PORTLAND, Ore. – In rebounding fashion, the Corban University Women's Basketball team (10-9, 7-6) shook off a road loss last night to earn a hard-fought 52-44 victory at Warner Pacific University (1-18, 1-12) earlier this afternoon.
"Defense and strong efforts were a constant mindset throughout today, and that really carried us in this game," Warriors' Head Coach Bill Pilgeram shared following his team's road win. "We learned a lot about the character of this team in a bounce back win like this one."
The Warriors didn't waste time establishing themselves on the Knights' home court, hitting multiple three-pointers to earn an 11-1 lead at the first media timeout. Corban sophomore guard Gemma LaVergne splashed a three-pointer at the buzzer on the opening possession and followed it up with yet another three-ball on the very next trip down the floor.
Warner Pacific kept the game tight down the stretch of the first quarter, securing a 15-11 deficit after trailing by double-digits for a majority of the opening period. Corban cooled off over the last several minutes to allow the Knights to bounce back but continued to hit shots when it mattered most.
By the second media timeout of the contest, the Knights had made another push to pull within a single possession, trailing 22-19 with 3:51 remaining in the first half. Back-to-back three-pointers from Warner Pac guard Paityn Rhode provided the home squad with an opportunity to build some momentum as the afternoon carried on.
Senior forward Holly Golenor and junior guard Maddie Godwin carried the offense on their shoulders for the next several minutes, Golenor in the paint and Godwin from beyond the three-point line. That momentum allowed the Warriors to jump out to a double-digit lead at 31-21 with a whole half of gameplay to go.
Four different Warriors secured six or more points entering the break, led by Godwin's eight points and two rebounds. Golenor was right behind her with six points and four boards.
The trend of finding the open shooter continued into the third quarter for Corban, as pristine ball movement led to an open shot on the perimeter by Warriors' redshirt freshman guard Izzy Boring which she drained to keep the Knights second half opening 6-0 run at bay.
The Navy and Gold held the Knights scoreless over the final 3:10 of the third quarter to take a demanding 47-33 lead into the final period of play, with Godwin and Boring taking control of the scoring at 12 points apiece. Meanwhile, Golenor remained the defensive juggernaut to keep the Warner Pac paint clean, swatting multiple shots and collecting several rebounds thus far.
Corban just needed to find a little more consistency on defense over the final 10 minutes of play if they wanted to find a road win to conclude their weekend in Portland, which they continued to look to Golenor and Boring for in the paint and on the perimeter, respectively.
Warner Pacific was diligent in their ability to keep the game within striking distance, but the physicality and playmaking execution by Corban kept the Knights from completing the upset on the home court.
With 31.7 seconds remaining, Warner Pacific connected on a putback jumper by guard Amalya Sales to minimize the deficit to eight points, staring at a 49-41 scoreboard with an opportunity to force Corban into making their free-throws. The very next possession, Knights' forward Alexa Mee hit an and-one layup in transition, converting on the free-throw to pull the home squad within two possessions.
However, the Warriors hit all their free-throws down the stretch the nullify the Knights' comeback bid in the closing minutes, allowing the Navy and Gold to leave Portland with a 52-44 victory.
Boring solidified Corban's victory with one of her best performances of the season, dropping 12 points and hauling in six rebounds along the way. Godwin turned around a cold first half performance to finish with a game-high 15 points, adding four rebounds and a trio of assists as well. Golenor was close to securing another double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds to lead the Warriors under the basket, bolstering her defensive resume by blocking another three shots.
Knights' forward Emily Brown paced the way for the home team with 12 points and six boards before fouling out less than two minutes remaining in the contest. Guard McKeeley Tonkin followed in suit with 10 points, five rebounds, and three steals.
Corban Women's Basketball returns to the court this upcoming Tuesday, January 24th for a midweek contest with I-5 rival Bushnell University Beacons (12-6, 9-4) at 5:30pm PST.
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