Chris Martin scored a team-best 23 points in the loss for Corban on Saturday. (Photo Credit: Doug Pfeiler)
SALEM, Ore. – The match-up between Southern Oregon and Corban men's basketball was as good as advertised on Saturday night, with the No. 23-ranked Raiders holding on in the final seconds to claim the victory, 86-83. In the last eight match-ups between the two squads, two have gone to overtime, and five have been decided by three points or less in regulation. The loss served as the first home defeat of the season for Corban.
"I was proud of how our guys tonight, battling for a full 40 minutes," said Corban head coach Austin Johnson. "We didn't have our best stuff by any means, but to have a chance to tie it twice in the finals five seconds was a positive."
Southern Oregon took a 43-35 lead into the locker room at the end of the first 20 minutes of play, thanks in large part to a balanced offensive attack in which eight different players made baskets. The Navy and Gold's bench was key in kick-starting the Warrior response, as the Corban bench contributed 22 points in the second half.
Southern Oregon was able to withstand a couple of late second-half Corban runs to seal the 86-83 victory. In the waning seconds, Corban had a pair of last-moment opportunities to tie the game, but were unable to hit the game-tying shot as time expired.
For the Raiders, Jordan Hunt led the team in scoring, finishing with 19 points and seven rebounds. In all, five members of the Southern Oregon squad finished with double-digit scoring, with Tate Hoffman (15 points), Kenny Meyer (12 points), Ben DeSaulnier (11 points), and Aaron Borich (10 points) each serving valuable minutes.
Southern Oregon (11-7, 6-3 CCC) finished shooting an impressive 48.5% from the floor and 43.5% from downtown.
"Credit to Southern Oregon for how well they defended and shot," said Johnson. "We will definitely need to improve as we welcome two more top-25 caliber opponents next weekend."
For the Warriors, guards Chris Martin (23 points) and AJ Monterossi (20 points) led the way offensively, with Joel Johnson (17 Points, 11 Rebounds) adding another impressive double-double performance.
Next weekend, Corban (12-7, 6-5 CCC) will host Eastern Oregon University and No. 8-ranked College of Idaho on Friday and Saturday, with start time for both games set for 7:30 p.m.