SALEM, Ore. – In one of the squad's strongest offensive showings of the season, the Corban University men's basketball team earned a resounding 112-95 victory over Warner Pacific University on Saturday evening. The Warriors shot at a 53.7% clip from the floor, their highest mark in Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) play this season.
"It was great to see our guys play with energy and stay focused for 40 minutes," said head coach Mitch Freeman. "This was the type of performance that was much needed after the tough start we've had. I'm proud of the way they have stuck together!"
The Navy and Gold came out with a vengeance, taking a 63-40 lead into the locker room courtesy of a scalding 62.5% mark from the field. AJ Hodges' 20 points and Jason Smarr's 13 points paced the squad in the first half.
Hodges continued with more of the same in the second stanza, ending the game with a season-high 29 points (10-of-17 FG, 5-of-7 3PT), six rebounds and three assists.
Beau Roggenbach was also exceptional in the tilt, as he accounted for 18 points on an impressive 6-of-11 shooting performance. He also vacuumed up 10 rebounds for Corban, earning himself a double-double for the second-straight evening.
In total, the Warriors outrebounded the Knights by a staggering 53-24 margin.
The Knights hardly struggled on the floor, hitting their shots at a 34-of-68 (50%) clip, led by a stellar individual effort from Kadeem Strickland. The standout guard went 14-of-19 from the field en route to 37 points.
Back in the win column, Corban (9-10, 3-6 CCC) will look to continue the trend in a pair of weighty conference battles next weekend. The Warriors will square off with No. 18 Southern Oregon on Friday (January 17) before challenging No. 2-ranked Oregon Tech on Saturday (January 18).