SALEM, Ore. – In a battle for bragging rights and supremacy in Oregon's state capital, Corban University sophomore guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) sank a pull-up jumper with 10 seconds left in regulation, lifting the Warrior men's basketball team to a come-from-behind victory over cross-town rival, Willamette University, 75-74. For Corban, it is its second-straight win over the NCAA Division III squad, keeping bragging rights on the Corban campus for another year.
During the final seven minutes of the game, the lead flip-flopped 10 different times, with both teams coming up clutch on shot after shot, but on Corban's final offensive possession of the contest, Monterossi raced with the ball up the court knowing the Warriors did not have any timeouts. After a crossover at the top of the key, he pulled up and drained a long jumper to put Corban in front by one with 10 seconds remaining on the clock. The Warriors then held strong defensively on Willamette's last possession, securing the dramatic one-point win.
Watch Monterossi's game-winning jumper here:
"On a day when we struggled, particularly at the offensive end, we still found a way to win," said Corban head coach Steve Masten. "That speaks to the toughness of this team. I was very disappointed with our defensive and offensive effort in the first half, but we played well at the defensive end in the second half and did just enough at the offensive end to eke one out. We will have to play better next weekend when we open conference play."
On the day, Corban actually ended up shooting 51.6% from the field and led for only two minutes and 48 seconds of the contest, while Willamette led for over 33 minutes. Ultimately, however, it was only the final 10 seconds of being in the lead that mattered, as Corban won its fourth non-conference game of the 2015-16 campaign.
After Willamette started the game shooting the ball very well, Warrior senior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) went to work inside early on, using nifty moves and finishes to keep Corban close. Sophomore guard Caleb Dozier (Beaverton, Ore.) then nailed a three-pointer, tying the game at 14-14 seven minutes into the contest, making it 942-consecutive games that Corban has now made a three-pointer, dating back to December 4, 1987. That mark remains atop the NAIA as the longest of all NAIA Division I and Division II teams for consecutive games with a three-pointer made.
At the 12-minute mark, Willamette led 18-14, but immediately following the second media timeout, junior guard Taylor Fox (Astoria, Ore.) sank a shot from downtown for the Warriors.
The Bearcats continued to convert from deep, however, extending their lead to nine points at 30-21 with seven minutes left in the half.
With two minutes remaining in the period, Corban was still struggling to find its offensive rhythm, but back-to-back buckets capped by an and-one play by junior guard Toby Roth (Silverton, Ore.) brought Corban to within five.
By the halftime intermission, the Warriors trailed by four points, 43-39.
A slow start to the second stanza put Corban behind by nine points again after just four minutes.
The Warriors continued to battle through a defensive struggle, getting one stop at a time, and by the 8:41 mark, Corban trailed by just three points at 58-55 via buckets from Roth and Ward.
Corban tied the game at 64-64 when sophomore guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) sank a fading jumper on the right baseline, but once again, Willamette struck back with two points of its own, staying in front.
The two sides traded buckets down the stretch, with Monterossi and Ward making key shots for Corban, and at the 2:30 mark, the Warriors led 69-68, leading to the exciting conclusion to the cross-town rivalry. Eventually after two Willamette free throws, it set up nicely for Monterossi's heroics at the 10-second mark.
Ward led the way with 22 points and 13 boards, while Dozier totaled 13 points for the Warriors.
Monterossi talked about the shot and the win following the game:
Bridger Harlington recorded 16 points for the Bearcats in the loss.
Corban (4-2) returns to the court next weekend when it travels south to take on Southern Oregon University in its Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) opener. Tipoff in Ashland is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night.
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