CALDWELL, Idaho - Playing in front of a crowd of over 2,000 fans, the Corban University men's basketball team fell to the No. 4-ranked College of Idaho Yotes on the road on Saturday evening, 95-76. Despite the defeat, the Warriors actually ended up clinching a spot in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament via Eastern Oregon University's loss to Northwest Christian University on Saturday night. Corban's seed is still yet to be determined.
The win for the Yotes extended their home win streak to 31 games and was their 52nd in the past two seasons.
Early on in front of the big crowd on Senior Night for C of I, the Yotes jumped out to an 18-4 lead inside of the first five minutes, and ultimately extended that advantage to 25-10 not long after.
Warrior sophomore guards Taylor Fox (Astoria, Ore.) and Caleb Herzberg (Beaverton, Ore.) both helped to bring Corban back into the game, nailing a trio of three-pointers each during the first half, with Herzberg's final long-range effort of the stanza inching the Warriors to within five points.
The Yotes ended up leading at the break, 45-39, but Corban's eight three-pointers kept the game close.
In the second half, C of I gained the momentum back early on, increasing its advantage to double-digits and never looked back, cruising to the 19-point triumph.
Despite the loss, a number of Warriors performed well offensively on the evening. Sophomore forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.) led the Navy and Gold in scoring with 19 points on a 6-for-7 shooting effort from the field, including a 5-for-6 mark from beyond the arc. Junior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) also had an efficient night, going 7-for-14 from the floor for 14 points and eight boards. Additionally, Herzberg finished in double digits with 12 points, with all points coming via the long-range shot.
Overall as a team, the Warriors shot 48.1% from the field, and 58.3% from downtown with 14 three-pointers made as a team, a season-high mark for Corban. The Warriors have now made a three-pointer in 934-straight games, the best mark in all of collegiate basketball.
For C of I (24-4, 13-3 CCC), it was Demetrius Perkins leading the way with 21 points, while Josh Wilson added 15 points and six assists.
"C of I got off to a fast start and we were playing catch up the rest of the game," said head coach Steve Masten. "We played hard, but the loss was more about how well C of I played than how we played."
Corban (14-12, 7-10 CCC) returns to the court for the final time during the regular season next Saturday evening for Senior Night when the Warriors host Northwest Christian University. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
