SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University women's basketball team needed a late-game come-from behind effort on Saturday evening to defeat Warner Pacific College, and the Warriors got just that as they won a thriller over the Knights, 58-55. The win for Corban keeps its stronghold on third place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) standings, and the triumph still keeps the Warriors' outside chance at the regular-season title still alive.
The win for Corban (17-10, 11-4 CCC) gave the Warriors the season sweep of Warner Pacific (10-15, 3-10 CCC), who looked to play spoiler all evening long.
Sophomore forward Payton Wilcox (Salem, Ore.) scored the game's first basket off a rebound for the Navy and Gold, and soon after, sophomore forward Sade Pilgeram (Helena Mont.) showed some impressive shooting, going 4-for-7 during the first 20 minutes, as the Warriors looked the more aggressive of the two teams – winning many of the rebounds inside.
Warner Pacific's first points would eventually come through a three-pointer from senior guard Jordan Wilcox, as the Knights took many of their shots from beyond the three-point line. Eventually, Warner rallied back through some impressive play from junior guard Daesha Jackson to tie the game at the eight-minute mark.
Pilgeram would respond with a three-pointer of her own though, putting Corban back in front early on.
Warner responded well, and would take the lead for the first time in the game through a three-pointer by freshman guard Jenessa Bodine at the 12-minute mark, making it a two-point game. Pilgeram again gave the Warriors the lead with a three-point shot at the 14-minute mark.
In a first half that saw neither team shoot the ball well, Corban led by just one point, 28-27, at intermission. Corban shot just 33.3% during the first 20 minutes, while the Knights shot 30.0% from the field. Both teams were effective from the free-throw line, however, going 6-for-6 on either end of the floor.
Warner Pacific nabbed the lead during the opening five minutes of action during the second stanza. Senior guard Haley Holboke (Vancouver, Wash.) would respond for the Warriors with back-to-back three pointers, one that would eventually tie the game. However, this would not break down a resilient Warner Pacific team, as it kept the pressure on Corban. Wilcox made a pair of three-pointers for the Knights, pushing the road squad back in front by six points with just over five minutes left on the clock.
The Warriors once again rallied though, and after Pilgeram nailed a three-pointer to bring the Navy and Gold to within two, Wilcox made a pair at the charity stripe to tie the game with just over a minute left.
Then it was Corban senior center Tara Van Weerdhuizen (Spokane, Wash.) who made the potential game-winning play for the Warriors after intercepting a pass on the next possession, as she set up Holboke who drew a shooting foul with less than a minute on the clock. With ice running through her veins, Holboke made both shots from the free-throw line to give Corban a two-point lead at 57-55.
Warner Pacific would eventually get one last chance to tie the contest, but Corban senior center Danielle Vanderstoel (Salem, Ore.) came up with the clutch play for the Warriors, blocking a last-second shot by the Knights, ultimately sealing the win for the Navy and Gold.
Following the win, Vanderstoel talked about the exciting triumph in a post-game interview:
"The ladies hung in there and we made some nice plays down the stretch," said head coach Dave Bale. "We nailed a couple of nice three-pointers, and Dani made the key block to secure the win. Our bench did another great job keeping the pressure on the Knights so that they could not open up a large lead, and while we struggled from the line last night, it was key for us tonight, going 21-of-26 for the game. You have to win the ugly ones, and tonight we did just that!"
Pilgeram finished with a team-best 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while Van Weerdhuizen tallied 13 points and 10 boards to go along with six blocks. Wilcox also finished in double-digits for Corban, scoring 10 points in the win.
For Warner Pacific, J. Wilcox scored 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while Lindsay Loe added 12 points.
Corban takes to the road next weekend to face Eastern Oregon University and The College of Idaho. Tipoffs are set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
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