SALEM, Ore. – In what was simultaneously the home and season opener earlier today at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center for the Corban University Women's Basketball team, the Warriors jumped out to sizeable lead and was able to hold strong through the remainder of their matchup with NCAA DIII Willamette University. A 64-57 decision on Tim Hills Court was enough to earn the Warriors their first win of the season, while the Bearcats utilized the contest as an exhibition for their program.
"It felt good to get into game action against someone other than ourselves," Corban head coach Bill Pilgeram stated. "I loved the passion we played with and the balanced contribution from everyone who played. This gives us a great measure to see what we did well and know what we can keep improving for next week."
Corban allowed the first two points of the afternoon matchup to fall in favor of the Bearcats but scored twelve of the next eighteen to double up Willamette and never looked back, holding the lead for the remainder of the contest, and even reaching a double-digit lead thanks to the new look Warriors.
Despite a brief comeback bid from the Bearcats to begin the second half, the eleven-point halftime lead that Corban had built was enough to stay ahead of the pack and maintain the lead on their home floor. Willamette attempted a short-lived retaliation to end the contest as well, but it was too little and far too late when the Bearcats finally picked up the pace, allowing the Warriors to hit their free throws and secure a season-opening victory.
A short bench to start their season isn't exactly what the Bearcats had hoped for with only nine eligible players for today's contest, resulting in a 20-3 bench point total in favor of Corban that stung for Willamette on the scoreboard. However, the crosstown rival of the Warriors did manage to outscore the host squad 34-22 in the paint, giving the visiting fans something to be excited about heading into their own long season of play.
The Navy and Gold were also exceptional in their second chance opportunities, scoring 20 points off offensive rebounds while Willamette managed just four. The guards played their roles in cleaning up what the post players couldn't, as 31 of the Warriors' team rebounds were swiped up by guards.
Senior guard Kirsten Koehnke was the primary rebounder for the Warriors tonight, as the 5'6" Sublimity native snagged 13 boards and added 11 points for a double-double on opening night of her final season of collegiate basketball. Senior guard Maddie Godwin was the team's leading scorer with 14 points, followed by the freshmen dynamic duo of forward Lizzy Bennett and Autumn Agnew who tallied 13 points apiece.
The Bearcats were led by guard Carolyn Ho and her game-high 19 points, adding six rebounds, two blocks, and a pair of steals. Forward Elyse Waldal was the hot hand for the visiting team in the second half, dropping 18 points and adding nine boards.
The Warriors will be on the road until December for the remainder of the non-conference slate, as they'll start with the Holiday Inn Classic in Great Falls, Montana next weekend, with Montana State University-Northern (0-0) first on the docket for November 3rd at 7pm MT.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l Twitter l Instagram l Snapchat l YouTube l Email
Download our App: iOS (iPhone/iPad) l Android