Cyrus Ward notched his second double-double of the 2014-15 campaign. (Photo credit: Doug Pfeiler)
SALEM, Ore. – Led by 27 points and 14 rebounds from junior forward Cyrus Ward (Gig Harbor, Wash.), the Corban University men's basketball team cruised past Multnomah University, 115-74, on Friday night at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center. The Warriors outscored the Lions, 64-32, in the second half.
The Warriors (3-1) leaped to an early 9-3 advantage following a fast-break layup by sophomore guard Toby Roth(Silverton, Ore.). But the Lions, known for their outside shooting, drained three jumpers from beyond the arc in the midst of an 11-4 run to take their only lead of the game, 14-13, with 14:58 left in the first half. Causing Multnomah nightmares in the paint all game long, Ward scored back-to-back buckets to give Corban the lead for good.
Although Corban stretched its lead to eight points on three separate occasions in the final 10 minutes of the first frame, the Lions (3-5) continued to stick around and eventually got to within two (35-33) with 5:59 remaining after a layup by senior guard Michael Kamlade. The Warriors, however, fought back with a 16-6 run capped by a jumper by senior guardJordan Carter (Salem, Ore.) with 36 seconds left in the first stanza. Corban led 51-42 at intermission.
Corban shot a stifling 51.2% (22-for-43) from the field in the first half while holding Multnomah to a 35.0% (14-for-40) shooting clip. The Warriors held a 29-23 rebounding advantage in the first 20 minutes of play.
Multnomah continued to rely on its outside shooting to stay in the contest, as a three-pointer by freshman guard Hudson VanAllen trimmed Corban's lead to six (63-57) with 14:40 remaining. However, the remainder of the contest saw a much different Warrior effort, as the Navy and Gold allowed just one three-pointer in the final 14 minutes of play.
Leading 66-57, freshman guard AJ Monterossi (Beaverton, Ore.) found senior forward Jeremiah Harris (Portland, Ore.) on the fast break for an explosive alley-oop dunk which kick-started a 21-2 run in the next four and a half minutes to give Corban a commanding 87-59 lead with 9:10 remaining. With a 96-65 advantage at the 5:01 mark, Ward scored 14 of Corban's final 19 points to close out the triumph.
"The guys made the adjustments the coaches asked them to at halftime," commented head coach Steve Masten. "The guards did a much better job extending their defense and keeping the ball handlers from penetrating, and they forced Multnomah into tough shots. As a result, our bigs were able to control the defensive boards. AJ [Monterossi] and Toby [Roth] did a great job getting us going on the break, and our bigs finished at the basket."
Ward notched his second double-double of the 2014-15 campaign by shooting 13-for-17 from the floor in just 24 minutes of action. Five other players scored in double figures for the Warriors, as Roth netted a season-high 19 points and dished out seven assists. Recording a double-double for the first time in a Corban uniform, Harris added 16 points and 10 boards on an eight-for-nine effort from the field. Monterossi and sophomore forward Cody Crowe (Grants Pass, Ore.) added 14 points apiece, and sophomore guard Caleb Herzberg (Beaverton, Ore.) chipped in 11 points for the Warriors.
After the game, Ward spoke with the Sports Information Office about the victory.
The Lions were led by junior guard Blake Updike, as he scored 17 points on six-for-16 shooting. VanAllen tallied 16 points, while Kamlade and junior forward Jordan Paris netted 13 and 12 points, respectively.
As a team, Corban shot 58.6% (51-for-87) from the field, including a 42.1% (eight-for-19) effort from three-point range. The Warrior defense held Multnomah to a 34.2% (25-for-73) shooting clip, and the Navy and Gold outrebounded the Lions, 29-10, in the second half.
Corban returns to action on Nov. 25 in an exhibition contest against NCAA Division-I opponent, Oregon State University, in Corvallis, Ore. at 7 p.m.