SALEM, Ore. – For the third-straight year, Corban University claimed bragging rights to the best collegiate men's basketball team in the city of Salem, dominating in all facets of Tuesday night's contest en route to a 95-56 trouncing of cross-town rival Willamette University.
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"Tonight was a great example of our team playing unselfish basketball," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "Obviously it helps when you make shots and tonight they were falling, but we also did a great job getting out in transition. Our defense was feeding off of our offensive success and we were active in switching up our looks. It was another total team effort, and I'm happy for our guys."
The Warriors came out firing, building a lead early while catching the Bearcats on their heels. While driving and penetrating for easy layups and then dishing for open three-pointers, the Warriors build a sizeable advantage midway through the first stanza. Corban then closed the first half on fire, shooting 58.8% overall in the first 20 minutes en route to taking a 53-24 lead into the locker rooms.
In the second half, it was more of the same, as the Warriors held off any Willamette runs while making a few of their own, closing out the contest comfortably for a 39-point triumph over the cross-town foe.
On the night, Corban shot 52.4% overall while nailing nine long-range efforts and shooting 45.0% from deep. The Warriors also dominated on the glass, owning a 53-32 rebounding edge over the Bearcats. Corban shared the ball well on the offensive end, totaling 17 assists while also staying active defensively, nabbing seven steals.
Joel Johnson led the way with 20 points and 11 boards, shooting 8-for-10 from the field, while Chris Martin poured in 18 points on a 6-for-9 shooting effort which included a trio of three-pointers. Also putting in a good performance was Jake Love with 13 points, while AJ Monterossi scored 13 points for the Warriors and dished out four assists.
After the game, Johnson talked about the team's performance in a post-game interview:
For Willamette, Jordan Jenkins led the way with 12 points in the defeat.
Corban (4-3) takes a break from action until next Tuesday when it heads north to take on Portland Bible College. Tipoff in Portland is set for 7 p.m. on November 29.
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