SALEM, Ore. – Two huge performances from a pair of upperclassmen are exactly what the Corban University Men's Basketball team needed to rebound from a season opening loss on the road, as the Warriors returned to the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center and secured an 86-68 victory over NCAA DIII Pacific University earlier this afternoon. Corban claimed their first win of the season in style, while the Boxers utilized today's contest as an exhibition to open their non-conference slate.

"Tonight was a great home opening win for us," Warriors' head coach Taylor Kelly stated. "We had some guys really step up and play well for us. Aundree and Collin had big double-doubles, and Taylor really controlled the pace of play for us and helped finish the game down the stretch. I'm really proud of our group and excited to see what we can become."

A suspect first half that included ten lead changes was quickly eradicated over the second half, as the Warriors (1-1) doubled their halftime lead in a matter of minutes and eventually pushed their advantage to as many as 19 points thanks to the dominating performances of a pair of transfer juniors and a seasoned Navy and Gold veteran.

Ten more points off their bench and outscoring the Boxers (0-0) by ten points in second chance opportunities was a massive advantage for Corban, stretching the floor to create opportunities both in the paint and beyond the three-point line. At the center of the entire spectacle the Warriors put on this afternoon was one of the newest additions to the program, transfer junior Aundree Polk, who caught fire from the field and was everywhere all at once off the glass.

Polk secured the first double-double of his Corban career thanks to game-high marks in both scoring (22 points) and rebounding (12 boards), as the Portland native hit nearly 50% of his field goals and a more impressive 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. The double-double performances didn't stop there for the Warriors, with senior guard Collin Warmouth dropping 12 points, hunting down 11 rebounds, and dishing out a game-high four assists for his first double-double under Coach Kelly's guidance.

Junior forward Jay Wilson came off the bench this afternoon to provide incredible important minutes in the paint, playing only 19 minutes yet scoring 18 points with some massive two-hand jams and added eight key boards. Additionally, the big man was the team leader in steals with a trio of them against the Boxers, hauling in three of the Warriors' 12 offensive rebounds on the day.

Pacific forward Devin Fortune kept the visiting team in the mix for a majority of the first half thanks to his 16 total points and 10 rebounds for the only double-double on the Boxers' bench, connecting on eight of his 11 field goal attempts to lead the starters in percentage. Guard Lucas Winkler added 15 points for his program with a game-high five steals, three rebounds, and three assists.

Coach Kelly and his crew will hit the road and head back to Montana for the Comfort Suites Classic, hosted by Carroll College on November 10th and 11th. They'll kick the tourney off against Montana State University-Northern (3-1) on the night of the 10th, followed by the tournament host Saints (0-2) on the 11th at 7:30pm MT.

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