SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University women's basketball team found itself on the losing end of its first Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) contest of the 2016-17 season, as the Warriors were defeated by the No. 5 Southern Oregon University Raiders by a score of 69-60 on Friday night.
"Southern Oregon Showed why they're a top team in the nation the way they started the game," said Corban head coach Michelle Skyles. "It was something we hadn't seen all year. They had us on our heels that first quarter especially. But we responded well after the half and made the adjustments we needed to make and played well the second half."
Despite the excellent play from the Raiders in the first half, the Warriors made the necessary adjustments and turned things around, keeping the game close in the second half. Shooting 53% from the field in the third quarter, the Navy and Gold was able to pull it back to a manageable deficit going into the fourth quarter. However, as each run from the Warriors seemed to dwindle the lead, the Raiders were able to answer every run with a bucket of their own, helping them pull out the nine-point victory as the clock expired.
Behind their high-powered offense and their stifling defense, the Raiders improved to a 7-1 record on the year, and have been on a red-hot seven game winning streak. Led by a game-high 21 points, Autumn Durand filled the stat sheet on the night, shooting 9-for-16 from the field, while grabbing 11 rebounds and recording five steals. As a team, SOU dominated the glass, owning a 50-33 rebounding advantage, including 23 offensive boards.
Seniors Maddey Pflaumer and Sadie Pilgeram were the constant threat for the Warriors on Friday night, as Pflaumer scored 17 points in the defeat while grabbing seven rebounds and blocking three shots. Pilgeram had herself an efficient game, as she went 7-of-10 from the field while also grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out four assists.
"I am proud of our team for fighting and competing in the third and fourth quarters. We now have a measuring stick of how hard we need to play to be successful," said Skyles. "You always want to win, but we took some good lessons from tonight's game."
Corban (6-3, 0-1 CCC) looks for its first win in conference play, as it returns to the court tomorrow to face another tough team in Oregon Tech. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
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