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College basketball

Back on top: College of Idaho basketball rolls to another national championship

  Published at

Maddie Hartley, Idaho Statesman

College of Idaho trophy
The College of Idaho men’s basketball team celebrates with the NAIA national championship trophy Tuesday in Kansas City. The Yotes beat Oklahoma Wesleyan for their second title in three years. | Matthew Hicks MSH Visual/Idaho Stateman.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Idaho Stateman) — After last season’s hopes for a repeat were dashed in the semifinals, the Yotes of College of Idaho are NAIA champions once again.

No. 1 seed C of I claimed its third national title, and second in three years, on Tuesday, toppling No. 7 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan 93-65 at Kansas City’s Municipal Auditorium.

College of Idaho (35-2) never trailed in its return to the NAIA title game as soon as starting guard Samaje Morgan opened the scoring with a layup in the first minute.

The Yotes dominated the first half and never let up, rolling into halftime with a 20-point lead and finishing the night shooting 56% from the floor and 53% behind the 3-point line.

Morgan, a junior from Eugene, Oregon, led the Yotes with 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting en route to winning the player of the tournament award.

Dougie Peoples was also key off the bench, scoring 21 points in 15 minutes. Peoples went 5-for-5 from 3 in the first half to help the Yotes build their comfortable lead. Johnny Radford, a Wood River High grad, added 12 points, and Tyler Robinett, a Middleton grad, chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds.

Oklahoma Wesleyan upset defending NAIA champion and No. 1-seeded Freed-Hardeman in its semifinal victory. But the Eagles were unable to replicate that mark against the Yotes, shooting just 38% from the floor, including 20% from beyond the arc.

Senior center Jaden Lietzke and redshirt sophomore Nick Bene led the Eagles with 15 points apiece.

The College of Idaho closed the season on a 25-game winning streak. All five members of this year’s starting lineup were part of the Yotes’ 2023 national championship team.

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