SALEM, Ore. – With senior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.) scoring a career-best 35 points and sophomore guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) tying the school record with 18 assists, the Corban University men's basketball team broke the 100-point barrier for the first time in the 2015-16 season en route to a 103-77 victory over New Hope Christian College on Saturday night. Additionally, Corban made five three-pointers in the game, extending its NAIA-Record streak to 950-conseucitve games with a three-pointer made.
Click 'Play Button' on photo above to watch video highlights from the record-setting win.
"Tonight's performance was easily the best of the three games we played this week," said Corban head coach Steve Masten. "We played hard at the defensive end and really pushed the tempo."
Right from the start, it was clear that Ward was going to have a big night, as he couldn't miss early on, scoring 12 points in the first 10 minutes before leaving the game for the first time. Many of his buckets came from crafty assists from Monterossi, as he also racked up the assists in the early minutes of the contest. By halftime, Monterossi had nine assists and Ward had scored 23 points as the Warriors led 50-39 in a fast-paced first 20 minutes.
The other key of the first 20 minutes was senior forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.) nailing a three-pointer, making sure Corban extended its streak to 950-straight games with a three-pointer made, the longest streak in all of the NAIA, and only second-longest in college basketball to UNLV.
In the second half, the Warriors didn't let up, extending their lead to 20 points early on as the rout was on.
Warrior freshman forward Joel Johnson (Tigard, Ore.) added another highlight reel dunk, and this one came via a beautiful alley-oop pass from freshman guard Preston White (Covington, Wash.), and Johnson grabbed the ball out of mid-air and slammed it down with authority, bringing the entire Warrior bench to its feet.
With Ward continuing his efficient game in the second stanza and being subbed out with about 10 minutes left, the only thing left to cap off the record-setting night was Monterossi's assist record, and he got it on Corban's final offensive possession via a White long-range effort from the left corner, ending the night on the record-setting high.
"We had some really great performances with AJ's school record 18 assists, Cyrus's 35 points on 17-of-20 shooting, and Caleb Dozier's 14 rebounds, said Masten."
After the game, Ward and Monterossi talked about the record-setting night:
Ward finished with 35 points on 17-of-20 shooting with nine boards and one assist. Monterossi, on top of his 18 assists, also scored 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the floor to go with four steals. Sophomore guard Caleb Dozier (Beaverton, Ore.) recorded a solid all-around night with eight points, a team-best 14 rebounds, and five assists.
Corban (9-5) returns to Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) action next weekend when it travels north to Washington for games against Evergreen and Northwest on Friday and Saturday. Tipoffs both nights are set for 7:30 p.m.
Become a fan of Corban Athletics on Facebook
Follow Corban Athletics on Twitter @CorbanAthletics
Follow Corban Athletics on Instagram: corban_athletics
Follow Corban Athletics on Snapchat: corbanathletics
Watch Corban Warrior videos on Youtube: CorbanUAthletics
Sign up for our Corban Warriors email Newsletter
#WarriorNation
