CALDWELL, Idaho – Playing in one of the most intense environments the NAIA has to offer, the Corban University Men's Basketball team (20-10) had their Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament appearance come to an end in the semifinal round against the top team in the country, falling 87-71 to the No. 1-ranked College of Idaho Yotes (29-1) at the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.

"Tonight's game was a tough loss for our guys," Warriors' Head Coach Taylor Kelly said shortly after his squad's semifinal performance. "College of Idaho is the number one team for a reason. Our guys prepared hard to win this game, and we just didn't make the plays when it mattered the most. I'm proud of the way we fought until the very end."

Kelly continued his thoughts about what's next for the Warriors by sharing, "We are praying that when the committee comes together, they see us as worthy of any at-large bid to the National Tournament. Our guys have had a tremendous season and deserve to have an opportunity to make a run on the national stage."

The Yotes provided the visiting Warriors with the same issues on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor that they experienced two weeks ago in their final regular season matchup in Caldwell. C of I's relentless attacks in transition and on the offensive glass caused issues all night long for the Corban defense, as just when they manage to force a stop and near turnover, the Yotes jump right back into their gameplan and find a way to score on almost every trip down the court.

Corban fell behind on the scoreboard from the opening possession and played from behind the remainder of the evening, as the Yotes jumped out to a 9-0 run before the Warriors finally found the bottom of their own basket. They would eventually pull to within two possessions on a pair of occasions, but the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA had their sights set on their 29th-straight win from the get-go.

Warriors' junior guard Collin Warmouth was the top performer for Corban tonight in what could be their final game of the 2022-23 season, scoring a game-high 17 points and bringing down two rebounds along the way. Senior guard Mateo Escheik added another double-digit scoring effort to the last year of his collegiate career, finishing the evening with 14 points, two steals, and two boards.

College of Idaho had five different student-athletes score in double figures this evening, led by guard Drew Wyman's 16-point, six-rebound and three-steal performance. Guard Johnny Radford added 15 points on 5-for-10 field goal shooting, while three more players scored 11 points apiece.

The Corban Men's Basketball team season now hangs in the balance of the rest of the NAIA results, as they'll need to secure an at-large berth if their season is to continue to the National Tournament and Opening Round in early March. The NAIA Selection Show will take place next Thursday, March 2nd, at 5pm PST on the NAIA YouTube page, where the Warriors will hopefully earn an opportunity to grow their 20-10 overall record and nationally recognized defense.

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