SALEM, Ore. – The 17th-ranked Eastern Oregon University women's basketball team came out firing on Sunday afternoon, leading from start to finish in a 76-56 triumph over Corban University. The loss for the Warriors snaps their six-game winning streak.
"Eastern came out ready to play today," said Corban head coach Michelle Skyles. "They're so well-coached and deep that it was tough for us to compete with them in the first half. Their defensive and offensive efficiency was, as always, as solid as they come."
After taking an 8-0 lead inside of the first three minutes, the Mountaineers closed the first quarter strong to lead by seven points heading into quarter number two.
Corban continued to struggle to break down EOU's defense in the second quarter, scoring just 10 points while the Mountaineers tallied 21, and at the halftime break, EOU led Corban, 41-23.
In the second stanza, Corban came out strong, hitting a pair of three-pointers to keep things close, and by the end of third quarter, Corban trailed by just 15 points. In the fourth, the Warriors tried to get some momentum going, but for every offensive spurt, EOU had an answer, resulting in the 20-point road triumph for the Mountaineers.
"We challenged the team at the halftime break to come out and fight in the second half, and we really did," said Skyles. "We made our run and closed it to 11 and then they had five points in a matter of 20 seconds. They were too much to overcome today."
For EOU, the team shot 46.8% overall while making eight three-pointers and shooting 36.4% from deep. The Mountaineers also forced Corban into 13 turnovers while committing just nine themselves. In addition, EOU dished out 18 assists in the win.
Corban shot just 35.1% as a team, but did hit seven long-range shots to keep the game within touching distance for a while. Ultimately, the early deficit was just too much to overcome.
"I was proud of how our team came out and played hard in the second half and our guards took a lot better care of the ball today," said Skyles. "It has been a tough weekend and it will continue into this next week. Having four league games in a week makes it challenging, but hopefully we will respond well."
For EOU, May Ay You led the way with 16 points, six boards, and three assists, while Stormee Van Belle tallied 12 points to go with a team-best seven rebounds.
Maci Benedict led Corban offensively with 11 points, while Jordan Rasberry was very efficient from the field with nine points on a 4-for-7 shooting effort to go with a game-high nine rebounds. Additionally, both Sadie Pilgeram and Maddey Pflaumer added eight points in the defeat.
Corban (12-8, 6-6 CCC) returns to the hardwood on Wednesday night when it hosts Northwest Christian University. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
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