BOX SCORE KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Despite a game-high 21 points by senior Katie Steigleman, Corban's women's basketball team dropped its Cascade Collegiate Conference opener to Oregon Tech, 73-70, Friday on Danny Miles Court.

Steigleman, who pulled within nine points of tying the program's all-time record for career points, amassed her game-high scoring total thanks to an 8-for-14 performance from the field that included a 2-for-4 showing from beyond the three-point line. Juniors Emily Tsugawa and Tess Bennett added 15 and 12 points, respectively, while senior Becky Buhler added eight points and a team-high six rebounds. Steigleman, Bennett, and Tsugawa each handed out a team-high three assists, while freshman Tara Vanweerdhuizen chipped in with five points and five rebounds.

Trailing by three points (69-66) with 95 seconds left, Bennett hit a three-pointer that tied the game with 1:11 on the clock. After a jumper by OIT's Kassi Conditt with 33 seconds left that gave Oregon Tech a slim two-point lead (71-69), Corban had a chance to tie the game. Despite a missed jumper, the Warriors were awarded an offensive rebound with 18 seconds left and another chance to tie the game. Following an OIT foul, Bennett stepped to the free throw line and knocked down the first before missing the second resulting in a Corban foul. On the free throws, Oregon Tech missed both only to have Aundrea Albright grab a clutch offensive rebound and connect on back-to-back free throws giving the host Owls a three-point lead (73-70) with eight seconds left. A three-point attempt at the buzzer by Tsugawa did not go, as OIT upset the NAIA's No. 12-ranked Warriors in the conference opener for both teams.

The game would begin with Corban scoring the opening nine points en route to a 9-0 lead on a Steigleman jumper with 17:24 on the clock. The visiting Warriors would push their lead to as much as 10 points (20-10) on a jumper by junior Christy Mosier before Oregon Tech used a 15-5 run over a span of nine-plus minutes to tie the game at 25-25 with just over four minutes remaining. Over the final four minutes, both teams would keep the game close with Corban holding numerous two-point leads before settling for a 33-33 tie at halftime.

Over the opening seven minutes of the second half, Corban used a 22-12 run to open another 10-point lead (55-45) thanks to a Buhler jumper with 13:19 left. A 10-0 run by the Owls would quickly erase the Warriors' lead, as the game was tied once again at 55-all with exactly ten minutes left in the game. Over the next eight-plus minutes, neither team would hold more than a three-point lead en route to setting up the frantic final 95 seconds.

Oregon Tech was led offensively by Karissa Dixon with 17 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, and a game-high five assists, while Conditt and Albright added 16 and 11 points respectively.

As a team, Corban combined to shoot 27-for-69 (39.1%) from the field to go along with a 6-for-14 (42.9%) showing from beyond the three-point line and a 10-for-17 (58.8%) performance at the free throw line. On the other hand, Oregon Tech was 23-for-55 (41.8%) from the field, 7-for-17 (41.2%) from long distance, and 20-for-28 (71.4%) at the charity stripe.

With tonight's result, Corban evens its overall record at 4-4 and falls to 0-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Oregon Tech improves to 8-1 overall and 1-0 in league games. The Warriors will return to the hardwood tomorrow – Saturday, December 3rd – against nationally-ranked Southern Oregon beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside Riehm Arena in Ashland.