Cards survive scare, both on and off the court

COEUR d'ALENE — As it turned out, it worked out fine for North Idaho College on Saturday. 

But there was some concern for sure. 

Brown, who had started each of the Cardinals' first nine games, had a recurrence of a blood clot in his left shoulder that caused him to miss the start of practice this season. 

Brown went to the ER and was later cleared by doctors just before the game. He finished with seven points and five rebounds, playing the last 12 minutes of the game. 

"It flared up on him at shootaround at 9 a.m.," NIC coach Corey Symons said. "It started swelling on him, so to be safe, he went to the ER. It's still healing, so that's going to happen from time to time, and he's good to go. We were going to sit him, but my coaching staff talked me into playing him." 

Brown entered the game with the game tied at 61-61. NIC went on a 7-1 run and never trailed from that point. 

Gage Ontiveros, a sophomore from Pocatello High, had 15 points and six rebounds for NIC (8-2). 

"It was a good win for us," Symons said. "Gage had a really big weekend." 

NIC returns to action Dec. 18 against Howard College in the Tarkanian Classic at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. 

Josiah McDonald, a 6-foot guard, scored 26 points for Williston State (9-6). McDonald leads the NJCAA in scoring with 27.6 points per game. 

"He can really shoot it," Symons said. "He can get to the rim and he's a hard person to guard. He's a good player and that's a good team." 

WILLISTON STATE 

Josiah McDonald 8-22 4-5 26, Carson Haerer 2-7 5-7 10, Andrew Sauer 6-10 0-0 16, Grantham Milner 2-2 0-0 6, Eden Hobbs 8-22 2-2 20, Bridger Johnson 1-1 0-0 3, Charlie McKenna 0-1 0-0 0, Joaquin Powell 0-0 3-6 3. Totals 28-66 14-20 84. 

NORTH IDAHO 

Nyale Robinson 0-2 2-2 2, Ajayi Simmons 5-11 5-7 16, Austin Ouko 4-9 3-4 11, Gage Ontiveros 7-13 1-2 15, Justus Haseley 6-11 6-8 21, Ne'quan Brown 2-3 2-4 7, Vander Brown 1-1 0-0 2, Ace Arnold 3-8 0-0 8, Cason Miller 0-2 0-0 0, Sawyr Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Aly Toure 3-5 2-2 8, Jacori Ervin 0-0 0-3 0. Totals 31-65 18-28 90. 

Halftime — NIC 42-39. 3-point goals — WSC 14-42 (McDonald 6-17, Haerer 1-5, Sauer 4-6, Hobbs 2-12, Johnson 1-1, McKenna 0-1), NIC 10-22 (Robinson 0-1, Simmons 1-4, Ouko 3-4, Haseley 3-6, N. Brown 1-1, Arnold 2-5, Miller 0-1). Rebounds — WSC 33 (McDonald 13), NIC 37 (Simmons 11). Assists — WSC 18 (Haerer 11), NIC 18 (Haseley 10). Team fouls — WSC 20, NIC 15. Fouled out — Haerer. 

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