Warrior Women’s Hoops Rides Strong Second Half to Down Crosstown Rival Willamette, 59-48

12/6/2018 10:37:00 PM

Jarett Thoren, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

SALEM, Ore. – It was a tale of two halves for the Corban University women's basketball team in the squad's home-opener against Willamette University on Thursday evening. In the end, a strong second half enabled the Warriors to battle back and claim Salem superiority against their crosstown rivals, with the Navy and Gold downing the Bearcats by a final score of 59-48.

Click the 'Play Button' above to watch video highlights from tonight's 'Battle for Salem.'

"We did a much better job defensively in the second half, and got more of the shots on offense that we were looking for," said head coach Bill Pilgeram. "Heidi Mueller gave us a big lift in the first half with a couple of timely threes to keep us close."

Corban started off slow in the first period, allowing Willamette to score seven of the game's first eight points. It wasn't until about four and half minutes in that Corban found its first bucket, with a Treasure Farmer three-pointer jumpstarting a 10-4 run that helped the Navy and Gold cut the Bearcat lead to two by the first intermission.

Willamette issued a strong response as the second quarter began, however, rattling off seven unanswered points to regain the momentum. The Bearcats would take a 31-25 lead into the locker room at the midway point, with Mueller's back-to-back three-pointers in the half's final minutes playing a crucial role in keeping the Warriors within striking distance.  

The third quarter represented a return to form for the Navy and Gold, as the Warriors outscored the Bearcats 17-7 to capture a 42-38 lead heading into the final 10 minutes. It was more of the same in the fourth and final stanza, as the Navy and Gold matched their third-quarter scoring output to seal a decisive 59-48 triumph.

Jordan Woodvine and Farmer, a pair of Corban veterans, led the charge for the Warriors in the latter frames. Woodvine finished with a game-high 21 points, including 14 in the second half.  

CLICK HERE to watch Woodvine's post-game interview.

Farmer hit a number of big shots down the stretch, ending the night with a career-high 19 points, shooting 60% from the field and going 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.

"Treasure had her best offensive game of the year," Pilgeram stated. "She hit shots from the outside, penetrated to the basket, and got to the free throw line."

Corban (6-3, 1-0 CCC) will enjoy a day off before taking the road to challenge NCAA Division 3 opponent Pacific University on Saturday evening. Tip-off for the contest is slated for 5:30 p.m.