SALEM, Ore. – A pair of massive scoring droughts through the second half of tonight's 82-64 home loss for the Corban University Men's Basketball team proved to be the difference maker in a must-win game for the Warriors, as RV Lewis-Clark State College came ready to defend their No. 2-overall seed in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) standings with a statement road win.
It took nearly two minutes before either team could finally find the bottom of the net to open tonight's contest, with senior guard Taylor Anderson hitting a midrange jumper after collecting an offensive rebound for Corban (15-8, 12-6).
However, LC State (17-7, 15-3) answered right back with one of their many scoring runs to take a 10-4 advantage in what would eventually be series-clinching win over the Navy and Gold, their first season sweep of Corban since joining the conference back in the summer of 2020. Lewis-Clark State returned the favor after having been swept last season by the Salem-based Warriors to create another chapter in the newly forged rivalry of CCC foes.
LC State refused to relinquish the lead for the remainder of tonight's heavyweight matchup, utilizing two separate elongated periods of zero offensive output for Corban over the second half to lead by as many as 27 points before eventually settling for an 82-64 road win. The visiting Warriors dominated every facet of the game, nearly doubling up Corban in points scored in the paint (46-24) while scoring eight more points off turnovers and five times the amount of second chance opportunities in a contest when the Navy and Gold just couldn't get a shot to fall their way when they needed it most.
Anderson was the leading scorer for Corban tonight, adding 14 points to his senior year totals alongside five assists and a pair of rebounds. After putting up a 40-bomb in last night's win, senior guard Collin Warmouth was held to just 12 points and four boards in tonight's loss, adding a pair of steals along the way. Junior forward Jay Wilson was limited in his first game back from injury and put up nine points and five rebounds in 23 minutes played.
Guard Sam Stockton was electric in his team-high 32 minutes of action, scoring both a game and career-high 19 points with a 75% field goal percentage (9-for-12). His six rebounds and five assists demonstrated how viable he was from all angles of the court tonight, alongside his five steals defensively to set a high standard for his Warrior teammates to follow. Forward Jaedon Bradley posted an 11-point and 14-rebound double-double in the post, while four more LC State student-athletes posted double-figure scoring nights in an extremely efficient offense gameplan.
The Navy and Gold will now begin preparations for their final home weekend of the 2023-24 regular season, with No. 23-ranked Oregon Tech (20-4, 15-3) heading to Salem for a 7:30pm showdown next Friday night.
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