FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A successful first half on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor for the Corban University Women's Basketball team was thwarted by a second half comeback by NCAA DII Western Oregon University in a neutral site matchup during the opening contest of the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational, hosted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Wolves grinded out a 74-70 victory after dominating the paint and the offensive rebounding, while the Warriors' hot shooting cooled off by the fourth quarter and couldn't find the bottom of the net when it mattered most.

"Tonight was a tale of two halves," detailed Corban head coach Kylie Frizell. "We shot the ball extremely well in the first half, and then couldn't quite finish in the second half. The offensive rebounding killed us and allowed Western Oregon far too many second chance opportunities. It's all about learning from tonight, as we have another game tomorrow and will use this result to push us forward."

A hot start from the Wolves (2-0) over the opening five minutes of action was quickly erased by the Warriors (1-2), as Western Oregon held an eight-point advantage at the 4:30 mark and watched it dwindle away over the remainder of the quarter thanks to a 16-2 run led by redshirt junior guard Tori Younker and senior guard Alyssa Wyllie. The duo scored a combined 15 points throughout the opening ten minutes and were a perfect 100% from the field with six field goals taken.

Despite the Corban lead growing to as many as 17 points during the second quarter, WOU was able to keep within striking distance and settled for a ten-point halftime deficit as the two Oregon-based programs battled for Willamette Valley bragging rights. The Navy and Gold held a 43-33 lead after the opening half thanks to a blazing hot 50% (16-of-32) across the lineup, with an even more impressive 57% from beyond the three-point arc.

Slowly but surely, the Wolves whittled away at their double-digit shortage, eventually outscoring the Warriors by eight to trail by a single possession entering the fourth and final period of play. Difficulties converting under the basket and forcing errant shots from the perimeter left Corban with too many unprompted errors and just four field goals for the entire quarter.

At the final media timeout of the contest, each program had traded baskets to remain at a two-point margin in favor of the Warriors, with defensive pressure taking centerstage as both offensive schemes had grown cold with missed field goals all over the court. Eventually, the Wolves would retake the lead for good on a pair of free throws by guard Bella Pedrojetti with less than a minute remaining, and the once electric Corban offense fell flat with a pair of missed field goals and turnovers on each of their final two possessions to fall 74-70 once Western Oregon secured the two-basket lead at the free throw line.

Wyllie concluded her key performance off the bench tonight for Coach Frizell with a 7-for-11 conversion rate on field goals, hitting a trio of three-pointers to lead the Warriors with 18 points along with a pair of rebounds and assists. Younker was right behind Wyllie with 16 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while tying junior forward Sevennah Van De Riet for the team-best assisting mark at three. The sophomore guard duo of Lizzy Bennett and Teayona Hoard combined for 19 points, while Hoard snagged seven rebounds in 16 minutes played.

A pair of double-double performances by Wolves' guard Enid Vaifanua and forward Natalie Brown allowed Western Oregon to snag the comeback victory and stay perfect on the year, as Vaifanua and Pedrojetti scored 18 points apiece, while Brown added ten points and joined Vaifanua with 11 rebounds each. Guard Ciona Wells played 30 crucial minutes off the bench for WOU to dish out five dimes, matching Vaifanua for the game-high in assists.

The Warriors are back in action at the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational tomorrow evening for a matchup with the tournament host Nanooks (2-0) set for 5:15pm AT, 6:15pm PT.

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