College of Idaho Wins 2017-18 CCC Tournament Title - Mar 2, 2018

College of Idaho connected on 15-of-17 free throws in the second half, including six-straight from Talon Pinckney in the final minute, as the Yotes outlasted Warner Pacific, 75-73, to win the 2018 Cascade Conference Tournament title presented by U.S. Bank inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
It was the seventh tourney title for the fourth-ranked Coyotes (27-6) in program history, with the team improving to 5-0 all-time in championship games inside their home gym.
The game was a 15-round battle - as the No. 13-ranked Knights (23-9) took body-blows from the Coyotes throughout the night but did not wilt, as C of I could not find the knockout punch until the final four seconds.
A fade-away baseline jumper from Gibson Berryhill (6'0''-PG) gave the hosts a 62-54 lead with just under nine minutes to play - but WPU limited C of I to just two made field goals the rest of the away. Xavier Cannefax (6'2''-G) drained a trey, Collin Malcolm (6'6''-F) converted in the paint and Cannefax made two free throws to pull the Knights with 69-68 with 71 seconds left.
Pinckney provided the difference - hitting all four free throws in a pair of 1-and-1 chances - adding two more freebies with 11 seconds to go to give C of I a 75-70 lead. WPU answered with a long Morris Bethea triple with four seconds left, only to see the Yotes inbound the ball to Pinckney, who broke a backcourt trap to run out the clock and start a celebration.
The Knights held just one lead in the game, as a De'Jon Bowman lay-up gave the visitors an 8-7 lead at the 14-minute mark of the first half. Roosevelt Adams countered with a 3-pointer, with baskets from Pinckney, Berryhill and Matt Duniphan (6'8''-F) - pushing the lead to 16-8. The margin would grow to nine points on three occasions, before WPU cut the gap to 33-27 at the break - setting up the epic second half.
Five Coyotes scored in double-figures, led by Nate Bruneel (6'5''-G), who had 16 points and five rebounds - canning three 3-pointers. Adams and Keun Palu-Thompson (6'2''-G) each scored 12, Berrryhill tallied 11 and Pinckney logged 10 points and a game-high six assists. C of I had a dominant 31-7 edge in bench points, with the Yotes recording their school-record 18th win on the glass, outrebounding the Knights 34-30.
WPU lost despite 23 points from Cannefax and 21 points from Malcolm, with Bethea adding 14 points. The Knights made 50-percent of their field goals, but were outscored 18-8 from the foul line.
Both teams will learn their first-round opponents at the NAIA Division II National Championships tomorrow when the bracket is unveiled at 4 p.m. (MT)
NOTES: The Coyotes closed their home schedule with a 17-2 overall record - equaling the school record for home wins in a season (joining the 2013-14 and 2014-15 teams that finished 17-0)�forward Dominic Hulsey becomes the second Coyote in program history to be a part of three CCC title teams (Justin McCarthy in 2001, 2003, 2004)�C of I took over the all-time lead for CCC Tournament titles with seven, ahead of Oregon Tech (6), Corban (4), Warner Pacific (3), Southern Oregon (2) and Northwest Nazarene (2).

Cascade Tournament Final: College of Idaho - Warner Pacific 75-73
Cascade Tournament Semifinals:
College of Idaho - Southern Oregon 67-50
Warner Pacific - Oregon Tech 73-72

Courtesy of Cascade Conference