BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore. – Junior Dustin Moore was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from long distance en route to scoring a career-high 20 points, as Corban's men's basketball team nearly upset the NAIA's No. 12-ranked Knights of Warner Pacific falling 68-67 Saturday inside C.C. Perry Gymnasium.

With tonight's heart-breaking loss, Corban falls to 16-12 overall and evens its Cascade Collegiate Conference record at 8-8. Meanwhile, Warner Pacific improves to 21-6 overall and 13-3 in league games.

Along with Moore's career-high scoring output, sophomore Jordan Carter and senior James Green added 18 and 12 points, respectively. Junior Jacob Kopra would add eight points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Moore and Green grabbed seven boards each. Carter would lead the Warriors with seven assists, while senior Erik Cronrath registered a game-high four blocked shots.

In the final game for Warner Pacific's seniors, Corban tried to ruin the celebration early as the Warriors scored the first seven points over the opening two-plus minutes with senior Jake Mauermann hitting a three-pointer for a 7-0 lead at the 17:44 mark. An 11-4 run by the host Knights over a span of four minutes would tie the game for the first time at 11-11 thanks to a Diego Herrejon jumper in the paint with 13:55 on the clock. The two teams would battle back and forth over the next seven-plus minutes until Warner Pacific held a five-point advantage (23-18) on a pair of free throws by Biniam Tadele with 6:15 left. The host Knights would push their lead to six points (29-23) before Corban used an 8-2 run to tie the score at 31-all thanks to back-to-back free throws by Green with 94 seconds on the clock. Warner Pacific would score the final two points of the first half, as the Knights clung to a slim two-point lead (33-31) at halftime.

The second half would see Corban earn a quick three-point lead (38-35) thanks to an opening 7-2 run that ended on a Moore three-pointer at the 18:10 mark. Warner Pacific would use a quick 4-0 run to pull ahead by a single point (39-38) before Corban got a pair of free throws by Cronrath and another three-pointer from Moore to take a four-point lead (43-39) with 15:34 left. The two teams would then begin a dog-fight over the next nine minutes with neither team holding more than a three-point lead, as Corban held a slim one-point advantage (59-58) on a Green jumper in the paint with 4:54 remaining. Over the next two minutes, Warner Pacific would use an 8-2 run that earned the Knights a six-point lead (67-61) with just under three minutes left. Not wanting to go quietly into the night, Corban got a pair of three-pointers from Carter sandwiched around a free throw by Warner Pacific to pull the Warriors within a single point (68-67) with 48 seconds on the clock. A missed free throw by Warner Pacific's William Sharp with 14 seconds left would breathe new life into Corban, as the Warriors put the ball in Carter's hands for the potential game-ending heroics. Unfortunately, a steal by WPC's Tadele would seal the game with the host Knights walking away from Bart Valentine Court with a heart-stopping one-point win (68-67) in Warner Pacific's final home game of the regular season.

Dane Johnson would lead all players for Warner Pacific with a game-high 21 points, while Tadele was the only other Knight in double figures with 15 points. Tadele led WPC with five rebounds, while Johnson handed out a game-high nine assists.

As a team, Corban combined to shoot 24-for-49 (49.0%) from the field to go along with a 10-for-24 (41.7%) showing from beyond the three-point line and a 9-for-14 (64.3%) performance at the free throw line. On the other hand, Warner Pacific was 28-for-62 (45.2%) from the field, 5-for-20 (25.0%) from long distance, and 7-for-10 (70.0%) at the charity stripe.

Corban will return to the hardwood on Friday, February 17th, against the Raiders of Southern Oregon beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center in Salem. Friday night's contest between the Warriors and Raiders will be 'Playing 4 Kickz' Night, as Hoop 4 Hoopers will be in attendance collecting slightly used athletic shoes for kids in need. For every pair donated, the donor will be entered into a raffle for prizes throughout the night.