Warner Pacific's Doug Thomas was nearly a one-man show Saturday against Corban, as the Knights remained in the running for the regular season conference title with a near wire-to-wire victory in Salem.
Thomas Torches Nets in Warner Pacific's Win Over Corban to Remain in Title Race
BOX SCORE
SALEM, Ore. – Warner Pacific College's Doug Thomas knocked down seven shots from beyond the arc en route to scoring a game-high 30 points, as the NAIA's No. 13-ranked Knights picked up an 80-68 win over Corban University Saturday inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center to remain within one game of first place in the league standings.
For Warner Pacific (22-6, 13-3 CCC), Thomas would register his game-high scoring total on 10-of-15 shooting from the field that included 7-of-11 three-pointers, while Zac Compton added 19 points and a game-high eight rebounds for the Knights. WPC's Stephen Harris was held ten points below his season scoring average, but did register six points, six rebounds, and a game-high tying six assists along with Thomas.
Corban (9-16, 5-11 CCC) would get a combined 37 points from Dustin Moore and Jacob Kopra, who were playing their final home game of the regular season in front of the Warrior FAN-atics, as the duo scored 21 and 16 points, respectively. The Warriors' Kent Foster also scored in double figures with 12 points off the bench, while Marcus Butler tallied eight points and five rebounds and Josiah Sebens chipped in with six points and a team-high seven rebounds.
As a team, Warner Pacific (22-6, 13-3 CCC) was a combined 31-of-64 (48.4%) from the field, 10-of-27 (37.0%) from long distance, and 8-of-9 (88.9%) at the charity stripe. On the other hand, Corban combined to shoot 19-of-48 (39.6%) from the field that included a 12-for-24 (50.0%) showing in the second half. The Warriors were also 11-of-26 (42.3%) from beyond the three-point line that included a 7-for-13 (53.8%) clip in the second half. At the free throw line, Corban was a combined 19-of-25 (76.0%) knocking down 11-of-14 in the first half.
After watching Warner Pacific jump out to a 5-0 lead, Corban used a 14-9 run over a span of six-plus minutes to tie the game at 14-14 on a three-pointer by Moore with 10:15 on the clock. Over the next nine minutes, Warner Pacific would slowly extend its lead to 16 points (41-25) on a jumper in the paint by Compton with 80 seconds left. Corban would settle for a 14-point deficit (42-39) at halftime, as the Warriors connected on only 29.2% (7-of-24) of their field goals in the opening twenty minutes.
The second half would be a different story for Corban, as the host Warriors watched Warner Pacific take a game-high 23-point lead (63-40) before mounting a comeback that saw the home team hit six three-pointers in the midst of a 24-6 run that made the score 69-64 in favor of the visiting Knights with 5:17 on the clock. In the course of Corban's improbable run, Warner Pacific's Thomas was a one-man answer for the Knights hitting three straight shots from beyond the arc with the final one coming with exactly four minutes left to put WPC up by eight points (74-66). Thomas' final made field goal of the night would be the final nail in Corban's coffin, as the host Warriors could not get any closer than the eight-point margin before settling for a 12-point (80-68) defeat.
Both teams will return to the hardwood on Friday, February 15th, when Corban travels to Ashland to take on the NAIA's No. 24-ranked Southern Oregon and Warner Pacific goes toe-to-toe with No. 1-ranked Eastern Oregon in a battle for the CCC crown. Each game is scheduled to begin at approximately 7:30 p.m.