SALEM, Ore. – The Lewis-Clark State College men's basketball escaped the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center with a 68-67 victory over Corban University on Saturday, spoiling the Navy and Gold's Senior Day celebration in a contest that came down to the very last shot.
"Tonight was a tough loss for us," said head coach Taylor Kelly. "We came out flat and didn't have the appropriate level of fight to start the game. We responded and made it a really close, hard-fought game; that is a testament to our team's toughness and commitment to one another. Unfortunately, we came up short. We still have a lot to play for and we are battling to get a home playoff game, I can't wait to see how our guys respond."
A sloppy start plagued the Navy and Gold, as the hometown team spotted the visitors with a sizeable advantage in the first half. Just over four minutes in, Corban held a 7-6 lead, but LCSC would go on a 19-2 run over the course of the next seven minutes, putting the hometown squad in a corner early.
Corban trimmed the deficit to eight by the midway point, and the squad came out of the break strong to the tune of an 11-3 run to open the second half, knotting the game at 36 apiece.
While the Navy and Gold briefly held the lead after that, the team spent the majority of the second half playing catchup, at one point trailing by double-digits with just four minutes left to play.
Showing its resiliency, Corban clawed its way back into the contest, pulling within one on a three-pointer from Jordan Newt with four seconds left.
After a foul and a pair of missed LC State free throws, Corban had a chance for a miracle buzzer beater, as Mateo Escheik lofted up a prayer from beyond half court as the final horn sounded. Unfortunately for the Navy and Gold, the shot clanked off the front of the rim, and the visiting Warriors earned a weighty conference triumph in nail-biting fashion.
With the win, both LC State and Corban now possess a 12-8 record in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play with just one weekend of games remaining.
Oreon Courtney was brilliant down low for LCSC in the win, registering a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 11 boards. Nathan Fromm (13 PTS, 8 REB) and Al Sommerfield (11 PTS, 4 REB) also made their presences felt on the offensive end.
Newt ended the night with a team-leading 15 points, followed closely by Mateo Escheik, who notched 14 of his own.
Registering his first double-double as a Corban Warrior on his Senior Night, Psalm Maduakor (13 PTS, 12 REB) was invaluable for Kelly and company, serving as a difference-maker on both sides of the ball in the tough loss.
Kendall Moore rounded out Corban's double-digit scorers, ending the night with 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
With just two more conference games remaining, Corban currently sits in a tie for fourth place with LCSC in the CCC standings. The top-four squads at the end of the regular-season will earn the right to host a CCC Quarterfinal matchup.
The Navy and Gold (17-11, 12-8 CCC) will round out its regular-season slate next weekend, heading north for battles against The Evergreen State College (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) and Northwest University (Saturday, 5 p.m.).
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