KIRKLAND, Wash. - The Corban University men's basketball team found itself in a similar position on Saturday night that it was in on Friday night, owning a sizeable halftime lead and on the road. While Friday's result did not end up going Corban's way, the Warriors showed that they learned valuable lessons and corrected the mistakes, finishing strong on Saturday against Northwest University en route to a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) victory, 85-70.
"The way the guys rebounded after last night's loss is a testament to this team's mental toughness and resiliency," said Corban head coach Steve Masten. "If we find a way to play consistently, we'll be hard to beat."
Dominating inside all night long for the Warriors was senior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.), as Ward totaled 29 points on a 12-of-22 shooting effort to go with six rebounds. And while Ward was dominant inside, Corban got it done from behind the arc as well, draining a total of 10 three-pointers on the night, shooting 52.6% from downtown overall. Junior guard Caleb Herzberg (Beaverton, Ore.) sank a team-best four long-range efforts, while senior forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.) made three. Herzberg finished the night with 15 points, while Crowe totaled 12.
In addition to those outstanding performances, junior guard Taylor Fox (Astoria, Ore.) hit a couple of key shots from downtown, marking his second-straight contest with at least two three-pointers.
Like Evergreen, Northwest made a run at Corban in the second half, but on Saturday, the Warriors took the initial hit, and responded in a big way down the stretch, making clutch three-pointers and vital free throws en route to the triumph.
On the night, Corban banged the boards, resulting in a number of second-chance opportunities. Those chances turned into points, as the Warriors owned a 16-5 advantage over the Eagles in the category. In addition, with Ward and the Warriors dominating in the paint, Corban won the inside battle handedly, scoring 36 points in the paint to just 24 for the Eagles.
For Northwest, Michael Dupree led the way with 21 points, and Ben Tacakovic totaled 12 points.
Corban (10-6, 4-4 CCC) returns to Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) action next Friday and Saturday at home with contests against Multnomah University and Warner Pacific. Tipoff both nights is set for 7:30 p.m.
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