OLYMPIA, Wash. - With freshman guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) leading the way, the Corban University men's basketball cruised past The Evergreen State College on Friday night, 82-68.  The Warriors used a strong defensive first half en route to the important Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) men's basketball triumph.

The contest started out with both sides scoring, but the Warriors took the lead for good when Monterossi converted on a layup opportunity and fellow freshman guard Kade Crossland (Buhl, Idaho) followed up with a shot from deep to put the Navy and Gold up 15-10 at the 11:18 mark in the first stanza.

The sophomore duo of Caleb Herzberg (Beaverton, Ore.) and Toby Roth (Silverton, Ore.) combined over the next several minutes to increase the Corban lead, each scoring layups to put the Warriors up 21-12.  Later on in the first stanza, senior guard Jordan Carter (Salem, Ore.) converted on an and-one opportunity and then scored again to push the Warriors in front by 15 points.

Sophomore forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.) joined in on the scoring in the first stanza, stepping behind the three-point line to sink a shot from deep to put the Warriors up by 18.  The great defense continued throughout the remainder of the half for the Navy and Gold, and at the break, the Warriors led 38-23. 

Thanks to a very efficient 59.3% effort overall from the field and a 3-for-5 mark from downtown, the Warriors owned the significant advantage at the intermission.  On the other side of the ball, Corban held Evergreen to just a 24.2% shooting effort during the first 20 minutes and an 11.8% mark from beyond the arc.

Crossland got back to work in the second stanza by nailing anther three-pointer early on.  Junior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) added a layup not long after, keeping the Warriors in front by 11.  The Geoducks pulled to within eight points at the 14:25 mark, but effective offensive possessions for the Navy and Gold kept the road side on top.

Monterossi converted on a mid-range jumper, and then Herzberg tacked on another three-pointer, extending the advantage back to 16 points with 11 minutes remaining in regulation.  Monterossi and Ward then both converted on a number of shots and free throws down the stretch, helping seal the CCC road victory for the Warriors.

Monterossi finished with a career-best 19 points and three assists on a 7-for-13 shooting effort for the game, while Ward went 5-for-9 from the floor for 14 points and nine boards.  Roth also finished in double figures for Corban with 10 points, while Herzberg recorded 12 points on a 5-for-7 shooting performance.

Overall as a team, the Warriors shot 59.6% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc.  Defensively, Corban held the Geoducks (3-7, 0-3 CCC) to a 32.4% shooting mark from the field, including a 20.6% effort from downtown.

"We played great defense on a very good offensive team," commented head coach Steve Masten.  "We held them to a 20.0% effort from beyond the three-point line and 32.0% overall from the field.  We also executed very well on the offensive end and shot 59% from the field."

Corban (7-3, 1-1 CCC) returns to the court tomorrow night when it takes on Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash.  Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.