SALEM, Ore. – The (RV) Southern Oregon University men's basketball team made its first eight long-range efforts of the 2016-17 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) campaign, ultimately leading to a 94-88 win over the Corban University men's basketball team on Friday night in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
"We didn't come out with the urgency needed to be successful tonight," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "We were on our heels all game defensively and I need to do a better job of getting our guys ready to play. There were positives from tonight, but the reality is we missed way too many free throws and didn't play defense at a level that will allow us to win games in this league. We'll bounce back tomorrow and get ready for a tough OIT team."
The game began at a blistering pace, with both teams exchanging three-pointers and layups inside of the first five minutes, and it was a layup by Corban's Samuel Adjei that gave the Warriors a 19-18 lead at the 14:27 mark. Unfortunately for the Warriors, that would be the last lead of the game they would have, as the Raiders then closed the half strong to take a 48-41 lead into the break.
In those first 20 minutes, the Raiders went 10-of-14 from downtown and shot 60.0% overall from the floor. On the contrary, Corban shot 41.7% overall and only 6-of-13 from deep. The Warriors stayed in the game, however, and were down by just the seven points at the break.
In the second stanza, the teams battled back and forth, and Corban pulled to within one point on countless occasions, but the Raiders seemed to always have the answer, either hitting a big three-pointer or making a key jump shot or free throw, and Corban never was able to bring the game back to a tie.
Ultimately, it was free throws down the stretch that doomed the Warriors, as Corban went 16-of-27 from the charity stripe, while Southern Oregon went 21-of-25 from the line, proving to be the difference. Leading the way in the win for the Raiders was Ben DeSaulnier with 25 points and four long-range efforts. Kenny Meyer also put up a 20-point performance for the Raiders, tallying 21 points with a perfect 10-for-10 effort from the line. As a team, the Raiders finished the contest shooting 50.8% overall.
Corban had five players score in double figures in the defeat, with AJ Monterossi leading the way with 21 points and five assists while Jake Love tallied 19 points for Corban with four boards. Joel Johnson proved to be a force down low with 17 points and six rebounds, while both Caleb Dozier and Chris Martin chipped in with 10 points apiece. As a team, the Warriors shot 47.1% from the field and just 38.1% from beyond the arc.
Corban (7-4, 0-1 CCC) returns to the hardwood tomorrow evening when it hosts Oregon Tech in another CCC contest. Tipoff in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center is set for 7:30 p.m.
Become a fan of Corban Athletics on Facebook
Follow Corban Athletics on Twitter @CorbanAthletics
Follow Corban Athletics on Instagram: corbanathletics
Follow Corban Athletics on Snapchat: corbanathletics
Watch Corban Warrior videos on Youtube: CorbanUAthletics
Sign up for our Corban Warriors email Newsletter
#WarriorNation
