That’s how you play defense.
Swatting shots, snatching steals and playing with an in-your-grill mentality, the College of Southern Idaho women’s basketball team knocked off conference leader North Idaho College 59-53 Friday night in Twin Falls.
CSI held the Cardinals (21-5, 12-5 Scenic West Athletic Conference) to 17-for-67 shooting from the field – 25.4 percent – and had seven blocks and 15 steals in the game.
“It’s about time we played defense,” said sophomore Shauneice Samms, who had 14 points, four blocks and two steals.
Guard Felicity Jones returned from a sprained ankle that kept her out of last Saturday’s loss at Snow College and frustrated NIC’s leading scorer Kama Griffitts, holding her to eight points on 2-of-16 shooting.
“The goal was to keep her under 10,” said a smiling Jones.
In addition to her lockdown D, Jones had 12 points, 10 rebounds and a team-high five assists.
“Can’t say enough about Flip,” CSI head coach Randy Rogers said of Jones. “Not just her defense, but then she turned around on the offensive end and hit some big shots for us.”
Daidra Brown hawked Cardinal point guard Camille Reynolds throughout the night, grabbing six steals in the process. Freshman post Laurel Kearsley had eight points and 11 rebounds, including three offensive boards in the final 51 seconds to thwart North Idaho’s hopes for a late comeback.
The Cardinals stayed in the game thanks to 22 offensive rebounds and the play of 6-foot-2 Turkish center Tugce Canitez, who had game highs of 18 points and 15 rebounds.
CSI surged ahead with a 17-4 first-half run. Samms scored six during the spurt, which turned a 10-10 tie into a 27-14 advantage, capped by Nicole Harper’s 3-pointer with 3:56 left in the half. North Idaho got within45-42 with 7:10 left in the game, but CSI responded with a 9-2 run to rebuild a double-digit cushion. NIC got within five, but a Kearsley steal led to a lob pass from Maddy Plunkett to Samms for a layup with 2:37 to play and the game was never in doubt from there.
Jones called the win “huge,” for CSI (19-8, 11-6 SWAC), which can tie NIC in the league standings with a win in today’s 3 p.m. rematch.
“We needed it,” added Samms of the victory.
Jones tweaked her ankle late in the game, but should be a go today.
As for the key to a weekend sweep of the Cardinals: “Play like we did (Friday) and frustrate them again,” said Jones.
