SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – A gutsy road performance against an NAIA Top 10 opponent fell just short for the Corban University Men's Basketball program, as the Warriors took a lead into the halftime break against the No. 10-ranked Mustangs of The Master's University before allowing over 53% from the field for the remainder of the contest to drop an 83-73 decision at The MacArthur Center.

"The Master's is an outstanding team with a ton of experience playing deep into the NAIA National Tournament every season," Corban head coach Taylor Kelly explained. "We had control of the first half and struggled with handling their ball pressure in the second. Our guys fought hard, but their experience in high leverage moments and our lack of experience I believe was the difference in the end. Our guys are committed and will bounce back tomorrow!"

The Warriors (1-1) utilized an intense defensive presence throughout the opening half to limit the high-scoring Mustangs (4-1) to just 32 points, scoring 34 of their own to own a two-point halftime lead on the road deep in enemy territory, representing Corban men's basketball's first ever matchup with The Master's in program history.

Junior guard Spivey Word was the leading offensive threat for the Navy and Gold through the opening 20 minutes of gametime, scoring 12 of his eventual team-high 19 points in the first half, while senior guard Drayton Caoile added seven points off the bench. Despite scoring at a higher efficiency than the Warriors, the Mustangs turned the ball over eight times that resulted in numerous offensive opportunities for Corban, who turned the ball over just twice.

Just three minutes into the second half, The Master's took control of the lead and wouldn't relinquish their grasp the remainder of the contest, as the Warriors' offense began to stall with multiple turnovers and allowed the Mustangs to stretch their lead to as many as 13 points with just over five minutes remaining. Digging a double-digit hole with little time to rebound was too much to overcome in their Mustang Invite opener, resulting in the ten-point loss for Corban men's basketball.

Word's 19 points combined with 16 from Caoile reflected nearly half the Warriors' point total for the evening, while senior guard Luc Krystkowiak added 11 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes played. While the Navy and Gold were efficient in opportunities off turnovers with 17 points amid the Mustangs' 13 miscues, a 32-26 deficit in points scored in the paint combined with 14 extra points of The Master's bench saw the hometown squad squeak out a victory on their home floor.

Mustangs' guard Quincy Phillips bailed his team out with 23 points off the bench on 8-for-11 field goals, adding three rebounds and a trio of three-pointers along the way. Guards Kendall Moore and Deondre Earley added 18 and 10 points in their starting lineup positions, while guard Jazen Guillory tacked on 15 as a key reserve to help lead The Master's to a 50% conversion rate from beyond the arc.

Another NAIA Top 10 opponent sits between the Warriors and a return trip back to Salem, as they'll battle No. 6-ranked Arizona Christian University (5-0) and look to avenge their narrow loss from the 2023 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round.

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