SALEM, Ore. – Another Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) top squad entered the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center tonight and met an untimely fate at the hands of the Corban University Men's Basketball team, as the Warriors continue to stun their opponents by logging their third-straight win over a team ahead of them in the conference standings with tonight's win coming against the defending national champion Yotes of The College of Idaho, 85-75 on Tim Hills Court.
"We started slow tonight and were plagued with many unforced turnovers that turned into fast break points for College of Idaho," Corban head coach Wayne Mendezona analyzed following tonight's result. "However, the guys hung tough and through their relentless pressure, only trailed by three at halftime. In the second half, our team was able to create turnovers, force difficult shots, and get out on the fastbreak for numerous easy baskets."
When asked to discuss the individual accomplishments from tonight, Mendezona commented, "Oreon had an outstanding game, playing extremely hardnose defense and controlling the glass at both ends while pushing the pace on the fastbreak. TJ had another great game as well, and Joe had another all-around phenomenal game leading the team in scoring with 22 points. He was the difference in attacking the rim and finished the game at the free throw line. CJ and Payton also rounded out some really strong play for the team on both ends of the floor. Anjay had a great all-around game leading the team in rebounding and was instrumental on the defense end by creating a lot of pressure in his length that really affected C of I. I'm so proud of the effort that these guys are putting forth game after game down the stretch in conference play. I couldn't be prouder of the Collective Mindset as I keep repeating that's coming together, and it is growing in trust and commitment to each other. We are so grateful for all these wins and we thank the Lord, but we know that there's another tough game against Eastern Oregon tomorrow night. It is going to be one of our toughest challenges of the year to beat them again after defeating them on the road. But our guys will be up for the challenge on Senior Night."
It was all Yotes (17-8, 12-5) in their initial matchup back in January on C of I's home court, as the Warriors (13-12, 9-8) could never find any consistency on the offensive end that eventually led to easy transition buckets on the opposing end. However, tonight was a complete role reversal for the two CCC programs, as the Navy and Gold flipped a first half scoring struggle into a second half showcase, with Mendezona and his staff drawing up stylish play calls that left the defending national champions stunned and pulling out all the stops they could to avoid a double-digit loss to the Dubs.
With just under ten minutes remaining, C of I's leading scorer, guard Utrillo Morris, scooped a layup into the basket to knot the score at 52-all, yet would represent the final tie of the contest as Corban scored the next eight points and stretched their lead to as many as 11 points before the Yotes started to foul in an attempt to make up their deficit. With the Warriors having struggled as a team to shoot free throws thus far this season, C of I would put all their chips on the free throw line and came up emptyhanded, with the Navy and Gold converting on a season-high 23-of-28 attempts from the charity stripe to lock up yet another CCC upset on their home court.
The two-man scoring tandem of junior Joe Gould and redshirt junior center Tj Zimmermann continue to cause fits for opposing defenses, as the duo combined for 42 points and 14-for-24 from the floor in 34 minutes apiece. Gould and Zimmermann were responsible for over half of the free throws made tonight at the line, with graduate student forward Oreon Courtney pitching in another 17 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Redshirt senior guard Anjay Cortez hauled in a game-high ten rebounds and snagged a pair of steals off the bench.
Morris finished with a game-high 25 points after taking 20 shots across 34 minutes played, fishing out seven assists and bringing down six rebounds with three steals, while the Warriors forced him into committing five turnovers. Forward Alex Germer caught fire from three over the final five minutes to play for 17 points in total, while guard Dougie Peoples added 12 points and three steals.
No better matchup could await the Warriors in their Senior Night contest tomorrow at 5pm, as RV Eastern Oregon University (18-7, 13-4) visits Tim Hills Court for the second time this season in a rare regular season rubber match between CCC foes, with the visiting team having won each of the first two matchups. Corban men's basketball will honor their seven senior student-athletes directly following the conclusion of the women's game and prior to their 20-minute warmup period.
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