• WOMEN

RANGELY, Colo. — Reigning NJCAA Player of the Week Esmeralda Galindo scored 13 points — one of three North Idaho College players in double figures — in a 77-49 Scenic West Athletic Conference win over the Colorado Northwestern Spartans on Thursday. 

“The ladies played really well defensively tonight,” NIC coach Nathan Covill said. “We held them to 25% in the first and third quarter and I was really pleased with the defensive effort. We had 17 assists on 28 baskets, so we did a good job of playing for each other. 

Sophomore Kylani Rookstool added 11 points and sophomore Iratxe Amorrortu 10 points for NIC (12-8, 4-2 SWAC), which has won three straight games. 

NIC’s reserves outscored Colorado Northwestern 31-9. 

“A lot of kids got opportunites and took advantage of them tonight,” Covill said. “I was really pleased with the effort and how we played tonight.” 

Charity Posey scored 13 points for Colorado Northwestern (3-18, 0-6). 

NIC travels to Salt Lake on Saturday. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Chloe Collin 3-7 2-2 8, Kylani Rookstool 4-9 0-0 11, Esmeralda Galindo 5-9 3-6 13, Iratxe Amorrortu 3-5 1-2 10, Summer Faleafa 2-4 0-0 4, Tiarnee Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Larkin Christiansen 4-6 0-0 8, Ripeka Edwards 2-6 2-2 7, Molly Axell 3-4 0-0 9, Emmalee Secrest 1-8 0-0 3, Tayler Adams 0-0 0-0 0, Elisa Holakeituai 1-10 2-4 4. Totals 28-68 10-16 77. 

COLORADO NORTHWESTERN 

Charity Posey 3-10 7-8 1, Cimonie Martinez 3-8 1-2 9, Chloe Gronewoller 2-2 0-0 4, Taylor Billman 2-7 6-7 10, Makenzie Castille 2-8 0-0 4, Alivia Hutton 3-8 2-2 9, Shunbaah Begay 0-1 0-0 0, Shyann Farbes 0-8 0-0 0, Cassandra Perez 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 15-53 16-21 49.  

North Idaho        25    13    23    16    —    77 

Colo. Northwestern    9    13    8    19    —    49 

3-point goals — NIC 11-26 (Collin 0-1, Rookstool 3-6, Galindo 0-1, Amorrortu 3-5, Faleafa 0-1, Edwards 1-2, Axell 3-4, Secrest 1-6), CNCC 3-18 (Posey 0-3, Martinez 2-5, Castille 0-2, Hutton 1-4, Begay 0-1, Farbes 0-3). Rebounds — NIC 42 (Rookstool 9), CNCC 22 (Perez 7). Assists — NIC 17 (Amorrortu 5), CNCC 4 (Posey 2). Team fouls — NIC 15, CNCC 14. Fouled out — none. 

• MEN

Colorado Northwestern 84 

North Idaho 81

RANGELY, Colo. — NIC men’s basketball coach Corey Symons has seen a lot in his 22 years with the program. 

Thursday’s game was a different story. 

Sophomore Vaughn Weems had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Cardinals, who fell to the Spartans in a Scenic West Athletic Conference game, only the program’s second since 1998. 

“We had our chances to win down the stretch, but we’re struggling on the defensive end,” said Symons, who was on a recruiting trip when the team lost 74-69 in Rangely in 2012 under previous coach Jared Phay. “They just sat in a zone and we couldn’t get a shot to fall. We’ve got to do a better job as coaches and players of being ready. We’ve got to figure out a way to bounce back, or we’re going to have a long six weeks.” 

NIC shot 10 of 35 from the 3-point line. 

Cole Johnson scored 17 points for Colorado Northwestern (15-6, 1-5), which moves ahead of NIC in the conference standings. 

NIC travels to Salt Lake on Saturday. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Vaughn Weems 7-24 4-6 19, Deng Diew 6-6 5-6 17, Tayshawn Colvin 0-1 0-0 0, Sam Marbury 3-9 0-0 8, Ajayi Simmons 3-9 0-0 7, Ne’quan Brown 4-9 0-0 9, Dace Pleasant 4-8 0-0 11, Jeremiah Sibley 3-7 2-2 10, Romell Russell 0-0 0-0 0, Tautoko Wynyard 0-0 0-2 0, Bryce Henry 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 30-75 11-16 81. 

COLORADO NORTHWESTERN 

Cole Johnson 6-11 1-1 17, Carson Forsey 3-5 5-7 13, Mitch Jeppesen 3-5 1-2 7, Tyler Christensen 4-10 2-4 12, Mason Mickelson 1-6 0-2 2, Elijah Kersey 3-5 2-2 10, Santiago Casarin 2-6 1-2 6, Arthur Videira 6-7 1-1 13, Jamir Todd 2-5 4. Totals 29-58 15-26 84. 

Halftime — NIC 47-45. 3-point goals — NIC 10-35 (Weems 1-10, Marbury 2-5, Simmons 1-4, Brown 1-3, Pleasant 3-7, Sibley 2-5, Henry 0-1), CNCC 11-24 (Johnson 4-7, Forsey 2-4, Jeppesen 0-1, Christensen 2-6, Kersey 2-4, Casarin 1-1, Todd 0-1). Rebounds — NIC 45 (Weems 12), CNCC 34 (Casarin 8). Assists — NIC 9 (Borwn 2, Sibley 2), CNCC 17 (Casarin 4). Team fouls — NIC 23, CNCC 17. Fouled out — none.