PORTLAND, Ore. – In what was a welcome sight to the Warrior faithful, the Corban University men's basketball team rolled to an impressive Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) season-opening triumph over the Warner Pacific Knights. The Navy and Gold outscored WPU 52-32 in the second half of the game, extending their lead from three points at halftime, to 23 at the final horn. The Warriors finished off the Knights by the final score of 81-58.

"Today was a great start to the season for us," said head coach Taylor Kelly. "Our guys battled for one another for 40 full minutes."

Corban sunk their shots at a rather impressive 46% clip, going 29-of-63 from the field.

Kendall Moore and Jordan Newt accounted for the bulk of the perimeter scoring, as they combined to drill eight three-pointers in 15 tries. They also combined for 42 points, as Moore contributed 22 of them, while Newt tacked on 20 of his own. Moore (six rebounds) and Newt (five rebounds) added to their incredible nights by helping on the boards and on the defensive end, accounting for three combined steals.

"Kendall and Jordan did a great job of attacking and ensuring that we executed when we needed to," said Kelly.

Isiah Quintero showed up in the post for the Navy and Gold, as he hit at a 6-of-8 clip and drained all five of his free throw attempts. He finished just a single rebound shy of a double-double, with 17 points and nine backboards. He added value for the Warriors in rim protection as well, sending away a shot in the game.

"Isiah was dominant in the paint, and was the matchup nightmare that we all know him to be," said Kelly.

Corban received a superb effort in rebounding and defensive play from Dirk Helaire II in this one. He only finished one basket for the Warriors, but he tallied double-digit boards with 11, and swiped the orange from five Knight ball handlers in the battle.

"Dirk did an incredible job of defending and rebounding for our team," said Kelly. "It was a great team effort, and I am excited to see how they build upon it tomorrow."

Warner Pacific did not have much success in this game, as they limped to a 31.3% shooting performance on Friday night. Drew Magaoay stood out for WPU, as he finished 5-of-12 from the floor, and added five made free throws in six attempts. His 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals helped lead the Knight attack.

The Navy and Gold (2-1, 1-0 CCC) will face the Knights again on Saturday, as they hope to replicate what they were able to accomplish on Friday evening. The bout is slated to start at 3 p.m. in Portland.