Corban will host SOU on Saturday in the CCC semis. (Photo Credit: Doug Pfeiler)
SALEM, Ore. – Wednesday night's Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament quarterfinal, presented by U.S. Bank, between the No. 4-seeded Corban University men's basketball team and No. 5-seeded Eastern Oregon University was neck-and-neck until the final buzzer, with the Warriors outlasting the Mountaineers, 80-75, to advance to the CCC semifinals on Saturday evening.
"Our guys did a great job of sticking together against a competitive and big Eastern Oregon team who had our number during the regular season," said head coach Mitch Freeman. "We have always said 'the whole is more important than the sum of its parts,' and tonight we showed that by getting help from 10 different guys—none of which played more than 25-27 minutes."
Both teams came out of the gates hot, with the Warriors and Mountaineers matching each other shot-for-shot in the early going as the lead exchanged hands numerous times.
Five minutes in, Chandler Cavell came off the bench to provide some instant offense for Freeman, quickly sinking a pair of threes to give the Warriors a 20-14 lead and force a timeout from Eastern Oregon head coach Carlito Labarda Jr. The Mountaineers would respond well out of the break, rattling off a 13-2 run to reclaim the advantage.
Corban would eventually battle back to even the contest, with the squads battling back-and-forth for the remainder of the half to result in a 40-40 deadlock at the midway point.
Heading into the locker room, AJ Hodges had a game-high 15 points to spur on the Warrior offense. For the Mountaineers, Peter Hamilton had a team-best 11 points to lead the way at the halfway mark.
Rather conspicuously, Jordan May—the CCC's fourth-highest scorer during the regular season—was held to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in the first 20 minutes, a quiet start from one of Eastern Oregon's most dangerous weapons.
One of the key turning points of the contest came relatively early in the second half via Beau Tilleman, the Warriors' 6'8" big man. Despite averaging just one three-point attempt a game in the regular season, Tilleman knocked down three triples in the span of a couple minutes, helping Corban grab an eight-point lead midway through the second period. Tilleman would finish the contest with 14 points.
As expected, a player of May's caliber couldn't be silenced for long, as the sophomore guard rattled off 16 second-half points to keep the Mountaineers within striking distance until the very end.
However, the Warriors were able to outlast Eastern Oregon's late push, holding on down the stretch for the 80-75 triumph.
Hodges would finish with a game-high 19 points in the win, one of four Warriors (Hodges, Tilleman, Joel Johnson, and Tyler Wadleigh) to finish in double digits.
Johnson finished with a double-double down low, collecting 15 points and 10 boards in the triumph. Warrior guard Tyler Wadleigh (11 points, eight assists) was invaluable in reserve, finishing just two assists short of a double-double off the bench.
With No. 8-seeded Northwest upsetting No. 1-seeded Oregon Tech tonight, in combination with No. 6 seed Southern Oregon's victory over No. 3 Northwest Christian, the Warriors are now in the enviable position of hosting their upcoming CCC semifinal match.
"A win this time of year is everything," Freeman added. "Now we must turn our focus to a team we played not too long ago in Southern Oregon. They are a tough and gritty team that makes you earn everything."
The Warriors will line up against Southern Oregon on Saturday night at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center. Corban swept the season series between the two squads, with the most recent matchup being a thrilling double-overtime victory on February 8. Tip-off for the semifinal contest is slated for 7 p.m., with the winner advancing to the CCC Tournament Championship.