OLYMPIA, Wash. – With just over nine minutes left to play in Friday evening's battle with The Evergreen State College, the Corban University men's basketball team faced down an 18-point deficit. The Warriors stormed back to earn their first triumph in Olympia since 2014, downing the Geoducks by a final tally of 98-93.

The 18-point margin is the highest deficit overcome by the squad since its buzzer-beating classic against College of Idaho last January.

"Our guys showed tremendous heart and toughness to be down that much and to rally back," said head coach Mitch Freeman. "Evergreen State was fantastic, and they deserve a lot of credit for how well they played, especially in the first half. In the second half we played together and with a chip on our shoulder, creating momentum on both sides of the floor!"

After the Warriors claimed the game's first two baskets, Evergreen went on a 17-1 run in the opening minutes to take a commanding early lead.

The Geoducks shot at otherworldly marks in the first half, shooting 58.8% from the floor and 62.5% from deep en route to 51 points. Evergreen took a 14-point advantage into the locker room in its pursuit of its first Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) victory of the season.

Undeterred, the Warriors began chipping away at the margin to draw even, something they wouldn't accomplish until Taylor Anderson sank a jumper with 1:04 left in regulation. With momentum on Corban's side, back-to-back steals from Mauricio Smith and Jason Smarr effectively sealed the comeback, as the Warriors walked away with their grittiest win yet of the 2019-20 campaign.

Smith was brilliant off the bench, registering a season-high 21 points in reserve. He led all Warriors in scoring, while also racking up eight rebounds.

AJ Hodges turned in the type of performance Corban fans have come to expect, ending the night with 20 points. The NAIA All-American hit a number of big free throws down the stretch, part of a perfect 9-for-9 night from the charity stripe.

In total, five members of the Navy and Gold roster—Smith, Hodges, Smarr, Isiah Quintero (14 points, six rebounds) and Beau Roggenbach (13 points, seven rebounds)—eclipsed double figures in the well-rounded attack.

For the Geoducks (3-15, 0-12 CCC), both LaBrandon Price (23 points) and Elijah Fuller (21 points, seven rebounds) were instrumental in the squad's offensive success, but in the end, Evergreen would prove unable to stave off the relentless Warrior rally.

Corban (10-12, 4-8 CCC) will look to build off the victory, setting its sights on a crucial CCC contest tomorrow night against (RV) Northwest University. Tip-off for the battle is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Kirkland, Wash.