SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University women's basketball team split its Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) weekend with Oregon Institute of Technology winning the finale, 66-61 in overtime, Saturday afternoon inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

With the win, Corban improves to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in CCC games. Meanwhile, Oregon Tech evens its overall and conference records at 2-2.

"That's a big win for the Warriors," exclaimed head coach Bill Pilgeram! "We talked of wanting to defend our home court today and compete for 40 minutes and they did exactly that. We were able to win with defense and rebounding in the second half."

Halle Wright led the Navy and Gold scoring a game-high 24 points, including a combined 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Wright also tallied eight rebounds, a team-best tying four assists, three steals and two blocked shots in 40 minutes of action.

"Halle's leadership and contribution down the stretch was phenomenal," added Pilgeram.

Wright was aided statistically by Holly Golenor with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Gemma LaVergne added 14 points and a team-best tying four assists to go along with nine points and a game-high 16 rebounds by Shaelie Burgess.

The game began with four ties over the opening five minutes before Corban used a mini 5-0 run to secure a 13-8 lead on a lay-in by Golenor with 3:24 remaining in the first quarter. Oregon Tech regained the lead (14-13) with 27 seconds left before the Navy and Gold scored the final points of the opening quarter taking a 15-14 lead into the second quarter.

Quarter #2 started with Oregon Tech scoring eight of the first 10 combined points, as the Lady Owls took a 22-17 lead on a jumper in the paint by Melissa Lee at the 8:18 mark. Corban got within a single point (22-21) before OIT used an 8-1 run to close out the first half taking a 30-22 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the locker room, Corban matched OIT's performance to start the previous quarter by scoring eight of the first 10 combined points to pull within a single bucket (32-30) on a jumper by Lavergne with 7:18 on the clock. Following Lavergne's basket, Oregon Tech spring boarded 39-30 lead behind a 7-0 run that concluded on a lay-in by Maddyson Tull with just over four minutes left in the third quarter. Using its never-say-die attitude, the Navy and Gold closed out the quarter on a 9-3 run getting within three points (42-39) heading into the fourth period.

The fourth period started quickly for the host Warriors, as they took their first lead since the concluding seconds of the first quarter, 45-44, on a Wright jumper in the paint at the 8:07 mark. Neither team would hold more than a two-point lead over the next two-plus minutes until Oregon Tech broke a 48-48 tie with a 7-3 run to pull in front by four points (55-51) with 3:21 left in regulation. Riding the leadership of Wright, Burgess, and Golenor, the Navy and Gold fought back to tie the score at 55-55 before taking the lead 57-55 on a Golenor lay-in with just over a minute remaining. Oregon Tech rode the back of Abby Kreiser in the final minute, as she scored the Lady Owls' final four points that included back-to-back free throws to tie the score at 59-all with 12 seconds left. Corban had a chance to win, but a baseline jumper rattled off the rim and fell into the awaiting arms of an OIT player to force extra play.

In overtime, Corban held Oregon Tech scoreless over the opening four-plus minutes. The Navy and Gold answered its defensive efforts by scoring the first five points, as Wright and Golenor combining for four of the team's points capped by a Wright free throw with 47 seconds left to give the home team a 64-59 lead. Oregon Tech's Kristen Farrell scored the team's final points on a pair of free throws before Golenor sealed the victory for Corban with two free throws of her own leading to the 66-61 win.

Oregon Tech was led offensively by Farrell and Emma McKenney with 11 points each, while Kreiser added 10 points, a game-high 10 assists, and seven rebounds. On the boards, Courtney Clemmer and Farrell pulled down 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively, while McKenney registered a pair of steals for the Lady Owls.

As a team, Corban combined to shoot 26-for-70 (37.1%) from the field. The Warriors were also 2-of-12 (16.7%) from beyond the three-point line and 12-of-31 (38.7%) at the free throw line. On the other hand, Oregon Tech was a combined 24-of-85 (28.2%) from the field, 5-of-29 (17.2%) from long distance, and 8-of-10 (80.0%) at the charity stripe.

Corban will be back in action with a pair of conference games next weekend against I-5 rival Bushnell University starting on Friday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center in Salem.

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