SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University men's basketball team officially sealed its spot in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament on Friday afternoon, defeating Walla Walla University by a 75-63 final tally. Set to be honored at Senior Day tomorrow, seniors Denis Kirichenko (22 PTS, 7 REB) and Jordan Newt (21 PTS, 8 REB) led the charge for the Navy and Gold.
CLICK HERE to watch highlights from the win.
"Tonight was not as crisp as we would like to be, but we were able to find a way to get stops and make some baskets down the stretch to finish the game," head coach Taylor Kelly stated afterwards. "Denis and Jordan played fantastic for us by sticking big shots and rebounding well. Kendall Moore created a lot of great opportunities for us down the stretch to help close the game out."
The early portion of the matinee appeared to be leading towards a blowout, as Corban opened the contest on a blistering 19-2 run. The Warrior offense cooled off slightly after that, but the hometown team still boasted a 12-point advantage at the midway point (42-30).
The Navy and Gold offense struggled mightily in the early portion of the second half, however, scoring just 10 points in the first 12 minutes of the second period. That allowed the Wolves to climb within four points, but the Corban offense was revitalized in the stretch run, bouncing back to pull away in the game's final minutes.
Moore scored all seven of his points in the second half, energizing the Navy and Gold with a number of clutch baskets off the bench.
It was Kirichenko who starred in the victory, racking up a new career-high in scoring (22 PTS, 10-of-14 FG) just a day before playing his final regular-season home game for the Navy and Gold. Newt finished just a couple boards shy of a double-double, and fellow senior Psalm Maduakor grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to go alongside five points.
CLICK HERE to watch Kirichenko's post-game interview.
Taylor Anderson ended the afternoon with 13 points and a team-best five assists, rounding out the Warriors' double-digit scorers.
For Walla Walla, star big man KiAndre Gaddy ended the contest with monster numbers (24 PTS, 16 REB), while Ethan Ford (12 PTS, 9 REB) and Andrew Vaughan (11 PTS) also reached double figures.
Corban (17-10, 12-7 CCC) will round out its regular-season home slate tomorrow, hosting Lewis-Clark State College at 5 p.m. on Tim Hills Court. The Warriors' 2022 senior class will be honored prior to the action.
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