KIRKLAND, Wash. – A clutch performance from the freshmen class of the Corban University Women's Basketball team resulted in a massive road victory for the Warriors in enemy territory, clinching the series sweep of Northwest University for the first time since the 2019-20 season with a 61-57 final score at the Kristi Brodin Pavilion.
"What a gritty effort that was in the fourth quarter on the road," Corban head coach Bill Pilgeram shared. "I am very proud of how this team never gives up and keeps competing. We found a group that really started to cook and got momentum down the stretch. Rebounds and free throws once again proved the difference in the ball game."
It was quite literally a tale of two different unorthodox halves this afternoon for the Warriors (8-14, 7-9) and Eagles (5-17, 5-11), as the two conference opponents each had a pair of impressive quarters that resulted in the four-point win for Corban.
Fortunately for the Warrior Nation fanbase in attendance, the Navy and Gold outperformed Northwest in both the first and last quarters of action, holding the Eagles scoreless for over half of the entire final period of play to flip the scoreboard back in their favor for the first time since the opening minutes.
Northwest road the momentum of their home crowd to multiple double-digit leads throughout the second and third quarters of play, but Corban always found a way to battle back and pull within a single possession on a handful of occasions and eventually taking their final lead with 2:24 remaining in the game.
Over the final two and a half minutes of play, the freshmen core of guards Autumn Agnew, Teayona Hoard, and Lizzy Bennett allowed Coach Pilgeram and his program to leave Washington with a win. Agnew scored on a pair of jumpers that kicked off two different runs that the Warriors utilized to overcome their once massive deficit.
Throughout the entire fourth quarter, the rebounding and defensive pressure on the ball handler by Hoard was a huge point of emphasis that the team needed in their own backcourt, while Bennett's free throws with four seconds remaining clinched the road victory and provided the squad with a major advantage as the seeding for postseason play draws closer by the day.
In addition to the stellar play by the Warrior youngsters, senior guard Maddie Godwin tallied her usual 20 points of offense with four rebounds along the way, with Agnew and Bennett secureing 17 and 12 points each, respectively. Hoard tied the team-high mark in rebounds with six, which was also the line held by sophomore forward Mandie Jensen.
Eagles' forward Kylie Lunday was the most consistent player for the home team this afternoon, as she nabbed a 21-point and 10-rebound double-double in 34 minutes of play. Guard Kyrin Baklund was the only other Northwest student-athlete in double-figures with 11 points, while guard Maya DuChesne dished out a game-high six assists.
The Warriors will kick off a four-game homestand next Friday with an early 12pm start time against Walla Walla University (7-13, 4-11).
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