REDDING, Calif. – Trailing by 12 points with just over ten minutes remaining in regulation, the Corban University Men's Basketball team strung together a gutty comeback bid that resulted in an 80-77 victory over previously undefeated California State University Maritime, as the Warriors outscored the Keelhaulers 27-12 over the final 10:38 to steal a non-conference win in game one of the Simpson Classic, hosted by fellow NAIA institution Simpson University. The Navy and Gold upperclassmen picked up massive turnovers down the stretch while converting on the offensive end of the court to hand the Keelhaulers their first loss of the 2025-26 regular season.
"Tonight was a testament to perseverance and staying the course with our team," explained Warriors' head coach Wayne Mendezona earlier tonight. "Not shooting a single free throw the entire first half had us feeling a sense of adversity, but our guys dug deep and refused to lose, doing whatever it took to come out on top. So many special moments and players I could highlight, but I'll highlight Anjay, Oreon, and Joe who all played a fantastic game and led our defensive efforts down the stretch. It was a great team effort and a huge victory, now let's hope we can finish off this huge road trip with a win tomorrow night against Simpson."
The first half of tonight's matchup was nearly completely one-sided in the Keelhaulers' (4-1) favor, as the Warriors (2-3) didn't shoot a single free throw the entire 20 minute period and yet fought tooth and nail to trail by only eight entering the halftime break after graduate student forward Oreon Courtney splashed a three-pointer as time expired, setting the course for a wild second half.
Cal-Maritime quickly extended their lead back to double-digits to begin the final half, yet Corban consistently matched shot-for-shot before the Keelhaulers opened up their largest lead of the night at 11:02 on the scoreboard following a three-pointer of their own to lead 65-53. However, the Navy and Gold scored the next seven points to flip a 12-point deficit into a five-point disadvantage with plenty of time left.
Still trailing by five with under three minutes to play, junior guard Joe Gould scored ten of his 14 points for the contest over the next seven possessions for the Warriors starting with a driving layup before Courtney's putback attempt on the next possession put Corban down by just one. The ensuring Cal-Maritime possession, redshirt senior guard Anjay Cortez picked a plundered a Keelhauler which led to a Gould transition dunk, igniting the Warrior bench for only their second lead of the evening. Gould drained a jumper following another defensive stop, yet guard Ivan Soto of CSUM answered 13 seconds later to keep their own deficit at just a single point.
Despite having an opportunity to take the lead, the Keelhaulers' layup attempt was no good with 20 seconds left, forcing them to foul Gould, where he converted on both of his free throw attempts. Just two seconds after inbounding the ball following their final timeout, Cal-Maritime once again fell victim to Gould, as he picked their pockets once again for a massive two-handed slam that cemented the Warriors' neutral site victory.
Cortez' huge 18-point and 11-rebound double-double was a huge momentum shift in the victory for Corban men's basketball tonight, as he led all players in scoring while outrebounding the entire field as well. Gould's incredible play on both sides of the court that included a trio of steals down the stretch completed the comeback bid that Courtney ignited, as they finished with 14 and 17 points, respectively.
The Keelhaulers' efforts were led by guard Nick Stone who secured 17 points, followed by guard Jordan Morency's 14 points and forward Lawrence Long's 13 points. Long also brought down a team-high eight boards, while Stone snagged a pair of steals.
The final leg in a six-game road trip to start the 2025-26 regular season begins tomorrow night back at the James M. Grant Center, as the Warriors will battle the tourney host Red Hawks (3-5) at 5pm.
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