SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University men's basketball team registered its first victory over a ranked opponent this season with a convincing upset over No. 16 Warner Pacific College, 75-57, on Saturday night at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center. With the triumph, the Warriors improved to 13-11 overall and 6-9 in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play, as they continue to make a run for a spot in the CCC tournament.
Senior guard Jordan Carter (Salem, Ore.) led the Navy and Gold with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including a couple of critical three-pointers in the second half to build Corban's momentum. Meanwhile, sophomore guard Toby Roth (Silverton, Ore.) stepped up off the bench to tally 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists in just 26 minutes of action.
Warner Pacific (20-6, 10-4 CCC) started the game on an 8-1 run in the opening three minutes of the contest thanks to some aggressive shooting from beyond the arc. The Warriors, however, eventually solved the Knights' 2-3 zone defense, as a layup by junior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) ignited a furious 17-0 run over the next six minutes to take an 18-8 lead with 9:52 left in the opening stanza.
After a Warner Pacific three-pointer, Corban answered with back-to-back jumpers from beyond the arc to take a 24-11 lead, as both sophomore guard Taylor Fox (Astoria, Ore.) and Carter found openings in the Knights' extended zone defense. With 3:22 remaining in the opening half, Carter found freshman guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) on the fast break for the layup to give the Warriors their largest lead (35-16) of the first half. The Knights managed to end the frame on a 12-2 run to cut Corban's lead to nine (37-28) at intermission.
Corban shot a blistering 65.2% (15-for-23) from the field in the first 20 minutes, while Warner Pacific launched a 40.0% (10-for-25) clip. Both teams were hot from downtown, as the two squads combined for 11 three's in the half. Carter led the way for the Navy and Gold with 10 points, while junior guard Earl Jones paced the Knights with seven points.
Warner Pacific opened the second half much like it started the game, is it drilled six of its first nine shots to cut Corban's halftime lead to just two (44-42) with 14 minutes remaining in regulation. However, the Knights' run was short-lived, as Carter responded with a pair of unanswered three's from deep to initiate a 14-4 run to claim a 58-46 lead with just under seven minutes left to play.
After the game, Carter spoke with the Sports Information Office about hitting big shots in the second half.
After a Warner Pacific bucket, Corban made 4-of-6 free throws to take a 62-48 advantage with 4:08 on the clock. One last rally attempt by the Knights saw an explosive jam by senior forward Doug Thomas to slice the Warriors' lead to 10 (63-53), but Warner Pacific forgot all about Carter on the other end, as he responded with a layup with just 2:37 remaining in regulation. In the final seconds of the contest, Roth made five of Corban's final seven free throws to pull off the 75-57 upset victory.
"The team played great man-to-man defense and limited them to one shot most of the night," said head coach Steve Masten. "We also shot the ball really well from the field. I'm most proud of how we kept our composure after Warner Pacific made a couple of runs. This team is growing up."
Sophomore forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.) finished the night with 11 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of three-pointers for the Navy and Gold. Sophomore guard Caleb Herzberg (Beaverton, Ore.) compiled 10 points, including a 3-for-6 effort from downtown, while Monterossi and Ward chipped in nine and seven points, respectively.
Jones directed the Knights' offense with 14 points on 4-for-9 shooting, while senior guard Ryan Parks came off the bench to score 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers for Warner Pacific.
As a team, Corban shot 52.2% (24-for-46) from the floor, including an 11-for-22 (50.0%) effort from beyond the arc. Warner Pacific tossed in a 39.6% (21-for-53) clip, and the Warriors ended up winning the rebounding battle, 32-27. The Navy and Gold also finished the contest with 18 assists – its best passing effort in CCC play this season.
Corban will look to continue its winning ways on Feb. 13, as the Warriors will battle the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon in La Grande, Ore. at 7:30 p.m.
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