VALLEJO, Calif. – The Corban University men's basketball team won in dramatic fashion in its season-opening game against UC Merced on Friday night, coming from behind to defeat the Bobcats in overtime, 83-73.
"I am very proud of all 14 guys that made this trip," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "We didn't shoot it well, but we hit some big shots and got some key stops. Tonight wasn't pretty for long stretches, but we were resilient and continued to compete. That's all I can ask for every night out."
The Warriors didn't shoot the ball well during the first half, but stingy defense kept the Bobcats at bay, and Corban held the 32-31 halftime lead.
In the second half, UC Merced pushed in front and took a lead of as many as 11 points, but the Warriors continued to hang in the contest and chipped away at the Bobcat lead late.
With four minutes remaining, junior guard Chris Martin scored eight-straight points to tie the game, including a three-pointer to tie the contest at 59-59. The two sides battled down the stretch, and with 1:10 left in regulation, senior guard Caleb Herzberg nailed a go-ahead long-range effort to put the Warriors in front by one point.
UC Merced responded, however, and held the two-point lead with eight seconds remaining. Martin was then fouled on the ensuing three-pointer with two seconds left for Corban, and after missing the first, he made the next two free throws to tie the contest and send the game to overtime.
In the overtime period, Corban rode the momentum early on and ultimately outscored the Bobcats 15-5 in extra time, resulting in the 10-point season-opening triumph for the Warriors.
"It was truly a team effort and I look for us to raise that level of effort tomorrow night in order to compete against a perennial NAIA Tournament team in Cal Maritime," said Johnson."
In what was a great all-around effort from Corban, junior guard Caleb Dozier scored 14 points and grabbed seven boards in the win. Martin chipped in with 13 points off the bench for the Warriors, while senior forward Jeremiah Harris went 4-for-4 from the field for 12 points.
A trio of starters scored 11 points for the Navy and Gold, as junior guard AJ Monterossi, freshman forward Denis Kirichenko, and sophomore forward Joel Johnson each reached double digits. Johnson also grabbed seven board for Corban in the triumph.
As a team, Corban shot 42.5% from the field while going 23.8% from downtown, making five long-range efforts on the evening. Thanks to making at least one three-pointer in the contest, Corban extended its NAIA record to 966-consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made.
Corban (1-0) returns to the court tomorrow night when it takes on Cal State University-Maritime. Tipoff in Vallejo is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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