going to monster her and get a few more players on her. But she's just such a good player, it was tough to guard her."

Salt Lake (22-5, 11-1) won the previous two games against NIC, a 69-63 overtime win in Coeur d'Alene on Jan. 4 and 83-56 at Salt Lake on Jan. 23.

"We've had two nail-biters with the best team in our league," Carlson said. "We're knocking at the door and feel like we're going to be really competitive with these teams (at the Region 18 tournament)."

Salt Lake outrebounded NIC 39-29.

"I felt like down the stretch, they couldn't make a basket," Specketer said. "Our defense played so good and got some defensive rebounds and got to the line a few times. When you get to this point in the season, and you're playing somebody for the third time, it really comes down to how tough you can be defensively. And sometimes, the ball just bounces your way."

Caitlyn Behymer scored on a layup to give NIC a 45-43 lead with 6:30 remaining, then Mercedes Riggs hit a 3-pointer to give Salt Lake the lead for good with 6:04 remaining.

In other SWAC women's play, Southern Idaho (25-3, 11-2) beat Snow (11-14, 4-8) 80-71 in Twin Falls. Salt Lake can clinch at least a tie for the conference title with a win at Southern Idaho on Saturday.

SALT LAKE

Britney Johnson 4-5 1-2 9, Summer Yack 1-4 2-2 4, Bella Swan 2-5 4-4 8, Whitney Nemelka 0-0 0-0 0, Natalie Parsons 2-7 0-0 4, Mercedes Riggs 3-10 0-0 9, Raushan Gultekin 1-3 3-4 5, Cassidy Fraughton 0-2 3-6 3, Tanesha Daniels 1-1 5-6 7, Ateh Ade 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 15-39 18-24 51.

NORTH IDAHO

Georgia Stirton 2-6 1-2 5, Jansen Butler 1-6 0-0 3, Bailey Schroeder 2-9 0-0 5, Morgan Grier 0-1 0-0 0, Ryleigh Swagerty 1-3 0-0 3, Kara Staggs 0-6 3-4 3, Renae Mokrzycki 6-11 6-10 19, Caitlyn Behymer 2-4 0-0 4 Sabrina Earle 0-0 0-0 0, Panisessi Taimani 2-7 2-2 6. Totals 16-53 12-18 48.

Halftime - NIC 31-26. 3-point goals - SLCC 3-16 (Yack 0-3, Parsons 0-4, Riggs 3-8, Gultekin 0-1), NIC 4-21 (Stirton 0-2, Butler 1-4, Schroeder 1-5, Grier 0-1, Swagerty 1-2, Staggs 0-5, Mokrzycki 1-1, Taimani 0-1). Rebounds - SLCC 39 (Johnson 10), NIC 29 (Mokrzycki 7). Assists - SLCC 10 (Yack, Parsons, Riggs 3), NIC 8 (Stirton 3). Team fouls - SLCC 17, NIC 20. Fouled out - none.

MEN: Salt Lake jumped out to a 21-9 lead in the first half, shooting 16 of 28 from the field to take a 36-25 halftime lead.

"It just wasn't our night," Phay said. "We had a lot of turnovers that you just can't have. They outrebounded and outworked us. They did just about everything right. Offensively, we're trying to figure out how to score. Salt Lake is a really good defensive team. We've got to put this one behind us and just get better."

Braxton Tucker had 14 points and six rebounds, Will Dorsey 13 points for NIC (18-10, 5-8), which has lost to Salt Lake in all three meetings this season.

"Braxton played well and played hard," Phay said. "I thought some of our guys kept playing hard and competing."

"I don't think it was much of what Salt Lake did, but more of what we didn't do," Tucker said. "We need to be focused more. Everything is a building block for the conference tournament. Every game still matters, but we know we've got to rebound better against Snow."

Kurtis Toolson had 20 points and six rebounds and De'Sean Parsons 18 points for Salt Lake (22-5, 9-3).

In other SWAC men's play, No. 2 Southern Idaho (26-2, 12-1) beat Snow (13-13, 4-8) 82-77 in Twin Falls. CSI can lock up the conference title with a win against visiting Salt Lake on Saturday.

SALT LAKE

Kurtis Toolson 8-11 2-3 20, Gary Payton II 3-6 6-6 12, De'Sean Parsons 7-12 3-3 18, Jaden Jackson 1-4 0-0 2, CJ Spjute 1-2 1-2 4, Zerrion Payton 1-4 3-5 5, Larry Okhomina 0-3 1-2 1, John Paul 0-0 0-0 0, Aquavius Young 0-1 0-0 0, Neal Monson 4-8 2-2 10. Totals 25-51 18-22 72.

NORTH IDAHO

Jason Wheelock 1-3 2-2 4, Braxton Tucker 7-12 0-2 14, Brad Wallace 0-1 0-0 0, Bryce Leavitt 1-3 5-5 7, Nathan Rathbun 0-1 0-0 0, Will Dorsey 4-9 3-4 13, Cole Kesler 0-3 0-1 0, Fuquan Niles 1-1 1-2 3, Tatafu Nuku 1-1 1-1 3, Jordon King 3-10 2-5 8, Shikei Blake 0-5 1-2 1, Ty Higbie 2-3 0-0 6. Totals 20-5 15-24 59.

Halftime - SLCC 36-25. 3-point goals - SLCC 4-12 (Toolson 2-4, G. Payton 0-2, Parsons 1-3, Jackson 0-1, Spjute 1-1, Z. Payton 0-1), NIC 4-19 (Wheelock 0-2, Tucker 0-1, Leavitt 0-1, Dorsey 2-5, Kesler 0-2, King 0-3, Blake 0-2, Higbie 2-3). Rebounds - SLCC 37 (Monson 12), NIC 27 (Tucker 6). Assists - SLCC 9 (G. Payton 8), NIC 7 (Leavitt 3). Team fouls - SLCC 20, NIC 20. Fouled out - none.