EUGENE, Ore. – For the first time since the 2017-18 season, the Corban University Women's Basketball team was able to hand their Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) travel partner a loss in their second matchup this calendar year and will end 2024 with a 62-52 road win at Bushnell University, where they clinched their best defensive efforts of the season. After allowing 72 points to the Beacons in their initial clash earlier this month, the Warriors were able to clamp down defensively at the Morse Center with just 52 points allowed on the night, their lowest point total allowed to an opponent thus far in the 2024-25 slate.
"Tonight was an absolute team win and a great defensive effort all around," explained Warriors' head coach Kylie Frizell following her program's victory on Dave Lipp Court. "Sevennah and Maddie specifically did an incredible job on their assignment guarding Mathis from Bushnell. Just really proud of us for finding ways to win despite not shooting the ball especially well today. We were locked in to snap this losing streak which felt great, and I'm excited for us to continue to grow!"
Determined to snap their twelve-game losing streak against the Beacons (4-8, 3-3), the Warriors (5-7, 3-3) defense stepped up through the opening period of today's matchup, forcing seven turnovers while holding Bushnell to just 21% shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Corban's potent offense continued their 2024-25 trend with 17 points by converting 46% of their own field goal attempts to hold a ten-point lead entering the second quarter.
Despite a slight run by the Beacons to pull within two possessions at 19-15 in the second, the Navy and Gold defense roared back to life over the final seven minutes of the first half by holding Bushnell to just a single made field goal. While the offense had slightly cooled off with just 29 points in the opening half, the Warriors locked up the host Beacons defensively by forcing another six turnovers compared to just two for themselves in the second quarter to hold a sizeable 11-point advantage on the scoreboard entering the halftime break.
As per usual with the travel partner matchups, the team trailing at the half wouldn't go down at halftime without a fight, as Bushnell opened the third quarter on a 14-6 scoring run and would pull to within a single point deficit at 35-34 following their second called timeout of the game. The Beacons kept their offensive pressure at an all-time high this evening throughout the remainder of the third period, yet some unlucky looks and defensive efforts by Corban allowed the visiting squad to hold a five-point lead entering the final quarter of the contest.
The pestering Bushnell defense continued to provide their offense with plenty of opportunities down the stretch of today's matchup yet came up emptyhanded on their own home court on too many occasions, which allowed the Warriors' transition offense to score at will with a 20-point final quarter effort. Each of the two CCC programs limited their miscues in the final period of play with only four combined turnovers, yet a 46% shooting performance by the Navy and Gold during the last ten minutes of regulation eventually resulted in the double-digit victory for Corban.
After fouling out of Corban's previous matchup with Bushnell far too early, Warriors' senior guard Alyssa Wyllie led the offense this evening with 15 points and three of the team's four three-pointers made, bringing down seven rebounds defensively along with a pair of steals. The only other member of the Navy and Gold to score in double-digits today was redshirt sophomore guard Jenna Albrecht who had ten points despite only taking five shot attempts for an efficient night offensively. Senior forward Madison Hodnett was the clear dominant performer in the paint for Corban with eight rebounds and eight points, while sophomore guard Lizzy Bennett swiped three steals and swatted a pair of blocks to lead all players in each statistical category.
Beacons' guard Ayden Krupke scored a game-high 19 points by shooting the ball 23 times in 33 minutes played, converting on a trio of three-pointers and hauling in four boards. All-CCC center Libby Mathis was held to just ten points and seven rebounds by Hodnett and the Warriors' frontcourt, forward Maddie Gerhart was the game-high rebounder with nine this evening.
This upcoming Friday, the Warriors will travel to Caldwell, Idaho for their first contest of the new year with The College of Idaho (5-5, 3-2), with tip off scheduled for 5:30pm MT/4:30pm PT.
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