SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University women's basketball team used runs in the second and fourth quarters to earn a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) weekend split with Warner Pacific University picking up the victory, 72-64, Saturday afternoon inside C.C. Perry Gymnasium.

"We had balanced scoring today and attacked their defense much better," said head coach Bill Pilgeram. "Halle was a huge floor leader on both ends of the court, ending up just three rebounds shy of a triple-double."

With the win, Corban improves to 3-1 overall and evens its conference record at 1-1. Meanwhile, Warner Pacific falls to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in conference games.

The Navy and Gold were led offensively by Halle Wright, who came up three rebounds shy of a triple-double, with game-highs of 19 points and 10 assists. The first-year Warrior also tallied seven boards and a pair of steals.

Wright was aided offensively by a pair of Warriors – Shaelie Burgess and Holly Golenor – with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Golenor also led Corban with a game-high nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end of the floor.

The game would begin with Warner Pacific building an early six-point lead (12-6) on a three-pointer by Lynden Harry with just over six minutes left in the first quarter. Over the next four-plus minutes, Corban used a 14-2 run to pull ahead by six points (20-14) thanks to a Wright three-pointer with just under two minutes left. The Knights' Hannah Myers would score the final points of the opening quarter, as Corban took a four-point lead (20-16) into the second quarter.

The second quarter would begin with Harry making another three-pointer for Warner Pacific to pull the Knights within a single point (20-19). Over the next 87 seconds, Corban used a 7-0 run that was bookended by a three-pointer and a bucket in the paint by Lee Audrey Norris as the visiting Warriors built a 27-19 lead with 8:20 left in the first half. Warner Pacific would pull within four points (27-23) thanks to four straight points by Gabriella Bruno before the Navy and Gold used a 14-1 run over a span of seven minutes to earn their largest lead of the game, 43-24, on back-to-back free throws by Karlie Gerlinger with 1:11 on the clock. Corban took a double-digit lead into the locker room, as the Warriors outscored Warner Pacific, 23-10, in the second quarter en route to earning a 43-26 lead at halftime.  

In the third quarter, Corban held a double-digit lead throughout most of the 10-minute frame. The Warriors pushed their lead to 18 points (50-32) on a Golenor basket in the paint with just under eight minutes left. Unfortunately, that would be as much as Corban would lead in the third quarter, as Warner Pacific closed out the frame on a 15-6 run to pull within single digits (56-47) heading into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter would start with Warner Pacific extending its third quarter run to 20-6, as the host Knights scored the first five points to pull within four (56-52) on an old-fashion three-point play by Myers with 9:14 left in the game. Warner Pacific would continue to apply the pressure getting within a single basket, 62-60, on a three-pointer by Khloe Snair with 6:24 on the clock. That would be as close as the Knights would get, as Corban used a quick 8-0 run over the next four-plus minutes to secure what would turn out to be an insurmountable 70-60 lead on a Burgess bucket in the paint with 1:53 left. Over the game's final two minutes, the Navy and Gold would turn up the defensive pressure and continued to hold the lead culminating in a 72-64 victory for the visiting team.

"The team responded really well to the Warner Pacific run in the fourth quarter and closed the game out well," added Pilgeram.

Warner Pacific was led offensively by Courtney Jackson and Bruno with 16 points each, while Harry added 10 points of her own. On the boards, Bruno pulled down a team-high six rebounds to go along with Harry's team-leading three assists.

As a team, Corban combined to shoot 28-for-55 (50.9%) from the field that included a 6-for-11 (54.6%) clip in the third quarter. The Warriors were also a combined 8-for-18 (44.4%) from beyond the three-point line and 8-of-13 (61.5%) at the free throw line. On the other hand, Warner Pacific was a combined 22-of-58 (37.9%) from the field, 8-of-21 (38.1%) from long distance, and 12-of-14 (85.7%) at the charity stripe.

Corban will return to action when the Warriors host the Lady Owls of Oregon Institute of Technology in a Cascade Collegiate Conference weekend series beginning on Friday, March 26, with a 12:00 p.m. tipoff inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center. 

Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l Twitter  l Instagram l Snapchat l  YouTube l  Email

Download our App: iOS (iPhone/iPad) l Android