SALEM, Ore. – Warrior Nation experienced a fun one tonight at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center, as the Corban University Women's Basketball team fought back from trailing nearly the entire contest to The Evergreen State College Geoducks (7-10, 4-10), forcing an overtime period and fidning their groove both offensively and defensively when it mattered most down the stretch of their 71-65 victory.

"You have to love the perseverance and resiliency of this team!" Corban Head Coach Bill Pilgeram said with enthusiasm following his team's come-from-behind victory. "They battled through all of the runs in this game, especially after getting down in the second quarter."

Pilgeram went on to say, "Balanced scoring, getting to the free throw line, and keeping the advantage on the boards were key factors in this comeback win."

In a contest that featured five lead changes and 13 forced ties, the Geoducks handled business through a majority of the first half and beyond, scoring the opening points and leading for all but a little over a minute of the first quarter. Despite the Warriors shooting the ball exceptionally well in the first half by hitting 60% of their field goal attempts, eight turnovers compared to just one from Evergreen State provided the Geoducks with a slight five-point advantage through the first ten minutes of action.

The Navy and Gold responded immediately in the second quarter, enduring the first two points scored on them by dropping seven-straight points to tie this contest up, with six of those points coming from the hands of senior forward Holly Golenor.

Back-and-forth the Warriors and Geoducks went over the next several minutes, going shot-for-shot to force five different ties, with neither team holding more than a single possession advantage. A jumper from redshirt freshman Izzy Boring with 49 seconds remaining pulled the Warriors to within a single point, and Corban held the visitors scoreless on their final possession to see both teams locked in a 36-35 brawl at the break.

Golenor led the Warriors thus far with 10 points and four rebounds, while sophomore guard Gemma LaVergne splashed a pair of three-pointers to help keep Corban within striking distance. Geoducks' guard Monique Bungay paced all scorers with 11 points and was responsible for a pair of steals through 16 minutes played.

The Warriors tied the contest on the opening possession, then both squads began trading leads once again, with neither team willing to completely break over the pressure. However, once Corban held a 43-41 score in their favor, Evergreen State scored eight-straight points to swing the momentum back in their favor and taking the biggest lead of the night. LaVergne salvaged a third quarter meltdown for the Warriors with a buzzer-beating three-pointer in the corner of Corban's bench to trail 49-46 with one final quarter of action to be played.

After neither team could put points on the board through the first three minutes of the fourth period, the Geoducks hit back-to-back shots from beyond the three-point arc to put the Warriors in a nine-point hole, with the impending ticks of the game clock nearing the final minutes.

Nonetheless, the Navy and Gold pressed forward, scoring the next nine points to tie this contest up once again, now with less than two minutes remaining. The only other points to be scored in the fourth quarter came via the free throw line, as both teams knocked down a pair apiece, with the Warriors earning one final shot at the horn. However, their half-court attempt was released just too late and falling far short of the goal, sending everyone at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center to an overtime period, the first of the year for either Corban Basketball squad on their home floor.

The starting lineup finally took control for Corban in the overtime minutes, as LaVergne converted on all three of her fouled three-point attempt free-throws, while Golenor and Boring earned trip after trip to the charity stripe. The momentum shift that would decide tonight's game came from junior guard Maddie Godwin, who hit a step back three-ball on the wing to give the Warriors a 63-59 and force Evergreen State into fouling to keep their hopes alive.

After shooting well below 50% from the free throw line through the first four quarters of play, the Navy and Gold found their composure to score a perfect 9-for-9 in the overtime period that would prove to clinch the contest and elevate the Warriors back over .500 on the season and in conference play.

Godwin's three-pointer in the overtime period game her one of two game-high marks in scoring on the evening, finishing with 17 points, adding four rebounds, and dealing out a pair of assists. LaVergne shot 50% from the field to score 14 points while nabbing season-high marks in rebounds (8) and assists (4).

Falling just one rebound shy of another double-double was Golenor, who matched LaVergne's 14 points and added an extra rebound at nine for the contest. Meanwhile, Boring scored a season-high 15 points and added a quartet of assists, rebounds, and steals.

Geoducks' Bungay earned the other game-high in points by posting 17 points of her own alongside Godwin, adding four steals along the way. Forward Jalyn Sackrider earned the only double-double of the contest with an even 12 points and 12 boards.

Corban Women's Basketball will be back in action tomorrow on Tim Hills Court at 3pm PST, as the Warriors look to earn another conference season sweep, this time against the Northwest University Eagles (5-14, 3-11) in their final home game for the next three weeks. You can purchase tickets ahead of time by clicking HERE and selecting your game of choice.

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