The top-ranked North Idaho College women’s basketball team continued its winning ways the last few weeks and finds itself undefeated with an 11-0 mark heading into conference play Thursday at Colorado Northwestern Community College.
The Lady Cardinals beat the Community Colleges of Spokane on the road Friday with the score 60-43.
Freshman guard Georgia Stirton scored 18 points on the night and sophomore guard Katie Buskey followed closely behind with 17 points.
NIC defeated the North Idaho All-Stars on Saturday, Dec. 1, 90-51.
Stirton hit three of four three-pointers and finished with 17 points and six rebounds for the Lady Cardinals against a team with many former NIC players.
The friendly matchup began with the North Idaho All-Stars up by six points within the first three minutes of the game, but this year’s team quickly came back.
Buskey added 16 points and Kabri Emerson had 14 points and nine rebounds for NIC.
The night before NIC defeated the North Idaho All-Stars, the Lady Cardinals beat the Community Colleges of Spokane 59-31 Nov. 30 at Rolly Williams Court.
NIC held Spokane to 13 of 49 (27 percent) shooting from the field, forced 15 turnovers and outrebounded them 49-34.
“We mixed up our bench a little bit and came out well,” said NIC head coach Chris Carlson. “We pushed through and that’s what a good team does, and that’s what we needed to do.”
Stirton led NIC with 11 points while Buskey and fellow sophomore Tori Davenport had 10 points each for NIC.
“We got to keep playing good lock down defense is our main thing, and come out a little stronger,” Carlson said.
Over Thanksgiving break, NIC traveled to Sheridan, Wyo., to play in the Lions Club Tournament hosted by Sheridan Community College. NIC defeated the Sheridan Community College Lady Generals 64-62 on Saturday, Nov. 24. The Lady Cardinals also beat the Gillette College Pronghorns 62-56 on Friday, Nov. 23.
On Nov. 20 NIC hosted the Columbia Basin Community College (CBCC) Hawks.
Stirton led NIC with 17 points and five assists in victory over the Hawks 83-61.
“I thought we got off to a great start on our home court,” Carlson said. “I think our defense was strong and we pushed the ball pretty good too. I thought we worked the ball around well and scored some good points.”
Emerson had 12 points, three blocks, and six rebounds for NIC.
“I think what we have to take awayfrom this game is that we can never give up on defense,” Buskey said. “We need to keep pushing each other in practice and making each other better.”
NIC went up 7-0 before CBCC scored its first points, but the game changed pace as CBCC came within one point with 13:30 left in the first half.
NIC lead at halftime 36-24.
“If we take our time we can be better on offense,” Stirton said. “We know what we have to do, so if we just take our time when looking at our options on offense we can play our best.”
