SALEM, Ore. – Led by sophomore guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.), the Corban University men's basketball team shocked No. 18-ranked College of Idaho on Saturday night in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center, defeating the Yotes, 93-88. For Corban, it was its first win in seven tries against C of I, dating back to 2012.
Click 'Play Button' on photo above for video highlights of the win.
"I was proud of the guys tonight," said Corban University head men's basketball coach Steve Masten. "They played with incredible intensity, heart, and poise after a very disappointing result last night."
C of I actually began the game the better of the two squads, owning a 16-9 lead after five minutes. Inside of those early moments, the Yotes shot 77.8%, only missing a couple of shots while firing on all cylinders both offensively and defensively.
Corban maintained its composure, however, and it was Monterossi who brought Corban back steadily, rising up and hitting jumper after jumper over the outstretched arms of Yote defenders. Midway through the first half, junior guard Caleb Herzberg (Beaverton, Ore.) came into the contest and didn't hesitate, firing from downtown and connecting, making it 946-straight games for Corban with a three-pointer – still the best mark in the NAIA.
Joey Nebeker got the Yotes rolling again though and by the 10:40 mark, his dunk put C of I up 28-20.
Warrior senior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) responded with a dunk of his own for Corban, however, and Corban closed the half on a 31-16 run to take a 51-44 lead into the break.
In the second stanza, Corban did not let up, maintaining a double-digit lead early on in the second half. The Yotes showed why they are the two-time defending CCC Champions over the next several minutes and into the later stages of regulation, pushing Corban to the brink with a full-court press that resulted in a few big three-pointers, and ultimately C of I had the lead cut to just one and two points on a few occasions.
Corban rose to the challenge, however, as Monterossi, Herzberg, Ward, senior forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.), and others all converted on clutch shots down the stretch in the final minutes, securing the upset victory over the 18th-ranked Yotes.
"AJ was fantastic at the offensive end and Caleb Dozier did a great job on Joey Nebeker at the defensive end," said Masten. "We need to carry this forward to Tuesday night."
Monterossi's 35-point showing was aided by a 12-for-21 effort overall from the field and a strong showing at the charity stripe, going 10-for-13 overall. He also grabbed six boards in the win. Four other players finished in double-digits for Corban, as Ward notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Herzberg finished with 13 points and Crowe and sophomore guard Caleb Dozier (Beaverton, Ore.) chipped in 11 points each.
After the game, Herzberg talked about the win for the Warriors:
As a team, Corban shot 54.7% from the field for the game and recorded its second most points of the year with 93 total. C of I shot 44.6% from the field and 33.3% from deep, hitting 11 three-pointers in the process.
Leading the way individually for the Yotes was Marck Coffin with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, while Nebeker tallied 19 points and a team-best seven boards. In addition, Emmanuel Morgan scored 17 points for C of I (7-6, 2-2 CCC).
Corban (6-4, 2-2 CCC) gets right back into the CCC play on Tuesday, December 22 when it hosts Northwest Christian University in what is sure to be a pivotal matchup. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. If you can't make it to the game, be sure to tune in via live stats and the live video feed.
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