BOX SCORE

CALDWELL, Idaho – The College of Idaho women's basketball team claimed the I-84 Cup with a 57-53 win over No. 20 Eastern Oregon University Friday.

The Lady Yotes (10-7) (5-2) won their sixth straight game over Eastern Oregon. A late steal and basket from Katelin Shannon gave The C of I the lead for good, as the Lady Yotes ended on a 9-0 run.

College of Idaho trailed 53-48 after a three-pointer by Nicole Redd and a pair of free throws by Kelsea Hurliman with 3:17 remaining. A driving lay-up by Nicole Gall cut the margin to one point, and a Dayna Drager free throw tied the score with 1:44 remaining. On EOU's next possession, Shannon swiped Redd at halfcourt, racing for the fastbreak bucket, giving The C of I the lead.

After an Eastern miss, Gall missed a runner inside the final 30 seconds, but Diamond Mitchell corralled the offensive board, and converted the put-back to close the scoring. The Mountaineers (11-5, 3-4) went 0-for-5 with two turnovers during the final run.

The opening 20 minutes went back-and-forth, as the Coyotes got seven quick points from Shannon to open a 9-4 lead, but EOU clawed back, using a 10-2 push, capped by a Rosebud Guthrie lay-up, to take a 14-11 edge. The College of Idaho would score seven straight to take a 20-16 lead, but a Kyle Miller bucket capped an 11-0 run, giving EOU their largest lead of the half at 27-20 with five minutes left.

The Yotes countered, holding the visitors without a field goal for a five-minute stretch, regaining the lead at 29-27 on a pair of Nicole Bruce free throws, before a buzzer-beating lay-up by Samantha Flett tied the game at the break.

Eastern would bolt out in the second half, as a Hurliman trey gave the Mounties a 42-35 lead with 11:25 remaining. The Coyotes would come right back, as a driving Meghan Hughes lay-up gave the hosts a 45-44 lead – setting up the wild finish.

Hurliman scored a game-high 19 points. The sophomore was 6 of 17 from the field and 5 for 13 from behind the perimeter. Guthrie scored 11 points and added a game-high 7 rebounds. Flett and Miller each threw four assists. The Mountaineers shot 33 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range. EOU (11-5) (3-4) entered the game ranked second in NAIA Div. 2 shooting 40 percent from behind the arc, but Friday it was 7 of 26.

The game was similar to the last meeting between Eastern and The College of Idaho in Caldwell in the Cascade Conference tournament championships last season. That game went back and forth before the Lady Yotes won, 70-67.

Friday, The C of I outrebounded EOU, 39-31, outscored Eastern in the paint, 38-22, and outscored the Mountaineers 15-8 in points off of the bench. EOU did hold the Yotes to 1 of 12 shooting from behind the arc, but The College of Idaho made 41 percent of its shots from the field.

Shannon led the Yotes with 13 points, while Bruce scored 12. Gall added 10 points and five assists. Tyra Rickman grabbed seven rebounds.

Eastern Oregon's next game is at Northwest Christian (5-11) (1-5) Jan. 14. The Beacons recorded their first conference win with an upset at No. 15 Concordia Friday, 65-60. The Mountaineers are 6-0 against NCU all-time.

COLLEGE OF IDAHO – EASTERN OREGON POSTGAME NOTES
- Friday was only the second time this season Eastern's bench was outscored by the opponent's bench.
- The Mountaineers are now 2-4 in games decided by five points or less this season.
- EOU is now 8-1 when it allows 60 points or less in a game.
- In the last 80 minutes between Eastern and The C of I there have been 15 lead changes, 10 ties, and the lead was never larger than single digits.
- The last time the Mountaineers lost three straight games was Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, 2004.
- Four of Eastern Oregon's five losses have come on Friday.
- The College of Idaho owns the all-time series over EOU, 20-15.
- Eastern Oregon last won in Caldwell on Feb. 19, 2008, 82-73.
- Before the Yotes' six straight wins, the Mountaineers won 11 of 12 versus C of I.
- Four of EOU's five losses have been by a combined 17 points.
- Eastern has not led at halftime five times this season, all finished as losses.