McMinnville, Ore. - The Corban University men's basketball team had already lost a couple of games during the 2015-16 season on last-second shots, but on Tuesday night, the Warriors flipped the script and won an overtime thriller over Linfield College on the road, 74-71. With the win, Corban goes undefeated over Northwest Conference opponents for the second-consecutive year thanks to wins over Willamette and Linfield during the 2015-16 campaign.

In what was a competitive game from start to finish, it was Warrior sophomore guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) who came through in the clutch once again. Fast forward to 30 seconds left in the overtime period, Monterossi got the ball in his hands, and after driving to the hoop and taking a hit to the body with seven seconds left, he converted the layup and then sank a free throw to put Corban in front by three. Linfield raced down the other end of the floor and put up a last second-heave in hopes of sending the game to a second overtime, but it rimmed out, resulting in the non-conference victory for Corban.

Monterossi finished the contest with a game-high 26 points, coming up with many of the key shots that kept Corban in the contest late. He also grabbed three steals on the night with two assists and three rebounds, while senior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) recorded yet another double-double with 12 points and a team-best 14 boards. Also playing big minutes was senior forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.), as Crowe chipped in a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Caleb Dozier (Beaverton, Ore.) also scored in double digits with 11 points and nine boards.

After a slow first half offensively that saw Corban score just 29 points, the Warriors picked up the pace in the second stanza and finished strong, outscoring Linfield 34-28 in the period to force overtime. Corban did have a two-point lead late, however, and it was the Wildcats who converted a tying layup to force the eventual overtime stanza.

The two sides traded shots in the overtime period, but Monterossi's clutch three-point play the hard way was the difference, pushing Corban onto the three-point victory. Corban moves to 1-1 in overtime games during the 2015-16 season.

"Once again we ground out a win when we didn't play particularly well," said Corban head coach Steve Masten. "We were poor defensively in the first half and not very sharp offensively the entire game. I give credit to a very tenacious Linfield team. Our defense was pretty good in the second half and overtime and we hit some big shots and free throws to pull it out."

Overall, Corban (7-5) shot 44.3% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc on the night while going 17-of-25 from the charity stripe.

The Warriors return to action on New Year's Eve when they host Walla Walla University. Tipoff in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center is set for a 3 p.m. start following the conclusion of the women's game.

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