SALEM, Ore. – An evenly distributed offensive scheme combined with the usual defensive tenacity expected by a Corban University Men's Basketball team allowed the Warriors to cruise to a 19-point victory over NCAA DIII Willamette University in their season opener to kick off the 2024-25 regular season. The Navy and Gold utilized this contest as their first counting contest of the year, while the Bearcats (0-0) submitted the matchup as an exhibition to open their season slate.
"It was good to find a way to get the job done tonight against Willamette," shared Corban head coach Taylor Kelly. "They do a great job of coaching their guys and I have a ton of respect for them. It was great to see our guys play the first half with a lot of pop both offensively and defensively. We have a long journey ahead and so much room for growth. I'm excited to see this team reach its full potential."
The Bearcats rattled in a three to start the contest on the opening possession, yet a three-ball from junior guard Spivey Word on the second Corban possession would result in a 1:01 lead for Willamette for the entire contest, as the Warriors would take the lead for good on a layup by senior forward Devean Hinton and increase their lead to as high as 22 points with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
Holding Willamette to a 35% field goal percentage throughout the entire matchup, complimented with a 43% offensive success rate themselves allowed Corban to sprint to the finish line in their season opener. Hitting nine three-pointers compared to just three for the Bearcats allowed the Navy and Gold to capitalize on the momentum and stretch their runs out over both the first and second halves, winning the turnover battle (18-15), second chance opportunities points (13-7), and bench points (46-32) for the program's eight-consecutive win over Willamette.
Warriors' redshirt junior guard Nikola Milosevic scored a game-high 13 points off the bench and connected on three of his team's nine three-point field goals to lead Corban behind the arc. Transfer senior guards RJ Veliz and Luc Krystkowiak along with sophomore guard Ben Krystkowiak all added 11 points, while transfer senior guard Drayton Caoile dropped 12 more thanks to hitting 6-of-7 attempts from the free throw line.
Veliz and Caoile each dealt out a game-high four assists as the leaders of the Navy and Gold offensive presence, while senior forward Jared Franklin hauled in a game-best 10 boards while adding seven points in the paint. Franklin, the younger Krystkowiak, and junior guard Payton Meyers all swatted two Willamette shots apiece back into the stands.
The Bearcats were led by guards Josiah Frank and Anujan Tennathur who both tied Milosevic with 13 points apiece, yet only 22 points from the remainder of the starting lineup and 19 more from the bench resulted in their lopsided exhibition decision. Tennathur and forward DJ Jones each brought down six rebounds, while guard Kai Brown dished out a trio of assists.
A pair of NAIA Top 10 opponents await the Warriors next weekend in Santa Clarita, California, as they'll participate in the Mustang Invite and are scheduled to battle No. 10-ranked The Master's University (1-0) and No. 6-ranked Arizona Christian University (2-0) on November 8th and 9th, respectively.
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