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

Maddie Hartley, Idaho Statesman

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.