Phay, team gearing up for final stretch
The men’s basketball team has reached the part of the season that really counts. With a record of 18-4 the team is looking like a strong contender for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament this March.
Sophomore Petar Joksimovic helped defeat defending NJCAA champion and sixth-ranked Southern Idaho on Saturday, Jan. 14 by stealing the ball with 24 seconds remaining in the game. The 16th-ranked Cardinals remained on top of the Scenic West Athletic Conference (SWAC) with a 75-71 win.
“I think that everyone in the SWAC is tough,” said head coach Jared Phay. “Obviously CSI is one of those teams. We hit some big shots down the stretch, but if we hadn’t, then CSI could’ve easily beat us tonight.”
NIC (18-4, 4-3 in the SWAC) is trying to remain in good shape heading into the season’s finale.
Southern Idaho (20-2, 6-1 in the SWAC) gained the momentum midway through the first half to build a 37-31 lead at halftime.
Antoine Hosley and Keon Lewis hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put NIC up 71-65 with 1:28 remaining. NIC made five out of seven attempts from behind the 3-point line in the second half. The loss snaps a 14-game win streak by the Golden Eagles.
Lewis finished with a team-high 18 points. NIC out-rebounded CSI 41-34 during the game.
Kaj Sherman hit seven out of 12 shots from the field scoring 14 points in the game.
“We can’t underestimate anyone,” Sherman said. “We just have to keep playing to our potential. I think our team has the sky as the limit. We just need to keep getting better, which is the ultimate goal.”
Sherman also finished the game with eight rebounds. He said after the game that if the team continues to work together like they did against CSI then they are going to be hard to beat.
“We have started clicking,” Sherman said. “Just like any other team, any other season, there is going to be problems and we have had some diversity. We overcame it, but we still aren’t where we need to be. We are on the right track though.”
It has been an impressive season so far for the diverse and talented men’s basketball team.
The NJCAA Region 18 tournament begins on March 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NIC has plans to bring the national championship title to Coeur d’Alene for the first time in school history.
NIC men’s basketball teams have placed in the national tournament before, taking eighth place in 1980 and fourth place in 1997.
