COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. – The No. 24-ranked Corban University men's basketball team struggled to find its offensive rhythm on Friday, faltering in overtime to Walla Walla University by an 82-74 tally. As a team, the Warriors shot 32.9% from the field, going 7-of-34 (20.6%) from beyond the arc.
"It was not our best performance tonight," said head coach Mitch Freeman. "Walla Walla did a great job of creating turnovers and forcing tough shots throughout the entire game. We need to be better on both sides of the ball and we need to do it quickly, as we go again tomorrow."
It took 3:18 for the Navy and Gold to get on the board in the contest, a start that would foreshadow an afternoon filled with offensive frustration.
Corban would trim the first-period deficit via a 10-2 run to close out the half. The hot stretch would pull the Warriors within two at the midway point, despite the squad shooting just over 30 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
The low-scoring theme would continue in the second half, with the lead changing hands on multiple occasions in the defensive battle. Trailing by seven points with 1:48 left to play, the Warriors mounted an impressive comeback—capped off by a clutch bucket from Beau Roggenbach—to even the score and force overtime.
Nine of the Wolves' 16 overtime points came courtesy of the charity stripe, with the hometown squad taking just four shots from the floor in the five-minute period. Ethan Ford scored eight of his 18 points after the end of regulation, helping Walla Walla seal the upset bid.
KiAndre Gaddy led the squad with his exceptional performance in the paint, scoring 24 points and collecting 19 rebounds in the triumph. Dylan Browning was also impressive, ending the night with 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting.
For the Warriors, Roggenbach carried the load in his first double-double of the 2019 campaign. The junior forward scored a season-high 20 points, while also bringing down 14 boards.
Elijah Welch was the only other member of the Corban roster to reach double-figures, turning in an 18-point performance on 6-of-10 shooting.
Corban (6-6, 0-2 CCC) will have a chance to avenge the loss tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., taking on the Wolves for the second-consecutive night.
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