NIC ROUNDUP: Justus pushes Cardinals into Boot title game

• MEN'S BASKETBALL

TWIN FALLS — Justus Haseley, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard from Toronto, had a game-high 31 points for North Idaho College in a 77-71 win over Eastern Florida State in the Battle for the Boot Tournament on the campus of the College of Southern Idaho on Friday. 

“He’s really been our Steady Eddie on the offensive end this year,” NIC coach Corey Symons said. “He’s led us in scoring in most of our games, including the exhibitions. He needs to learn to play a little defense, but he sparked us tonight.” 

NIC trailed by 15 points with a little under eight minutes remaining before rallying. 

“We switched into a zone defense and were able to make a little run,” Symons said. “They’re a good team and that’s why we put ourselves into this to continue to get better. Our guys didn’t quit and it was a big boost to our ego.” 

Sophomore Jacori Ervin, who played at North Central High in Spokane, had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals, who outrebounded the Titans of Melbourne, Fla., 56-46. 

NIC (2-0) faces Southern Idaho in the championship game tonight at 6 p.m. PST.

Eastern Florida State is 2-1. 

EASTERN FLORIDA STATE 

Tyson Wilson 4-8 1-2 9, Djiby Ly 0-8 2-2 2, Joviel Acevado-Arroyo 0-77 202 2, Sean Register 5-9 6-7 18, Lana Agbelese 4-10 3-6 11, Nick Oliver 3-9 3-3 12, Khalid Ousmane 1-4 2-2 4, Jevon Yapi 1-4 0-0 3, David Andino 1-2 0-0 2, Eby Ogoh 3-6 2-2 8. Totals 22-67 21-26 71. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Ne’quan Brown 2-9 2-4 8, Nyale Robinson 0-5 4-4 4, Ajayi Simmons 3-10 2-3 12, Austin Ouko 1-8 3-6 5, Jacori Ervin 5-7 2-5 12, Ace Arnold 0-1 1-2 1, Cason Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Sawyr Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Gage Ontiveros 2-2 0-0 4, Justus Haseley 9-23 10-14 31, Aly Toure 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-70 24-38 77.  

Halftime — EFSC 39-37. 3-point goals — EFSC 6-30 (Wilson 0-1, Ly 0-4, Acevedo-Arroyo 0-5, Register 2-4, Agbelese 0-4, Oliver 3-8, Ousmane 0-1, Yapi 1-3), NIC 5-24 (Brown 2-5, Robinson 0-2, Simmons 0-3, Ouko 0-5, Arnold 0-1, Haseley 3-8). Rebounds — EFSC 46 (Register 7), NIC 56 (Simmons 12). Assists — EFSC 9 (Acevedo-Arroyo 3), NIC 7 (Ouko, Haseley 2). Team fouls — EFSC 31, NIC 20. Fouled out — Toure. Technical fouls — Haseley. 

• WRESTLING

North Idaho 34

Big Bend 19

MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — Colton Tucker, a freshman from Coeur d’Alene High, pinned Big Bend’s Wade Tynan in 2 minutes, 2 seconds in their bout at 157 pounds for the Cardinals, who beat the Vikings 34-19 at Tahoma High. 

Redshirt freshmen Owen Pritchard (125 pounds) and Jackson Lougen (184) also had pins for NIC, which travels to Indian Hills Community College of Centerville, Iowa, next Friday before competing in the Grand View Open next Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa. 

125 — Owen Pritchard, NIC, p. Samuel Valencia, :53. 133 — Cole Ekerson, NIC, by forfeit. 141 — Parker Ballantyne, NIC, tf. Cole Borden, 15-0. 149 — Joe Sullivan, NIC, tf. Logan Bradley, 19-4. 157 — Colton Tucker, NIC, p. Wade Tynan, 2:02. 165 — Easton Connelly, BBCC, p. Dylan Block, 6:34. 174 — Jaden Lopez, BBCC, md. Andre Leota, 15-7. 184 — Jackson Lougen, NIC, p. Michael Kanzler, 2:10. 197 — Aiden Ford, BBCC, p. Rade Ostrander, 6:02. 285 — Hunter Tibodeau, BBCC, d. Ray Griffin, 4-1.