NIC women lose in semifinals to CSI

Ephraim, Utah – The North Idaho College womens basketball team saw its season come to an end at the Scenic West Athletic Conference tournament, losing in the semifinals to College of Southern Idaho 76-68 on Feb. 28. The Lady Cardinals finished the season 22-10.

NIC took down a tough Colorado Northwestern team in the first round winning 75-60.

Colorado Northwestern came out with a “nothing to lose mentality,” as NIC head coach Chris Carlson put it.

Katie King and Ryleigh Swagerty did especially well coming in off the bench to help clinch the win.

The loss to Southern Idaho knocked the Lady Cardinals out one game short of nationals.

“If we played the whole game with the same intensity as we did in the second half, we might be going to nationals right now,” Carlson said.

Sophomore Renae Mokrzycki led all players with 26 points and 11 rebounds and Georgia Stirton added 16 points, helping NIC close the gap in the second half.

Both Mokrzycki and Stirton received first team all-SWAC honors and Mokrzycki earned SWAC all-tournament recognition. In addition, freshman Kara Staggs was named honorable mention.

Carlson earned his tenth straight 20-plus win season and is gearing up for next year without three of his strongest sophomores – Stirton, Mokrzycki and Jansen Butler. Having lost as many as four starters before, Carlson is excited for the development of his current freshmen.

“It’s the nature of junior college and we have to learn to adjust quickly,” Carlson said.