SALEM, Ore. – The No. 23-ranked Corban University women's basketball team fought the Beacons of Northwest Christian University until the final horn on Tuesday night in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center. The Warriors were unable to pull ahead as the time on the clock grew slim, eventually sending the Beacons back to Eugene with a 71-69 victory over Corban in the Cascade Collegiate Conference's (CCC) opening game of the 2019-20 women's basketball season.
"This was a tough CCC matchup between two good teams," said head coach Bill Pilgeram. "We got some momentum in the second half, but it seemed like NCU hit a clutch shot each time we made a run. We needed a couple more plays down the stretch to have it go our way."
The Navy and Gold began the tilt at an even pace with the Beacons, as they ended the first stanza behind 18-15. The Beacons' Aspen Slifka nailed a half-court buzzer-beating heave at the end of the first to give NCU said lead.
The second quarter was Northwest Christian's best period of play, as they poured in 21 points, including five three-pointers. However, the Warriors remained an annoyance to the Beacons, putting up 17 points of their own. A 39-32 halftime deficit did not seem at all insurmountable for the Corban offense.
The Warriors found their momentum boost in the third period, where they mounted a 13-0 run spanning over a four-and-a-half-minute period. They began the run down by a 49-40 tally, and ended it up 53-49. Great team shooting in the period (57.1%) led to a brand-new game as the fourth quarter would begin with the two teams tied at 54.
The fourth quarter went the Beacons' way, as the Navy and Gold would stay within six points of NCU but never regain the lead.
Jordan Woodvine topped the box score for the Warriors, as she totaled 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting to go along with eight rebounds. She also knocked down two shots from downtown, one being the final basket of the game to beat the buzzer.
Kendra Murphy and Shaelie Burgess added stellar production for the Navy and Gold. Each of the pair ended in double-figures in scoring, with 16 and 14 respectively. In addition, they each contributed seven rebounds to the effort.
Slifka, for NCU, was an impressive spectacle, as she picked up 25 points and eight rebounds. She was a constant threat from long range, hitting on six out of 12 three-point jumpers that she attempted in the matchup.
The Warriors outshot the Beacons in field-goal percentage in the bout by nine percent, but NCU took 12 more shots than the Navy and Gold, only making one shot fewer than Corban. In addition, having 13 made three-pointers in comparison to the six made threes by the Warriors lifted the Northwest Christian Beacons to the triumph.
Corban (4-4, 0-1 CCC) will be facing a weekend back-to-back in College Place, Wash. against Walla Walla University for their next two conference matchups on December 6 and 7.
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