Kendra Murphy had a career night in the triumph, helping the Warriors to their sixth-ever berth to the NAIA National Tournament. (Photo Credit: Doug Pfeiler)
SALEM, Ore. – For just the sixth time in program history, the Corban University women's basketball team is headed to the NAIA National Tournament, thanks to an exciting 76-64 victory over Oregon Tech in Friday night's Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament semifinal, presented by U.S. Bank.
With the triumph of No. 1-seed Eastern Oregon over College of Idaho tonight, the Warriors are guaranteed the conference's second automatic bid to the national tournament, clinching their first trip since 2012.
"Oregon Tech is a very good team and has been on a big roll lately," said head coach Bill Pilgeram, "We knew it was going to take a total team effort to beat them, and everybody contributed and played very hard tonight. It was huge to be at home and have such a great crowd and environment in our gym."
The No. 20-ranked Lady Owls came into the contest as one of the hottest teams in the NAIA, having won 13-straight games entering Friday's duel.
The Warriors trailed for the vast majority of the game, surrendering the lead four minutes into the contest and not regaining it until the final period. Corban compiled one of the most impressive fourth-quarter finishes of the season, however, outscoring the Owls 27-12 to storm back and complete the comeback victory.
"It was our team defense and rebounding—especially in that second half—that won it for us," Pilgeram mentioned. "Our fourth quarter was about as good as we could play."
One of the Warriors' biggest contributors was Kendra Murphy, who had a career night under the rim. Murphy's presence was felt on both sides of the ball, with the sophomore from Christmas Valley, Ore. posting a career-best 14 points alongside 10 rebounds to register just her second-ever double-double.
Coming off a record performance in the quarterfinals, Jordan Woodvine overcame a relentless Lady Owl double-team to muster a team-high 21 points and six assists. With the 21 points, she set a new Corban single-season scoring record, eclipsing the 579 mark that stood for 22 years.
Seniors Emily Yost (12 points, four rebounds) and Treasure Farmer (10 points, seven rebounds, five assists) also finished in double-figures in the victory, with both now set to play in their first CCC Tournament Championship.
The Lady Owls were led by Nohea Waiwaiole with 22 points and 10 boards, while Megan Morris added 10 points of her own in the defeat.
It'll be just the sixth time in program history that the Warriors will compete in the conference tournament title bout, as Corban will lineup with No. 1-seeded Eastern Oregon for a must-watch battle on Monday night. The game will be broadcasted live on ROOT Sports, with tip-off in La Grande, Ore. scheduled for 7:06 p.m.