BOX SCORE
LA GRANDE, Ore. – Sophomore
Katie Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) scored a game-high 19 points on 6-for-13 shooting from the field to go along with a team-high tying seven rebounds, but it was not enough as Corban's women's basketball team fell to the NAIA's No. 26-ranked Eastern Oregon, 63-52, Saturday evening inside Quinn Coliseum.
With tonight's result, Corban falls to 8-13 overall and 3-6 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon improves to 13-6 overall and 7-2 in league play.
Steigleman was aided in scoring by freshman
Tess Bennett (Sutherlin, Ore.), who was the only other Warrior in double figures with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field. Junior
Jennesa Miller (Mica, Wash.) added eight points and tied Steigleman's rebounding effort with seven of her own. Only six Warriors scored in the game, as freshman
Emily Tsugawa (Gladstone, Ore.) and sophomore
Becky Buhler (Clackamas, Ore.) added seven and six points respectively. Junior
Ashlee Jensen (Yuba City, Calif.) rounded out Corban's scoring with two points.
The opening three-plus minutes were a see-saw battle with both teams tallying five points, as the score was knotted at 5-5 following a Steigleman three-pointer with 16:45 remaining. Over the next five-plus minutes, Corban used an 8-3 run en route to securing its largest lead of the game (13-8) after a Buhler three-pointer with 11:26 left. Over the final 11-plus minutes, Eastern Oregon would use a half-closing 16-4 run and took a seven-point lead (24-17) into the locker room.
To open the second half, Corban used an 8-4 run to pull within three points (28-25) following a Bennett jumper in the paint with 17:43 to go. Eastern Oregon would push its lead back to six points (31-25) thanks to a Alyssa Garro three-pointer before the visiting Warriors would battle back to within two points (33-31) after a pair of Steigleman free throws with 12:53 left in the game. That would be as close as Corban would get thanks to a 27-13 run by Eastern Oregon that made the score 60-45 with 49 seconds left. The host Mountaineers would have to settle for the 11-point victory (63-52) after Tsugawa beat the buzzer with a fast break lay-in.
Eastern Oregon was led in scoring by Tana Stickney and Shaylee Nielsen, who each tallied 12 points on the night. Kyle Miller would add 11 points for the Mountaineers, while Stickney pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
As a team, Corban shot 20-for-57 (35.1%) that included a 6-for-24 (25.0%) showing in the first half. The Warriors were also 5-for-18 (27.8%) from beyond the three-point line and 7-for-15 (46.7%) at the free throw line. On the other hand, Eastern Oregon was 19-for-57 (33.3%) from the field, 10-for-22 (45.5%) from long distance, and 15-for-22 (68.2%) at the charity stripe.
The Warriors will return to the court on Friday, January 22nd, when they continue a four-game road trip against the Eagles of Northwest beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Kirkland, Washington.
