Yotes lost an opportunity to COVID-19. Two years later, they’ve seized a second chance
On March 11, 2020, the College of Idaho men’s basketball team secured an opening-round victory in the NAIA National Championship. The Yotes never made it to the second round, as the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the rest of the tournament the following day.
Saturday, the No. 9 Yotes played in the second round and made the most of it, narrowly defeating Ottawa University of Arizona 57-52 in the 2022 NAIA National Championship Caldwell Bracket final at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
“Our motto for the whole year is being sticky,” College of Idaho coach Colby Blaine said. “When you defend on any night, you have a chance, and we proved that tonight. We followed our roadmap of learning how to communicate with each other, trusting each other, committing to our system and believing in the teamwork, and that all paid off.”
The NAIA’s first edition of a 64-team bracket helped the No. 3 seed Yotes clinch an early-round tournament schedule on its home floor. And with a school-record 19 home wins this season, C of I was right where it wanted to be.
A 97-78 first-round victory over No. 14 seed Vanguard (California) set up the bracket championship matchup with the No. 6 seed and Golden State Athletic Conference champion Spirit.
OUAZ (24-10) kept the game close throughout the first half, as Ottawa cut the C of I lead to one point on four occasions.
The Yotes found their offensive groove in the second half, as Cascade Collegiate Conference Freshman of the Year Drew Wyman scored five points in back-to-back possessions. With the second-half adjustments, the Yotes extended their lead to as much as 13.
But Ottawa would not surrender. With all the momentum shifted to C of I, Ottawa senior Devin Collins and Catchings cut the lead to 48-44. In the next possession, a Keshawn Bruner slam capped the 14-4 run.
A deep triple from C of I senior guard Ricardo Time kept the Spirit out of reach, as the CCC Player of the Year contributed nine of his 12 points in the final 20 minutes — playing his final home game under the national spotlight.
“(This last game) means a lot because, in my two-year span, I’ve only lost one or two home games,” Time said. “To leave the C of I community with a win is very special to me.”
An Ottawa steal and layup by junior Kam Malbrough cut the lead to 55-52 with 30 seconds left. The Spirit had an open 3-pointer to tie the game in their final possession, but a rebound and two free throws by Wyman sealed C of I’s final home victory of the season.
“We shoot a lot of free throws in practice,” Wyman said. “Just having that in practice and being ready for the game is the same thing, so it wasn’t that much different.”
The two free throws put Wyman at a team-high 13 points. O’Neil finished with nine points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Collins led the Spirit with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
The win sends the Yotes (31-4) to Kansas City, Missouri, for the NAIA Final 16, where they’ll face No. 7 seed Grace on Thursday. After heartbreak in the national tournament two years ago, this year’s Yotes are as hungry as ever to reach the top.
“We know that to accomplish our ultimate goal, it’s all about who we need to become,” Blaine said. “If we keep being the best versions of ourselves, we know that’s going to be our ticket.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 11:30 PM.