SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University men's basketball team turned the table on Simpson University in Friday evening's home-opener for the Warriors, winning 70-67 to earn the season split with the Red Hawks. For the Warriors, the win moves Corban back above .500 on the year.
Click 'Play Button' on photo above for video highlights from the win.
"We're a team still learning how to win, so I feel very good to see us finish plays down the stretch," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "We need to limit our fouls as that has been an issue, but we kept battling. We're a work in progress, but I appreciate our guys being ready to go when they're called on."
In a back and forth first 20 minutes, the Warriors took control of the first half late and Chris Martin put an exclamation point on the half with a nifty lob to Samuel Adjei for the alley-oop dunk. Corban led by nine points at halftime over the Red Hawks, 40-31, shooting 45.16% during the first 20 minutes.
In the second stanza, Corban went cold from the field and got into foul trouble right away, allowing Simpson to get to the charity stripe and gain some momentum while getting back into the game. Down the stretch, the lead changed a number of times, but a big bucket down low by Joel Johnson put the Warriors up for good. Johnson finished the evening with nine points.
The win didn't come easily, however, as the Red Hawks (1-8) made some shots down the stretch and had a chance to tie it at the buzzer with a three-pointer, but the shot fell short, resulting in the triumph for the Navy and Gold.
In the win, AJ Monterossi led the way for Corban with 18 points on a 6-for-12 shooting effort, while Caleb Dozier also finished in double-figures with 10 points. In addition, Caleb Herzberg scored eight for the Warriors, including a crucial long-range effort late on to extend Corban's advantage.
As a team, Corban finished the night shooting 36.7% overall and 23.5% from downtown. Simpson shot 37.9% in the loss while going 4-for-11 from deep. Corban's bench was key on the evening, outscoring the Red Hawks, 22-7.
"They earned this win," said Johnson. "We have a short turnaround as we prepare for the challenge of LC State on Sunday, as it is another great opportunity for our players and program."
Corban (3-2) returns to the court on Sunday when it hosts Lewis-Clark State College. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
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