NIC ROUNDUP: Cardinal women get home, grab victory over Bellevue

• COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

COEUR d’ALENE — After a tough start on the road, being back home was just what the North Idaho College women’s basketball team needed. 

Karsyn Freeman, a 5-foot-8 freshman guard from Adna, Wash., had 23 points and five steals for North Idaho College in a 79-53 win over Bellevue College in its home opener at Rolly Williams Court on Friday. 

“We spent a lot of time watching film, maybe more than practicing this week,” NIC coach Nathan Covill said. “We need to get better at shooting the 3, and have capable shooters, but just aren’t knocking them down right now.” 

Summer Faleafa, a sophomore from Auckland, New Zealand, had 19 points and four rebounds for NIC (1-4), which outscored Bellevue 46-32 in the second half. Sophomore guard Chloe Collin from Brampton, Ontario, had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists for NIC, which shot 29 of 56. 

Diana Nelson, a freshman from Timberlake High, had seven rebounds off the bench for the Cardinals. 

“I thought the kids played hard,” Covill said. “Karsyn and Summer were the big two, but Chloe had a big game as well. Diana came off the bench and gave us a good presence inside as well. We’re just going to continue to get better.” 

NIC hosts Spokane Colleges (formerly the Community Colleges of Spokane) today at 3 p.m.

Lily Auelua scored 18 points for Bellevue, in its season opener. 

Bellevue plays Northwest College of Powell, Wyo, today at 11 a.m. at NIC.

BELLEVUE 

Leeschelle Sohappy 2-6 3-6 9, Alexis Marcussen 1-3 4-4 6, Shannel Kovalsky 2-7 0-0 4, Aysha Peter 3-8 1-1 8, Ella Emanuel 0-0 0-1 0, Lily Auelua 5-7 5-6 18, Sequoia Turner 1-2 2-2 4, Sophia Makay 1-1 1-2 3, Katen Myers 1-1 0-0 2, DeAndrea Woods-Singleton 0-7 0-0 0, Eli Avelar 0-0 0-0 0, Kori Margain 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 16-43 16-22 53. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Chloe Collin 3-5 4-7 10, Karsyn Freeman 11-17 0-0 23, Ripeka Edwards 2-7 0-0 5, Summer Faleafa 7-12 4-4 19, Kaytie Aanstad 3-3 0-0 6, Diana Nelson 0-1 2-6 2, Molly Axell 1-3 2-2 5, Liv Whitemarsh 2-6 3-6 7, Sari Murphy 0-2 2-4 4. Totals 29-56 17-29 79. 

Bellevue    8    13    23    9    —    53 

North Idaho    18    15    24    22    —    79 

3-point goals — BC 5-14 (Sohappy 1-1, Marcussen 0-1, Kovalsky 0-2, Peter 1-5, Auelua 3-3, Woods-Singleton 0-1, Margain 0-1), NIC 4-18 (Freeman 1-4, Edwards 1-3, Faleafa 1-5, Axell 1-2, Whitemarsh 0-3, Murphy 0-1). Rebounds — BC 27 (Marcussen 5), NIC 33 (Collin, Nelson 7). Assists — BC 10 (Sohappy 7), NIC 14 (Collin, Freeman, Edwards 4). Team fouls — BC 24, NIC 19. Fouled out — none. Technical fouls — NIC team. 

• COLLEGE WRESTLING

Indian Hills 31 

North Idaho 6 

CENTERVILLE, Iowa — The Cardinals, ranked 11th in the NJCAA preseason poll, fell to the top-ranked Warriors at the Multi-Purpose Building. 

NIC sophomore Ray Griffin, ranked No. 1 in the NJCAA preseason poll, defeated Indian Hills’ Naasir Edwards — ranked No. 2 — by an 8-2 decision at 285 pounds. 

Colton Tucker, a freshman from Coeur d’Alene High, defeated Shehabeldin Mohamed by a 4-1 sudden victory at 157 pounds for NIC, which competes in the Grand View Open today at the Ignit Sports Complex in Des Moines, Iowa. 

125 — Charlie Dykes, IHCC, d. Owen Pritchard, 12-7. 133 — Olli Webb, IHCC, d. Hoyt Hvass, 4-2. 141 — Gavyn Whitehead, IHCC, tf. Parker Ballantyne, 21-5. 149 — Jahkarki Clark, IHCC, md. Joe Sullivan, 14-6. 157 — Colton Tucker, NIC, d. Shehabeldin Mohamed, 4-1. 165 — Cinsere Clark, IHCC, d. Dylan Block, 8-2. 174 — Mohamed Tarek Abdelhady, p. Beau Mares, 2:44. 184 — Johnathan Clochecy, IHCC, d. Seth Martin, 4-3. 197 — Andrew Marquez, IHCC, md. Jackson Lougan, 14-4. 285 — Ray Griffin, NIC, d. Naasir Edwards, 8-2.