EUGENE, Ore. – With Joel Johnson and AJ Monterossi leading the way, the Corban University men's basketball team defeated New Hope Christian College on the road on Wednesday night, 88-81. The win brings the Warriors back to .500 on the season.
"I was very happy for our guys to pull out a win," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "It wasn't pretty as we put them on the free-throw line way too much and struggled with turnovers, but our guys kept making plays. AJ and Joel were big as they played intelligently through foul trouble. We need to continue to improve in all areas, but our guys earned the win tonight and I'm proud of them for sticking together on the road."
In the first stanza, the Warriors built a sizeable lead thanks to strong inside play from Johnson. The Deacons fought back late in the first half, however, hitting a number of three-pointers to pull within nine points at the halftime break.
Corban shot 54.3% during the first 20 minutes while holding New Hope to just a 35.5% shooting mark.
In the second stanza, New Hope gained some momentum early and clawed back closer, trailing by just three points at one point, but Corban came up with the big shots it needed at the critical times. While still going inside to Johnson, the Warriors also looked to Jeremiah Harris for a big bucket and ultimately a big three-pointer from Chris Martin put the Navy and Gold in front with a comfortable lead late.
It came down to a free-throw game late, and the Warriors were able to convert enough, making 14-of-21 on the night, helping seal the victory.
Corban finished the night shooting 49.3% from the field and 6-for-20 from downtown. Defensively, the Warriors held New Hope to just a 35.3% shooting effort overall, but the Deacons stayed in the game thanks to going to the line 37 times, making 25 free throws.
Johnson led the way offensively for the Navy and Gold, scoring 22 points on a 10-for-13 shooting effort. He also hauled in nine boards in the win. Monterossi finished the contest with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting, while Caleb Dozier registered a team-best 10 rebounds with six points.
For New Hope, Isiah Large went 13-of-19 from the line and scored a total of 23 points, while Phillip Cook added 20 points for the Deacons.
Corban (2-2) returns to the court on Saturday when it travels to take on the University of Idaho in an exhibition contest. Tipoff in Moscow, Idaho is set for 8 p.m.
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