Your future, our focus
BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune
A difficult opening weekend in Twin Falls, Idaho, saw the Northwest College men’s basketball team on the wrong side of an 0-3 record. The Trappers lost to two ranked opponents in Lee College 96-83 and the College of Southern Idaho 90-71 before losing to Yavapai College on a buzzer beater 80-77 on Saturday.
LEE COLLEGE 96, NORTHWEST 83
A tough opening game greeted the Trappers (0-3), coming up against No. 24-ranked Lee College (3-0) out of Baytown, Texas.
Both teams exchanged leads and battled over the first eight minutes, with neither gaining a significant advantage and the game tied at 12.
In the next five minutes neither team gained a significant advantage, as Northwest led 23-22 with seven minutes left.
That deadlock remained going into the break, with Lee scoring four points in the final 30 seconds to tie the game at 36 going into the locker room.
Coming out of the break, Lee gained the first significant advantage after scoring the first nine points of the half in 1:30.
The Navigators continued to roll early, building a double digit advantage just over two minutes into the half.
Lee continued to hold the Trappers at arms’ length, not allowing Northwest to get closer than eight and building the lead to as many as 18 up 73-55 with eight minutes remaining.
Northwest was unable to get the game within single digits again, and lost the first game of the season 96-83.
“They have a really good team,” coach Andy Ward said. “We knew they would be good. We thought they would press us and they did … The deciding factor in that game was that we turned the ball over.”
Northwest finished with 23 turnovers in the contest, and was outscored 60-36 in the paint.
Five Trappers scored in double figures, led by Milton Rodriguez Santana with 20 points.
Drew Larson led with nine rebounds, just ahead of Kolter Merritt who finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and four steals.
Will Hemme led with five assists.
CSI 90, NORTHWEST 71
After the loss Thursday, the Trappers turned around to take on No. 10-ranked College of Southern Idaho (1-2) in a true road contest on Friday night.
The Golden Eagles jumped out early, building a 15-5 lead over the first four minutes of the game.
Northwest rallied over the next five minutes, cutting the lead down to 19-17 with 11 minutes left in the half.
Despite the rally, CSI continued to control the tempo of the game and extended its lead back out to eight before going into the halftime break up 42-34.
“They are really big — we had trouble scoring inside,” Ward said. “We had lulls in our game where they went out in some runs. They jumped out on us early but we battled back — that’s one thing I like about this team.”
The lead quickly expanded in the second half, growing to 56-41 five minutes into the half.
Northwest answered the call once again, cutting it down to eight over a three minute span when Drew Larson hit a 3-pointer.
The Trappers continued to hang around between 9-12 points down before the Golden Eagles slammed the door shut to make it a nearly 20 point game with four minutes left.
CSI continued to push and never trailed in the game, finishing with a 90-71 win.
“Southern Idaho really hurt us on the glass in the second half. They got second and third shots and punished us inside,” Ward said. “I told the guys I expect us to win every game we take the floor. Whether it’s a ranked opponent or not we need to play together and play hard. I think the guys are learning to play together and their effort is good.”
Larson led with 15 points as four Trappers reached double figures. Rodriguez Santana led with nine rebounds in addition to his 12 points, and Hemme led once again with six assists in addition to his 11 points.
YAVAPAI COLLEGE 80, NORTHWEST 77
In the final game of the weekend, the Trappers came up against Yavapai College (2-1) out of Prescott, Arizona, in search of a win to end the weekend.
Early on both teams battled over the first five minutes, before the Roughriders took control of the first half.
Over the next nine minutes the Roughriders outscored the Trappers 24-5 and gained a 33-16 advantage.
Northwest found some scoring late, and a Merritt layup at the buzzer made it a 41-31 game at the break.
The Trappers stormed out the gate in the second half, scoring the first 12 points — capped off by a pair of Max Postiglione free throws to take a 43-41 lead.
“We came out and played pretty well those first five minutes. Then it was a ballgame,” Ward said.
Momentum did not fully carry with the Trappers, as both teams continued to exchange the lead with neither team holding a more than five point lead until late in the game.
That advantage went to Northwest, gaining a nine point lead up 74-65 with 3:45 left after a Krue Stubbs 3-pointer.
A 10-0 run over the next 1:30 gave the Roughriders the lead back, and the teams continued to exchange baskets down the stretch.
“We didn’t do a good enough job on their best player, he kind of took over late,” Ward said. “We also turned the ball over late and they got some second shots that hurt us.”
Northwest had an opportunity to take the lead with 21 seconds left but a Rodriguez Santana shot was off, and Yavapai held for the last shot.
Yavapai’s Ray Glasgow rose up and hit a deep 3-pointer, which found its way in as time expired and sent Northwest to a 0-3 record to start the season.
“We had to shoot it because the shot clock was running down but we got a pretty good shot,” Ward said. “Their best player made a play, put it in from 24 feet.”
Rodriguez Santana led once again with 23 points, as four Trappers scored in double figures.
Merritt finished with a 17 point, 12 rebound double-double and Hemme also had a strong game with 11 rebounds and 10 points along with six assists.
MONTANA TRIP
Northwest will remain on the road for the second week of the season, heading to Miles City for a pair of games.
“Not going to spend a lot of time on our opponents right now, there’s a lot of things we need to clean up,” Ward said. “If we can chip away at some of those mistakes we are making in those areas then that will put the odds more in our favor.”
The Trappers will take on host Miles Community College (1-2) at 7 p.m. on Friday.
That will be followed by a matchup against United Tribes Technical College (2-1) at noon on Saturday.
Northwest will have its home openers next weekend as part of the Coach Collins Heart of a Champion Classic on Friday and Saturday.
LEE COLLEGE 96, NORTHWEST 83
Total rebounds then offensive rebounds in ()
Points — Milton Rodriguez Santana 20, Will Hemme 14, Kolter Merritt 12, Drew Larson 11, Krue Stubbs 10, Kaden Christensen 7, Preston Condie 6, Max Postiglione 3
Rebounds — Drew Larson 9 (4), Kolter Merritt 8 (6), Kaden Christensen 6 (5), Milton Rodriguez Santana 4 (1), Preston Condie 4, Will Hemme 3, Max Postiglione 1
Assists — Will Hemme 5, Milton Rodriguez Santana 3, Drew Larson 3, Kolter Merritt 2
Steals — Kolter Merritt 4, Milton Rodriguez Santana 3, Drew Larson 1
CSI 90, NORTHWEST 71
Points — Drew Larson 15, Milton Rodriguez Santana 12, Will Hemme 11, Preston Condie 10, Kolter Merritt 8, Krue Stubbs 8, Kaden Christensen 7
Rebounds — Milton Rodriguez Santana 9 (4), Kolter Merritt 7 (4), Preston Condie 5 (1), Kaden Christensen 5 (2), Drew Larson 4 (2), Will Hemme 3, Krue Stubbs 3, Carter Clark 2, Max Postiglione 1
Assists — Will Hemme 6, Milton Rodriguez Santana 2, Max Postiglione 2, Kolter Merritt 2, Carter Clark 1, Drew Larson 1
Steals — Milton Rodriguez Santana 1, Kolter Merritt 1
Blocks — Preston Condie 1, Drew Larson 1
YAVAPAI COLLEGE 80, NORTHWEST 77
Points — Milton Rodriguez Santana 23, Kolter Merritt 17, Kaden Christensen 13, Will Hemme 10, Max Postiglione 5, Preston Condie 3, Krue Stubbs 3, Drew Larson 3
Rebounds — Kolter Merritt 12 (3), Will Hemme 11, Milton Rodriguez Santana 6 (2), Kaden Christensen 6 (3), Krue Stubbs 4 (1), Preston Condie 2, Carter Clark 1 (1), Drew Larson 1
Assists — Will Hemme 6, Milton Rodriguez Santana 2, Max Postiglione 1, Preston Condie 1, Drew Larson 1, Kaden Christensen 1
Steals — Milton Rodriguez Santana 2, Preston Condie 1, Kolter Merritt 1
Blocks — Drew Larson 1