SALEM, Ore. – A 2022-23 campaign by the Corban University Women's Basketball team showed revitalization and immense growth as the Warriors added seven wins from their 2021-22 season ending. The 12-17 record proved to be enough to secure a 7-seed in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament.
With the renewed optimism, an experienced core has added several youthful weapons due to talented incoming freshman. Click HERE to read all about the incoming class.
With an experienced backcourt of players like seniors Maddie Godwin and Kirsten Koehnke anchoring the program, talented freshman Autumn Agnew and junior Alyssa Wyllie look to back up the experienced duo. Although the Warriors only bring back one CCC Honorable Mention player, Godwin, the veteran presence of juniors Gemma Lavergne and Madison Hodnett will continue to help steady the team despite the overall youthful roster. Sophomores Sevennah Van De Riet and Mandie Jensen will add depth to the frontcourt alongside talented freshmen Lizzy Bennett, Tayla Yost and Teayona Hoard.
To view the team's 2023-24 roster, click HERE.
Corban kicks off their 2023-24 campaign at home with a crosstown battle against NCAA DIII Willamette University at 2pm this upcoming Saturday in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center on Corban's campus. Corban lost to Willamette University last year 57-66 on the Bearcats' home court.
Fans can follow along via the live stream for Saturday's 'Battle for Salem' by clicking HERE. Live stats will be made available by HERE.
"We have had a very good preseason and it is time to test this team against other competition," Warriors' Head Coach Bill Pilgeram stated. "The team has worked hard and have come together as a unit. Our non-conference schedule pits us against tough NCAA and NAIA opponents which will give us a sense of where we are and prepare us for a very competitive conference slate."
This weekend's matchup will kick off an eight-game non-conference slate for Corban, which will wrap up with an away game against the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. on December 30th.
Conference play will officially begin on December 1st, when the Warriors head up the I-5 corridor to Multnomah University followed by a battle against Warner Pacific University the following day. The Navy and Gold will then have their first home game in 39 days on Tim Hills Court against Bushnell University on December 8th, before hitting the road against Lewis-Clark State College and Walla Walla University on December 15th and 16th. The Warriors will have their last game before the holiday break against Linfield University on December 18th at noon, where the program will be hosting their annual Field Trip game.
In total, the Navy and Gold will have 22 conference games this winter, where the regular season champion of the CCC will earn the grouping's first automatic berth to the NAIA Tournament.
The second CCC bid will go to the victor of the conference tournament (or tournament runner-up, if the regular-season champion also wins the tournament), which is slated to take place on February 27 through March 4 at various campus sites.
Click HERE to see the squad's complete schedule for the upcoming season.
Godwin announced her presence to the CCC last year, scoring 11.6 points per game with 26 steals on the season to garner Honorable Mention CCC honors. Godwin's quickness and toughness will be on display this year as she looks to continue to make her mark on the program.
Meanwhile, the addition of Koehnke to the Warrior program continues to resound within the teams she's a focal point of. Koehnke provided 6.3 points per game as well as 5.7 rebounds per game, but what most impacted the program was her leadership on the court. Expect to see Koehnke continue to lead on the court in her final season with the Navy and Gold.
A young group of sophomores were essential in the revival of the program last year. Combine that with the talented group of freshmen and the future is looking bright for the Warriors. Van De Riet, Jensen and sophomore Anya Remsburg look to take steps in their development to compliment Agnew, Yost, Bennett, and Hoard as the young nucleus is poised to impact the conference.
Participating in the ever-competitive CCC offers no easy contests, and combined with talented additions and a motivated core, the Warriors feel capable of exceeding preseason expectations in the conference where they were selected to finish sixth in the CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
The squad's goal is to make a return trip once again to the NAIA National Tournament, something they last accomplished in the 2018-19 season. The NAIA Championship Final Site will take place in Sioux City, Iowa from March 21st to 26th.
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