Junior Erik Cronrath scored a team-high tying 18 points, as he became the first Warrior since 1995 to go perfect at the line making 12-out-of-12 free throw attempts.
Corban's Second Half Comeback Results in Win
BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. – After trailing by nine points at halftime, Corban's men's basketball team shot nearly 50% over the final twenty minutes en route to earning a tough 84-81 win over NCAA Division III member Linfield Tuesday inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
All five Warrior starters scored in double figures led by senior Ian Logan (Aloha, Ore.) with 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while junior Erik Cronrath (Battle Ground, Wash.) also scored 18 points that included a perfect 12-for-12 showing at the free throw line. The 6-foot-8 junior became the seventh player in program history to register a perfect performance at the charity stripe, as he is the first Warrior since the 1994-95 season to go perfect at the line making at least 10 free throws.
Along with the aforementioned duo, freshman Jordan Carter (Salem, Ore.) added 14 points to go along with 11 points from senior Nash Keene (Aumsville, Ore.) and 10 points by junior Jonathan Ramirez (New Britain, Ct.). The junior point guard had the best all-around game for Corban with 10 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high four assists. Freshman Josiah Sebens (Bellingham, Wash.) would led the Warriors' bench with five points, while sophomore Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.), junior Jake Mauermann (Clackamas, Ore.), and senior Bryan Martin (Salem, Ore.) combined to score eight points.
Over the opening twenty minutes, Corban would struggle as the Warriors got used to the officiating that helped Linfield build a nine-point lead (28-19) over the first 12-plus minutes. The visiting Wildcats would extend their lead to as much as 12 points (41-29) following a three-pointer by Josh Rodreguez with 4:30 left in the first half. Corban would pull within six points (43-37) thanks to a 6-2 run that was capped by a old-fashion three-point play by Cronrath with just under three minutes on the clock. Linfield's Zach Spencer would knock down a three-pointer with just over one minute left, as the Wildcats settled for a nine-point halftime lead (46-37).
Coming out of the locker room, Corban would used a quick 12-4 run over the opening four-plus minutes en route to grabbing its first lead (51-50) since the 18:07 mark of the first half. The host Warriors would push their lead to as much as six points (60-54) following a Logan lay-up with 12:55 remaining. Linfield would creep back to within a single point (60-59) thanks to a quick 5-0 run that concluded with a Sergio Rosario jumper with 10:33 on the clock. Immediately following Rosario's jumper, Corban quickly pushed its lead up to eight points (73-65) thanks to a 13-6 run over a span of four-plus minutes that concluded with another Logan lay-in with exactly six minutes left in the game. The visiting Wildcats would get back within a single point (74-73) after a pair of K.C. Wiser free throws with just under three minutes left before Corban used timely free throw shooting and good defense down the stretch en route to picking up its sixth straight win to open the season, 84-81.
Linfield would get a game-high 22 points from Wiser on 10-for-17 shooting from the field, while Rosario added 16 points and Ryan Lobdell chipped in with 12 points. Rodreguez added 10 points off the bench, while Wiser pulled down a team-high eight rebounds and handed out a game-high six assists in 35 minutes of action.
Corban would shoot 25-for-58 (43.1%) from the field to go along with a 4-for-18 (22.2%) showing from beyond the three-point line and a 30-for-37 (81.1%) performance at the free throw line. On the other hand, Linfield was 32-for-67 (47.8%) from the field that included a scorching 18-for-29 (62.1%) showing in the first half. The visiting Wildcats would add a 7-for-20 (35.0%) performance from long distance and a 10-for-20 (50.0%) showing at the charity stripe.
With tonight's victory, Corban remains the lone undefeated team in the Cascade Collegiate Conference thanks to a perfect 6-0 record. Meanwhile, Linfield evens its earlier 2010-11 record at 1-1. The Warriors will return to the court on Friday, November 26th, in the opener of the Capital City Classic against cross town rival Willamette beginning at 5:00 p.m. inside the New P.E. Building on the campus of Western Oregon University.