SALEM, Ore. – Another electrifying addition to the Corban University Men's Basketball 2023-24 season played out earlier tonight on Tim Hills Court, as the Warriors dug deep and crawled out of a 15-point hole late in the second half to force an overtime period and eventually eke out a 91-90 win over Warner Pacific University. The Navy and Gold were even able to lead as regulation time was nearly expired, yet the Knights showed their own grit and came up with timely steals to nearly earn their first conference win of the season.

"Any time the Warriors and Knights step onto the court, it always feels like anything can happen," Corban head coach Taylor Kelly stated following his team's second overtime contest of the season. "Warner Pacific played fantastic tonight and did enough to nearly knock us off, but we did what we needed to do to get the job done.

When asked to comment on his individual player performances, Coach Kelly shared, "I'm so proud of Collin and how he was able to capture the moment and stick that game-winning shot. Jared had big defensive stops, rebounds, and free throws down the stretch for us. Jay continues to solidify himself as one of, if not the best, big men in our conference. I'm proud of how this team is coming together to find ways to come through for one another every day."

The Warrior Nation and Warner Pacific supporters in attendance this evening witnessed yet another exciting chapter in the Corban-Warner Pac history book, as the Warriors (11-7, 8-5) and Knights (2-17, 0-13) always find a way to battle down to the very last second in each matchup. Tonight was no different for the two Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) members in a contest that featured 11 lead changes and nine ties thanks to the highly efficient offensive performances by both programs.

Throughout the first half, neither team was willing to budge and relinquish the lead until Warner Pacific found a 10-2 run with six minutes remaining until halftime. However, the Warriors outscored the Knights 13-5 to end the period and trail only by a single point as both teams entered their respective locker rooms, setting up a potential nailbiter in the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center to kick off the weekend with a bang.

Warner Pac emerged out of the halftime break with incredible moxie and determination, scoring on eight of their first nine field goal attempts while holding Corban to just six points for what would be the largest lead of the game at 62-47 with 15 minutes remaining in regulation. The Knights connected on four of their 13 three-pointers for the game in the opening five minutes of the second half to solidify themselves as a worthy opponent for the Warriors after dropping their opening matchup in Portland last December.

Over the next ten minutes, the Navy and Gold would steadily gain traction and chip away at the double-digit lead that WPU had established, eventually tying the game on a massive and-one layup by junior forward Jay Wilson where he sunk the free throw to knot this contest at 75-all. The metaphorical wind had certainly abandoned the Knights' sails over the second half, but Warner Pac had one last ace up their sleeve as a six-point Corban lead was quickly eradicated over the final minute of regulation time.

With 57 seconds on the clock following a pair of free throws by Warriors' junior forward Jared Franklin, Knights' guard Matt Solomon needed only 11 seconds to drive to the hoop and cut the lead to four points, which would eventually result in a five-point lead for Corban after senior guard Taylor Anderson split a pair of free throws on the other end of the court.

With the shot clock now turned off, Warner Pacific forward Caleb Tyree-Morgan was on the receiving end of three free throws after being fouled in the act of shooting with 21 seconds left, where he converted on all three attempts and gave his team a chance after all hope had seemed to be lost on the visiting sideline. A costly turnover by the Warriors then gave Warner Pacific possession in need of a two-point score to tie the game, which Solomon provided to erase the six-point lead the Navy and Gold held less than a minute of game time ago.

Despite an open look at the horn, the Warriors were destined for an overtime period after a complete stalemate through 40 minutes of play, setting up the first extra-time contest for the Corban men's team on their home court this season.

Both programs would hold the lead on two separate occasions in the final five minutes played out on Tim Hills Court tonight, but as time would tell, no lead was ever truly safe between these two teams, and the Warriors fortunately found the answer they needed in the form of senior guard Collin Warmouth.

After the Knights couldn't convert on the front end of their 1-and-1 free throws clinging to a 91-90 lead, the Warriors snatched the rebound and called their final timeout with 11.1 seconds on the clock to draw up the winning play. After receiving the inbound pass, Anderson drove left side of the key and dished back out to Warmouth, who faked with a jab-step and pulled up from deep over the falling defender, hitting nothing but net and sending the Corban crowd into a frenzy.

Following a clock adjustment by the officials, Solomon's halfcourt buzzer-beater attempt came up just short, and the Warriors completed the massive comeback bid to sweep the season series from the Knights for the first time since the 2021-22 season after being upset by WPU on their home court last year.

Both the Warriors and Knights shot over 48% from the field on the evening with double-digit three-pointers via the sharpshooter guards and 100 combined points scored in the paint thanks largely in part to the big men in the key. The two programs split nearly every statistical category straight down the middle in the most evenly matched contest of the year for Corban, with key starters on both sides of the ball stepping up when their teams needed them most.

Despite the game-winning shot by Warmouth, Wilson garnered Player of the Game accolades after his most dominant performance of his short Warrior tenure thus far, posting career-high numbers in both points (28) and rebounds (16) to lead every student-athlete that played tonight in each category. Warmouth cashed in 24 total points and six rebounds alongside Anderson's 13-point and eight-assist output, with both playing in 42 of the 45 possible minutes this evening.

The Knights' starting trio of Solomon, Tyree-Morgan, and forward Maxwell Moses brought the heat with them to Salem today in career days for all three student-athletes, as Solomon and Maxwell scored 25 and 22 points, respectively, and added six assists and six rebounds apiece while Tyree-Morgan recorded a 14-point and 14-rebound double-double performance. Guard Josiah Castillo provided the extra offensive spark the Knights needed when they built their 15-point lead, as he was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field with a trio of deep threes.

The Warriors have another quick turnaround and are back on their home court tomorrow evening at 5pm, as they'll host the Multnomah Lions (8-11, 3-10) with an opportunity to sweep the Portland schools for the first time in three seasons.

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