SALEM, Ore. – Yet another NAIA giant fell to the Corban University Men's Basketball team earlier tonight on Tim Hills Court, as the Warriors welcomed No. 22-ranked Oregon Tech to the capital city and handed them their worst loss of the 2025-26 season behind an incredible second half performance where they held the Hustlin' Owls to just 28 points while scoring 50 themselves in a 90-70 drubbing of the Cascade Collegiate Conference's (CCC) only team ranked in the top 25 nationally. This represents the second win of the season for Corban first year head coach Wayne Mendezona and his crew over a ranked opponent, with three in total over teams receiving votes in the NAIA coaches' poll.
"The Warriors finally had a breakout game that has been anticipated for a while," Mendezona explained as he broke into detail their upset win over Tech. "I can't say enough about the collective mindset that this team possesses, especially on the defensive end. The effort and heart of these young men was on full display tonight against OIT. Anjay was scintillating both offensively and defensively, showing his full array of athleticism and talent on both ends of the floor. He was the catalyst tonight on both ends, and I couldn't be prouder of his effort and in all the sacrifices that he's been making to help this team be the best it can be."
Mendezona continued in his analysis by sharing, "We had great complimentary efforts from Tj, Joe, Tayshawn, Landon, and CJ, with Benett coming in and playing great on the defensive end to force Tech into difficult shot attempts. Additionally, Payton, who is continuing to recover from an early season injury, played exceptionally and showed his athleticism can bring us to another level when he's on the court due to his versatility. Overall, so proud of tonight's efforts and we have to bring an even greater intensity and effort if we want to continue tomorrow night against Southern Oregon."
With then No. 9-ranked The Master's University and RV Eastern Oregon University both falling victim to the Warriors (11-12, 7-8) earlier this year both away from Corban's campus, it was only a matter of time before the Dubs showed the Warrior Nation faithful what they're capable of on their home court in an absolute drubbing of the No. 22-ranked Hustlin' Owls (16-7, 11-4) tonight. As to be expected with one of the country's most reliable and consistent teams across the NAIA, Tech started out strong from the opening tip, but the Navy and Gold continuously found ways to stay within striking distance through a back-and-forth first half.
Out of the halftime break, the Warriors started 12-for-13 from the field in a fiery shooting performance where they couldn't seem to miss, with OIT having to suddenly play on the defensive despite leading for a majority of the opening period. By the 13-minute mark, Corban had opened a double-digit lead and never looked back, with the lead never swaying below 12 points for the remainder of the contest and eventually ballooning to a 20-point win thanks to lights-out shooting and stalwart defensive pressure.
Off yet another missed three-point shot from the Hustlin' Owls with under twenty seconds remaining, Mendezona cleared his bench and saw the fanbase in attendance roar to their feet for a Warrior squad fighting for their postseason hopes and aspirations that played like a conference champion tonight on Tim Hills Court. The Warriors shot 61.7% from the floor in tonight's upset, their highest field goal percentage of the season and needed only three triples to get there.
Five different Corban student-athletes were in double-figures tonight for the Dubs, led by redshirt junior center Tj Zimmermann and his 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting with four rebounds and a pair of blocks. Redshirt senior guard Anjay Cortez hopped off the bench to provide 26 crucial minutes where he scored a season-high 19 points off nine made field goals alongside eight boards and three assists. Junior guard Joe Gould stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, seven rebounds, and six steals, while senior guard Payton Meyers and redshirt junior guard Clyde Harris Jr. pitched in 16 and 11 points, respectively.
Tech guard Dakota Reber led all scorers with 23 points and fell two rebounds shy of a double-double by tying Cortez for the game-high rebounding mark at eight and snatched three steals. Reber was by far the most consistent Owl on the floor tonight, as he was 10-for-13 (76.9%) from the field while the remaining 12 OIT players were a combined 17-for-49 (34.6%) despite having numerous open looks around their own offensive half of the court.
Tomorrow night, the Warriors will attempt to sweep the southern Oregon CCC programs on their home court in the same weekend for the first time since the 2022-23 regular season, as they welcome Southern Oregon University (15-8, 12-3) for a 5pm tipoff.
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