SALEM, Ore. – While taking leads at a number of different points throughout the contest on Sunday, the Corban University men's basketball team was unable to topple No. 5-ranked Eastern Oregon University in an 84-72 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) defeat.
"It was a tough way to finish the weekend, but we keep competing," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "At the end of the day, EOU made more winning/toughness plays to close the game out. We'll bounce back and prepare for Northwest Christian."
Corban began the game well with Joel Johnson converting on a layup down low and then Caleb Herzberg extended Corban's three-point streak to 987-consecutive games with a three-pointer made when he nailed his first-long range attempt of the afternoon.
The Mountaineers would respond well in the first half, however, nailing six long-range efforts of their own en route to taking a 39-36 lead into the halftime break.
In the second stanza, the Warriors started off virtually how they started the first half, with Herzberg draining another shot from downtown and then Joel Johnson finishing on a put-back layup inside to take a 41-39 advantage.
Kentrell Washington answered for the Mountaineers and then the two sides traded baskets over the next several minutes before Herzberg converted on a fast-break layup to give Corban a three-point lead.
EOU once again had the answer, however, and retook the lead through some key buckets from Washington and Bryan McGriff.
Still, Corban kept things close down the stretch, and when Jake Love nailed a three-pointer with two minutes remaining, the Warriors trailed by just eight points. Corban was unable to get the defensive stops it needed however in the remaining time, resulting in the 12-point defeat.
One of the keys to EOU's win was second-chance points, as the Mountaineers grabbed 16 offensive boards on the way to scoring 18 second-chance points. In addition, EOU forced Corban into 10 turnovers, resulting in 13 points off those turnovers. Corban on the other hand was only able to score two points off just six EOU turnovers.
Washington finished the game with 27 points for EOU, while McGriff tallied 21. In addition, Blake O'Donnell recorded 17 points for the Mountaineers in the road win.
For Corban, AJ Monterossi totaled a team-best 20 points on a 10-for-21 shooting effort to go with six assists and six boards. Herzberg was the only other Warrior in double-figures with 10 points.
Corban (13-9, 6-6 CCC) returns to the court on Wednesday night when it hosts No. 12-ranked Northwest Christian University. Tipoff 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
