College of Idaho Advances at NAIA National Tournament

The College of Idaho improved to 29-5 on the year as the Coyotes beat Vorhees College 87-74 in the first round of the NAIA Division II Basketball Tournament in Sioux Falls.

C of I struggled out of the gate, missing their first eight shots from the field and committing four turnovers in the opening five minutes, as the Tigers (24-6) jumped to an 8-0 lead.

Then Talon Pinckney started the YOTE charge, scoring seven of his 17 points in a 9-2 run over a two minute period to cut the margin to 10-9, with a pair of Matt Meyers free throws tying the score for the first time at 18-18.

Once the Coyotes settled in they held the lead the rest of the way thanks in part to a 19-3 rebounding edge on offense.

Nate Bruneel, who finished with a game high 19 points,  gave C of I their largest lead of the game at 49-28 after an early 3-pointer in the second half,

The fifth-ranked Coyotes (29-5) the tournaments 2 seed advances to meet 3-time NAIA champion, Cornerstone (Mich.) at 3 p.m. (MST) in tomorrow’s second-round – the first-ever meeting between the powerhouse programs. Cornerstone is the 3 seed.

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