SALEM, Ore. – Set to compete in the 2021-22 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, the Corban University men's basketball team will host in-state rival Southern Oregon University on Wednesday, February 23 in a tournament quarterfinal. The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to the CCC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday night.

Tournament Central

"It's an honor to represent Warrior Nation in the CCC Tournament," head coach Taylor Kelly said. "It is a great time of year, where all the work each team has put in comes to a point of either winning or the season is over. We love our resilient brotherhood and we don't want it to end."

The fourth-seeded Warriors will be hosting one of four quarterfinals happening across the conference on Wednesday night, with top-seeded College of Idaho facing off against eighth-seeded Multnomah in Caldwell, No. 2-seeded Oregon Tech hosting No. 7 Warner Pacific in Klamath Falls, and No. 3-seeded Lewis-Clark State College welcoming sixth-seeded Eastern Oregon to Lewiston.

The CCC Semifinals, which will take place at 7 p.m. (local time) on Saturday evening, will consist of the four winners from Wednesday's action; the highest remaining seed will host the lowest remaining seed, and the second-highest remaining seed will welcome the second-lowest remaining seed.

The CCC Championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, and the winner of that game will earn the conference's second automatic berth to the NAIA Championships. As the CCC Regular-Season Champion, top-seeded and No. 9-ranked College of Idaho earned the conference's first bid to the national tournament; should the Yotes also claim the upcoming CCC Tournament title, then the tournament runner-up would advance to the NAIA Championships.

Corban (19-11, 14-8 CCC) and fifth-seeded Southern Oregon (16-14, 13-9 CCC) split their two-game regular-season series, with each team winning on its home court. When the Warriors and Raiders met at Tim Hills Court in January, the Navy and Gold won an unforgettable overtime thriller by a final score of 87-80.

Corban is one of the conference's best squads from the perimeter, ranking second in the CCC in team field-goal percentage from beyond the arc (35.8%) in the regular season. Much of that is due to the team's dynamic core of guards, which is led by 2021 First-Team All-Conference honoree Jordan Newt (11.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.8 1.8 SPG), 2021 CCC Newcomer of the Year Kendall Moore (team-leading 11.8 PPG), Taylor Anderson (10.1 PPG, 51.7% FG) and Mateo Escheik (10.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG). That quartet accounts for the squad's top-four scorers, and the versatility and hustle of Psalm Maduakor—who leads the team in rebounding (5.7 RPG) and averages 7.2 points-per-game—has helped the squad both on the perimeter and in the paint.

Down low, Denis Kirichenko (8 PPG, 4.5 RPG) and Darius Henderson (8.6 PPG, 5 RPG) have been impressive all year, and they should each play key roles in the squad's postseason push, as well.

The key to Corban's success is its defense, however, as the squad has made a name for itself by creating points off turnovers and defensive stops.

The Warriors rank first in the conference in both steals (260 total, nine steals-per-game) and turnover margin (+5.90 per game), and their ability to execute defensively typically correlates directly with their success on the other end of the floor, as well.

Meanwhile, Southern Oregon also relies heavily on its defense, and the Raiders rank toward the bottom of the conference in scoring with 72.1 points-per-game on average this winter.

Southern's top threat is Josh Meyer, who enters the postseason averaging 14.6 points-per-game (11^th in the CCC) and ranking third in the conference in rebounding (8.8 RPG). Tez Allen also provides a big presence under the rim, averaging 10.4 points-per-game and 7.2 rebounds-per-game down low. In the back court, Atmar Mundu (11.4 PPG, 40.1% 3PT) is a dangerous threat for the visitors from Ashland.

By the time Wednesday evening comes around, it will have been three years to the day since Corban last hosted a CCC men's basketball playoff game on its home court.

Speaking directly to Corban's fans, Kelly added: "Warrior Nation, our quest to bring home a CCC Tournament Championship starts Wednesday at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center, and we hope to see you there as we take on conference rival Southern Oregon!"

Live stats/live video of the must-watch matchup will be available HERE.