SALEM, Ore. – Kicking of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) season with a 2-0 record is exactly how Corban University Men's Basketball head coach Taylor Kelly drew up his expectations as his program prepared for their second matchup of the weekend with Multnomah visiting Tim Hills Court, where his squad replicated their second defensive masterpiece in as many days by holding the Lions to a season-low 60 points and less than 30% shooting from the field while scoring 72 points themselves. The Warriors extend their winning streak over Multnomah to six-consecutive games dating back to the 2021-22 season and remain 16-2 all-time against the Lions after handing them their first loss in CCC play this season.
"Multnomah's guys played really hard and can hit the offensive glass as hard as anyone, but our guys battled much harder tonight to earn the win," Coach Kelly shared. "I thought we did a good job of weathering the storm early and settling in to make some really good plays offensively. Defensively, we were stout all weekend. This group of guys has seemed to find their identity, and I'm looking forward to seeing how we continue to grow."
An 11-0 run by the Lions (6-2, 2-1) to start the contest didn't faze the Warriors (4-4, 2-0) in their third-straight home matchup, as Corban chipped away over the course of the opening half until finally claiming their first lead with 3:12 remaining in the period on a three-pointer by junior guard Spivey Word. The Lions would reclaim the scoreboard advantage with under two minutes to play in the half, yet another long ball, this time by senior guard Drayton Caoile, clinched the Navy and Gold a 34-33 halftime lead after Multnomah failed to get a shot off during the final 20-second possession they held prior to the horn.
The persistent Lions' offense clawed their way back into possession of the lead and held it for a few passing moments before the Warriors swooped right back in for the lead change, which would prove to be the final swap of the evening thanks to the lockdown defense by Corban over the final 18 minutes of action where Multnomah scored just 22 more points to the Navy and Gold's 38 points. Much like in the women's contest, the Lions attempted to cut their double-digit deficit via the free throw line and take their chances with missed attempts from the charity stripe, yet the Warriors' cashed in on 70% of their attempts for the contest to leave Tim Hills Court as one of three remaining undefeated teams in CCC play.
The Krystkowiak brothers of senior guard Luc and sophomore guard Ben took control of tonight's matchup and provided the spark that the Warriors needed to earn their third-straight win and return to .500 overall on the year, scoring 18 and 13 points, respectively, while each hauling in six rebounds. Word pitched in another 16 points offensively with a pair of steals, while senior guard RJ Veliz played the supporter role with a game-high five assists and seven rebounds off the weakside glass.
Lions' forward Noah McCord was the game-high scorer with 21 points on nearly 50% from the field to represent the most efficient night of any Multnomah player, adding five rebounds as well with a pair of steals. Fellow forward Keilan Torkornoo was the only other Lion in double-figure scoring with 18 points, solidifying his double-double effort with 11 boards in the post.
A marquee CCC matchup between Corban men's basketball and I-5 rival Bushnell University is the next event to hit Tim Hills Court this upcoming weekend, as the Warriors will welcome to Beacons to the state capital for a 7:30pm tipoff on Friday, December 13th.
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