KIRKLAND, Wash. – A late Northwest University comeback attempt fell short as the Corban College Warriors handed Northwest U. their 7^th straight defeat tonight, 79-76 tonight in Cascade Conference play.

Northwest jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but Corban would come back and go on an 8-3 run to take the lead, 8-7, off Ben Potloff’s jumper. The first half would be a close battle that would see 3 ties and 13 lead changes. NU would take the lead 25-18 on Rich Skillman’s jumper at the 6:55 mark, but a Potloff 3-pointer would cut the lead to four, 25-21, moments later. With NU up 29-23, Corban would again mount a comeback and make a 9-4 run to lead 30-29 with 2:46 remaining in the half. Eddie Coulson’s two free throws would give the lead back to the Eagles (31-30), but Corban would out score NU 7-4 capped off by Jake Mauermann’s 3-pointer with 4 seconds left to give the Warriors a 37-35 halftime lead.

 

In the second half, Corban would out score NU 17-10 in the first 7 minutes and 7 seconds to take a 54-47 lead with 12:53 to go. Corban would go on a 10-4 run to increase their lead to 64-51 as Potloff would hit another trey with 9:25 left in the game. But then Northwest U. would mount a comeback of their own, outscoring Corban 16 to 4 as the Eagle’s Lucas Ashe would drain a 3-point shot to pull NU to within one point, 68-67, with 3:38 remaining. Potloff remained hot as he nailed another trey to increase Corban’s lead to 71-67 (3:34) but four straight points by NU’s Greg George would tie the score at 71-all with 1:38 to go and George at the free throw line to complete a three point play and give NU the lead. George’s free throw banged off the back of the rim, rebounded by Wade Douglas and Potloff buried yet another trey off an assist from Clay Martin to give the Warriors the lead for good (74-71) with 1:20 left in the game. Potloff then went 4 for 4 from the charity stripe and teammate Clay Martin made one of two to seal the victory for Corban.

 

Blake Solomon (Jr., Kent, Wash.) led Northwest U. (10-12, 4-9 CCC) with 19 points. Teammate Greg George (Soph., Seattle, Wash.) scored a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Senior Eddie Coulson (N. Las Vegas, Nev.) contributed 14 points for the Eagles. NU shot 41% from 2-point range and managed 30% shooting from the 3-point line. NU shot 60% from the free throw line in the second half and out rebounded Corban 42-38.

 

Ben Potloff, a junior from Keizer, Ore. led Corban (9-13, 5-8 CCC) with his game high 22 points as he added 6 rebounds. Potloff was 4 for 6 from 3-point range and a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line. Clay Martin (Soph., Beaverton, Ore.) dropped in 15 points and senior Wade Douglas (Ontario, Ore.) added 12 points and 9 rebounds for the Warriors who shot 45% from 2-point FG range, 40% from beyond the 3-point arc and 86% from the free throw line.

 

Northwest U. hosts Concordia University tomorrow night and Corban takes on the Evergreen State College in Olympia. Both games get started at 7:30 p.m.