SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University women's basketball team notched its highest-scoring output of the season en route to an 84-60 victory over Pacific University on Monday night in a non-conference affair at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center. The Warriors drilled a season-high 12 three-pointers in the triumph, marking the most by Corban in a single contest since Feb. 8, 2013.

At the 16:19 mark of the first half, sophomore forward Sadie Pilgeram (Helena, Mont.) knocked down a three-pointer which ignited a 19-6 run over the next five minutes to give Corban a 29-13 lead. After the Boxers trimmed the Navy and Gold's lead to 14 (31-17), Pilgeram drained another jumper from downtown, and following two Pacific free throws, junior guard Julia Young (Snohomish, Wash.) drained a three of her own to give Corban an 18-point (37-19) advantage.

In the winding moments of the opening stanza, sophomore forward Mattaea Cooper (Middleton, Idaho) found senior center Tara Van Weerdhuizen (Spokane, Wash.) for the layup to grant the Warriors a 50-29 halftime lead.

Corban's full-court pressure forced Pacific into 14 first-half turnovers, and the Warriors (4-5) made seven three-pointers in the frame compared to just one by the Boxers (3-2). Pilgeram led the Navy and Gold with 15 points, while Van Weerdhuizen played big in the paint with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Pacific came out of the locker room firing, as the Boxers scored six straight points to cut Corban's lead to 15 (50-35) with 17:57 left to play. However, the Warriors eventually managed to find their rhythm, as Van Weerdhuizen nailed a jumper in the paint, and then Pilgeram converted a three-point play to regain the momentum.  

Pilgeram's hot shooting appeared to be contagious, as junior forward Megan Benedict (Lebanon, Ore.) and junior guard Jade Lowery (Oregon City, Ore.) both connected on jumpers from downtown to stretch Corban's lead to 29 (76-47) with 8:10 remaining in the contest. After Lowery scored a bucket in the paint, sophomore forward Nicole Luce (Kent, Wash.) converted both of her free throws to grant the Warriors their largest lead of the night, 80-47.

In just 19 minutes of action, Pilgeram led the way for the Navy and Gold with a career- and season-high 21 points, including a 5-for-6 effort from downtown. Van Weerdhuizen notched a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Megan Benedict scored nine points and finished a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

After the game, Pilgeram spoke about Corban's hot outside shooting and the team's defensive effort.

The Boxers were led by Sarah Curl and Olivia Cook, as they tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively. In addition, Nani Ostrom chipped in 10 points on a 5-for-8 effort from the field.

As a team, the Warriors shot 46.2% (30-for-65) from the field and 80.0% (12-for-15) from the free throw line. Corban dominated Pacific on the glass, 41-28, and the Navy and Gold also forced 20 turnovers in the winning effort. 

"The defensive effort was exactly where we wanted it," stated head coach Dave Bale. "Our defensive pressure has to create turnovers, otherwise it's just an exercise to get tired. We produced 14 first-half turnovers, so it was effective for us tonight."

The Warriors return to the floor on Friday when they travel to Eugene, Ore. for their Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) opener against Northwest Christian University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.