PORTLAND, Ore. – The Corban University women's basketball team completed the weekend sweep of the two Portland-based schools on Saturday evening, dominating in the first half against Concordia University and then finishing the contest out for a big Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) victory, 66-55. For the Warriors, it is their first win on the road at Concordia since February 10, 2012.
On Friday night, it was a big second half that led Corban to the win over Warner Pacific College, but on Saturday, it proved to be a strong start and huge first half that won Corban the game. The Navy and Gold outscored the Cavaliers in the first half on Saturday evening, 37-16, and it was a 14-0 run to begin the contest that got the wheels rolling for Corban. Amidst that run, a number of players got involved, but it was junior guard Jade Lowery (Oregon City, Ore.) and sophomore guard Sadie Pilgeram (Helena, Mont.) who capped off the run with a pair of buckets from long range.
Concordia scored its first points of the game at the 14-minute mark in the first stanza, but then the Warriors continued to pour it on offensively, as senior center Tara Van Weerdhuizen (Spokane, Wash.) completed an and-one opportunity, extending Corban's advantage. Van Weerdhuizen didn't stop there, as later in the half, she put the Warriors up by 21 points with another strong take to the rim while being fouled, converted another three-point play.
The Warriors shot just 36.1% from the field during the first 20 minutes, but the stifling defense that they played held Concordia to just an 18.9% shooting mark from the floor in the first half. One of the areas where Corban had been struggling recently was at the free-throw line, but the Warriors sank 8-of-9 from the charity stripe during the first stanza.
Corban did not let up at all in the second half, and after just four minutes, senior center Danielle Vanderstoel (Salem, Ore.) made a shot from the free-throw line, extending Corban's lead to 28 points at 53-25. That would be the Warriors' largest lead of the contest, and from that point on, the game was in cruise control for the Warriors.
The Cavaliers tried to make runs throughout the second half in order to cut into Corban's lead, but the Warriors' advantage was far too great, as the closest Concordia got was 11 points, never getting the deficit to single digits.
For the game, the Navy and Gold went 18-for-23 from the charity stripe, illustrating Corban's attacking mentality on the evening. On the other end, Concordia (8-7, 3-4 CCC) got to the free-throw line on just seven occasions, making five of them. Corban finished the contest shooting 34.4% from the floor, while the Cavaliers shot 31.9% from the field. The Warriors also won the rebounding battle on the night, 51-44.
Individually, Van Weerdhuizen led the way for the Warriors with a double-double performance, scoring 20 points and grabbing 14 boards. In addition, she racked up four blocks. Lowery finished with another strong performance, scoring 18 points while dishing out six assists. Also scoring in double figures for the Navy and Gold were Pilgeram and junior guard Julia Young (Snohomish, Wash.), as Pilgeram tallied 14 on the night, while Young registered 11.
"We started about as well as we ever have and the lead kept growing through the first half," stated head coach Dave Bale. "Good defense, good rebounding, and very good free-throw shooting were all key. Jade, Tara, Sadie, and Julia all found the net. The bench kept up the defensive pressure and Dani and Tara combined for 14 rebounds. The second half started off okay, but partway through, Concordia found their stroke and they made a nice run. We hit a few timely shots and free throws and we came away with a well-deserved road win!"
Corban (11-8, 5-2 CCC) returns to the hardwood next weekend back at home when it hosts The College of Idaho in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center on Friday at 5:30 p.m. The game against the Yotes is also slated as a 'Gold Out' Night for the Warriors, and the first 300 students to arrive prior to the women's game will receive a free Corban Warrior Commemorative Gold t-shirt. Cadmar, the new Warrior mascot, will then be unveiled prior to the men's game that evening before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
If you can't make it to the game, be sure to follow the action via live stats and the live play-by-play video broadcast.
