COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. – A night after struggling to connect from anywhere on the court, the Corban University Men's Basketball team returned to its former glory with a 101-66 drubbing of Walla Walla University at Windemuth Court, as the Warriors hit the century mark for the first time this season and enter the Christmas break with just one conference loss before the Cascade Collegiate Conference gauntlet truly begins.
"It feels good to bounce back after a really tough loss," Corban head coach Taylor Kelly stated. "Our guys responded with a greater sense of urgency and competitive drive. It was a well-rounded team effort. I'm proud of the way we defended and shared the ball offensively."
Following one of their coldest offensive outputs of the 2023-24 season thus far in last night's performance, the Warriors (6-3, 4-1) snapped out of their funk and caught fire from the field to start the first half. While the defense performed to their expected level of intensity to allow the Wolves (3-6, 2-3) to convert on only 38.7% of their field goals, the offense cashed in on 62.9% of their own shots to command the scoreboard and lead 55-36 heading into the halftime break.
Junior guard Aundree Polk splashed a deep three-pointer right at then first half horn in a 13-point first half performance for the Portland native, while junior forward Jay Wilson was sitting at 6-for-8 from the field with 14 points and three rebounds. Seven different Warriors had scored to this point in the contest, with 31 of their 55 opening half points coming off the bench.
The scoring trend carried on for the remainder of the evening, as the Warriors bounced back from a difficult loss on Friday night to pummel the Wolves for a 35-point win and enter the holiday break with a decisive road victory.
Coach Kelly saw five of his student-athletes reach the double-digit scoring category tonight in a contest where the bench was cleared with plenty of time remaining on the scoreboard in some crucial minutes for his reserves. A vastly distinctive 56-11 margin in points off each team's bench in favor of Corban kept Walla Walla on their toes all night long, as the Warriors continue to share the ball around the floor no matter who's dishing and receiving.
Polk hit a new career-high mark as a Warrior with 28 points scored tonight, securing ten field goals made on 16 shot attempts, alongside seven rebounds in only 18 minutes played. Senior guard Taylor Anderson pitched in 18 points and three assists, while junior forward Jay Wilson scored 16 points and hauled in five boards.
Walla Walla was led by their big man in the middle, center Soren Dalan, who clinched the only double-double performance of the evening by scoring 16 points and bringing down 11 rebounds. Guard Andrew Vaughan was the team leader in offensive output with a team-high 20 points, four rebounds and three assists.
The Warriors will now enjoy the next week and a half off to rest and rejuvenate before the second half of the season kicks off, as they'll host Portland Bible College for their final non-conference matchup on December 28th at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center with a 4pm tipoff.
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