MESA, Ariz. – The RV Corban University Women's Basketball team erased a 15-point second-half deficit and briefly claimed its first lead of the afternoon, but the Warriors ultimately dropped a hard-fought 79-74 decision to Benedictine University Mesa in their 2026-27 regular season opener Saturday at the PEC.
"Today was a tough loss," began Warriors' head coach Kylie Frizell. "We showed some really good things as well as areas we need to improve on. Overall, we need to clean up things on the defensive end and we will be in a better spot."
Despite the setback, the Navy and Gold (0-1) showed plenty of promise throughout the contest, battling back from a sluggish first quarter and putting themselves in position to steal a road victory against a Benedictine Mesa squad that received 31 points from standout forward Alannah Northam.
The Warriors struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the opening ten minutes, shooting just 20% from the field as the Redhawks built a 19-9 advantage after one quarter. Corban settled in during the second period behind the aggressive scoring of redshirt junior guard Jersey Huerta, but Benedictine Mesa maintained a 37-29 edge heading into halftime.
Huerta sparked the Corban comeback effort throughout the afternoon. The All-Conference guard poured in a team-high 28 points while adding six rebounds, five assists, five steals, and two blocks in an all-around performance. She connected on four three-pointers and converted eight free throws, helping keep the Warriors within striking distance after the slow start.
The Dubs made their move in the third quarter. After trailing by as many as 15 points midway through the frame, Corban ripped off a sustained rally fueled by Huerta, sophomore guard Izzy McCauley, and redshirt junior guard Lizzy Bennett. Consecutive three-pointers from McCauley helped trim the deficit, and a Bennett triple with 1:30 remaining brought the Warriors within three possessions. Corban ultimately outscored the Redhawks 23-17 in the quarter to pull within 54-52 entering the final period.
The comeback reached its peak late in the third stanza when McCauley's second three-pointer of the frame gave Corban its first lead of the contest at 52-51 with 56 seconds remaining. Benedictine Mesa answered before the quarter break, however, and managed to hold off several Warrior pushes in the fourth.
Senior guard Tayla Yost provided an interior presence for Corban, finishing with 19 points and six rebounds while shooting 9-for-17 from the floor. Twelve of her 19 points came after halftime, helping spearhead the Warriors' comeback attempt.
McCauley added six points, four steals, two assists, and two rebounds, while Bennett supplied nine points off the bench and knocked down a pair of three-pointers. Sophomore forward Lucy Nyborg chipped in five points and three rebounds, and redshirt freshman guard Ava Mai added four points and three boards in her regular-season debut for the Navy and Gold.
As a team, Corban forced 18 Benedictine Mesa turnovers and recorded 11 steals, converting those miscues into 18 points. The Warriors also held the Redhawks to just 20% shooting from beyond the arc, but Benedictine Mesa countered by shooting 49.2% overall and holding a 38-34 rebounding advantage.
Northam paced the Redhawks with 31 points and seven rebounds, while guard Olivia Arvallo added 21 points and nine assists. The duo combined for 52 of Benedictine Mesa's 79 points.
Corban will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when the Warriors conclude their Arizona trip against another non-conference opponent in Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (1-1) before returning home for their regular-season home opener on Tim Hills Court next weekend.
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