• WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Norh Idaho College women’s basketball coach Nathan Covill has told his players that with good defense, his team can play through anything. 

Sometimes, even his mistakes. 

Trailing 37-35 with 2:43 remaining in the third quarter, Covill was called for a technical foul and the Cardinals found themselves down 43-35 after three quarters. 

NIC stormed back in the fourth quarter, outscoring the 18th ranked Bruins 23-11 in the final period for a 58-54 Scenic West Athletic Conference win on Saturday at Bruin Arena. 

“Honestly, if we keep believing we’re going to get stops, we can play with anyone,” Covill said. “Defensively, we played great in the first quarter and kind of let down in the second. But we played hard throughout.” 

As for the technical, Covill was whistled for throwing a marker in frustration as the Cardinals were held to two points in the third. 

“The girls just battled back and did it with a lot of grit and toughness,” Covill said. “I think being on the road, it brings teams together when it’s you against everyone else. I’m proud of the girls for overcoming our mistakes, especially mine.” 

Freshman Esmeralda Galindo, the reigning NJCAA Player of the Week, had 21 points and four steals and sophomore Kylani Rookstool scored 16 points for NIC (13-8, 5-2 SWAC), which lost to Salt Lake at home 71-61 on Jan. 11. 

NIC hosts Utah State-Eastern on Thursday.

“I’m proud of the girls,” Covill said. “They dug deep in spite of my mistakes. They get credit for this win. They’ve done a great job of buying into what we’re trying to get them to do.” 

Jeanne Rodriguez had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Salt Lake (16-5, 5-2). 

NORTH IDAHO 

Chloe Collin 3-5 0-0 6, Kylani Rookstool 4-7 7-7 16, Esmeralda Galindo 5-16 9-11 21, Iratxe Amorrortu 2-5 2-2 7, Summer Faleafa 0-2 0-0 0, Tiarnee Smith 2-4 1-1 6, Ripeka Edwards 0-2 0-0 0, Emmalee Secrest 0-0 0-0 0, Elisa Holakeituai 1-6 0-2 2. Totals 17-47 19-23 58. 

SALT LAKE 

Simran Williams 1-3 0-0 2, Ahnica Russell-Brown 0-7 5-6 5, Nari Powers 0-1 2-2 2, Tahys Da Silva 3-4 8-8 14, Laura Di Stefano 0-2 0-0 0, Fabiana Poindujour 1-4 0-0 3, Blanche Toualeu 2-4 3-4 7, Analeise Maharaj 0-0 0-0 0, Ines Babaya 2-6 1-2 5, Jeanne Rodriguez 5-6 6-9 16. Totals 14-37 25-33 54. 

North Idaho    17    16    2    23    —    58 

Salt Lake    10    20    13    11    —    54 

3-point goals — NIC 5-13 (Rookstool 1-2, Galindo 2-5, Amorrortu 1-2, Faleafa 0-1, Smith 1-1, Edwards 0-1, Holakeituai 0-1), SLCC 1-9 (Russell Brown 0-2, Powers 0-1, Poindujour 1-4, Babaya 0-2). Rebounds — NIC 28 (Faleafa 5), SLCC 30 (Rodriguez 10). Assists — NIC 6 (Galindo 3), SLCC 11 (Russell-Brown, Toualeu, Babaya, Rodriguez 2). Team fouls — NIC 23, SLCC 19. Fouled out — Galindo. Technical fouls — NIC bench. 

• MEN'S BASKETBALL

North Idaho 90 

Salt Lake 68 

TAYLORSVILLE, Utah — Sophomore Vaughn Weems had a game-high 36 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinals in a Scenic West Athletic Conference win over the 24th ranked Bruins at Bruin Arena to snap a four-game conference losing streak. 

It is NIC’s first win at Salt Lake since a 98-94 win on Jan. 28, 2016. 

Freshman Dace Pleasant had 21 points and six rebounds for NIC (12-10, 2-5 SWAC), which hosts Utah State-Eastern on Thursday. 

TCU commit Xavier Edmonds had 13 points and five rebounds for Salt Lake (15-7, 3-4). 

NIC outscored Salt Lake 44-26 in the paint. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Vaughn Weems 14-22 7-8 36, Deng Diew 2-4 3-6 7, Ne’quan Brown 3-6 1-2 8, Dace Pleasant 7-10 6-7 21, Tayshawn Colvin 0-0 5-6 5, Jeremiah Sibley 1-3 4-5 6, Sam Marbury 1-1 0-0 2, Bryce Henry 0-0 0-0 0, Ajayi Simmons 2-5 0-0 5. Totals 30-51 26-34 90. 

SALT LAKE  

Mason Bendinger 5-10 2-2 13, Trey Brown 3-10 4-6 11, Luke Smellie 1-3 0-0 2, Ethan Copeland 4-10 2-3 13, Xavier Edmonds 5-7 3-5 13, Sam Sivulich 0-0 0-0 0, Coen Collier 0-1 0-0 0, Chudi Anosike 4-9 1-2 10, Alvin Jackson III 2-5 0-0 6, Devin Carlson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 12-18 68. 

Halftime — NIC 41-37. 3-point goals — NIC 4-12 (Weems 1-2, Brown 1-3, Pleasant 1-3, Sibley 0-1, Simmons 1-3), SLCC 8-29 (Bendinger 1-3, Brown 1-3, Copeland 3-7, Edmonds 0-1, Sivulich 0-6, Anosike 1-4, Jackson III 2-5). Rebounds — NIC 45 (Weems 14), SLCC 26 (Edmonds 5). Assists — NIC 13 (Marbury 6), SLCC 14 (Brown, Smellie 4). Team fouls — NIC 21, SLCC 24. Fouled out — Brown, Edmonds. Technical fouls — Brown. 

• WRESTLING

North Idaho 40 

Providence 8 

COEUR d’ALENE — Gabe Lake (165 pounds), Chandler Loveless (197) and Ray Griffin (285) had pins for the Cardinals in a dual victory over the NAIA Argos of Great Falls, Mont., on sophomore night at Christianson Gymnasium. 

Sophomore Elijah Cater won by technical fall at 125 for NIC, which travels to Big Bend of Moses Lake, Wash., on Thursday. 

125 — Elijah Cater, NIC, tf. Tanner Ulrey, 16-1. 133 — Hoyt Hvass, NIC, md. Deandre Coles, 8-0. 141 — Ethan Boulton, NIC, d. Jesse Anson, 6-3. 149 — Asher Kemppainen, Prov, d. Jackson Webb, 9-8. 157 — Aden Graves, Prov, tf. Jake Hubby, 20-2. 165 — Gabe Lake, NIC, p. Tynan Krause, 2:26. 174 — Hunter Gonzales, NIC, by forfeit. 184 — Noah Poe-Hattan, NIC, md. Chase Youso, 8-0. 197 — Chandler Loveless, NIC, p. Anthony Estrada, 4:41. 285 — Ray Griffin, NIC, p. Caleb Werner, 6:41. 

• SOFTBALL

Cardinals improve to 

4-1 on season

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Cardinals defeated Northeastern 9-1 and Yavapai 7-6 to conclude play in the College of Southern Nevada Kickoff Classic.

NIC beat Central Arizona 8-7 in seven innings late Friday.

NIC, now 4-1, will compete in the Arizona Western Shootout starting on Thursday at Arizona Western College in Yuma, Ariz.