SALEM, Ore. – An offensive MasterClass by the Corban University Women's Basketball team allowed the Warriors to earn their third-straight victory to begin the 2025-26 regular season, their first 3-0 start since the magical 2018-19 winter that led them to their most recent NAIA National Tournament Final Site appearance. With yet another NAIA program visiting Tim Hills Court that's receiving votes in the national coaches' top 25 poll, Hope International University, the Navy and Gold welcomed the Royals to Oregon with a 99-67 drubbing that included a 16-0 run to start the contest for Corban.
"Tonight was just so much fun," began Warriors' second-year head coach Kylie Frizell. "One thing I'm learning about this team is the balance between the three Fs of training, which is fun, focus, and freedom. This team does a really good job of remaining focused on the goal and gameplan, but still able to stay loose and just enjoy the game of basketball together. That was on full display tonight from the opening tip. We had so many assists on made field goals, and that's what Corban women's basketball is all about. It was sweet to see our upbeat style of play come together so efficiently, and we look forward to playing against a great Oregon State team tomorrow in Corvallis."
An electric start to the opening quarter for the Warriors (3-0) put the visiting Royals (1-1) in a huge deficit that eventually festered into a massive halftime differential, as Corban drained three-consecutive three-pointers to start the night and converted on a second chance offensive board the very next possession to force an HIU timeout less than two minutes into the contest. A back-to-back layup and another three-pointer to drop put the Navy and Gold up 16-0, and the hometown team never laid off the gas, leading to a 31-point halftime lead.
Hope International was able to cut their deficit to 23 points midway through the third quarter, but the Warriors' offense roared right back with a 10-0 run that once again put Corban in the driver's seat, with Frizell eventually clearing her bench with well over three minutes still to be played against a solid HIU team receiving national poll recognition.
Redshirt senior guard Tori Younker led seven-woman upperclassmen scoring front that finished tonight's contest in all double-figures, as the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho native dropped a team-high 15 points with three assists dished out along the way. Redshirt junior guard Jenna Albrecht finished with 14 points, four boards, and three dimes, while redshirt sophomore guard Jersey Huerta, graduate student center Emilia Bishop, and senior forward Mandie Jensen all finished with 13 points apiece.
The underclassmen got in on the scoring action as well, with sophomore guard Kylie Ihrig scoring 11 points with four rebounds and four assists, while true freshman guard Izzy McCauley scored ten points and brought down three rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. The best all-around performance of the night came from junior guard Tayla Yost, who scored eight points, brought down a game-high seven rebounds alongside true freshman forward Haley Ferry, and dealt out three assists with a pair of steals also recorded in a stat-stuffing night for Corban women's basketball.
The Royals were led offensively by forward Amira Austin, who was by far their best offensive option for most of the night before getting into foul trouble, finishing with a game-high 16 points along with six rebounds and four assists. Guard Nicole Chuang scored 13 points with three boards, while guard Aliyah Gonzalez was the only other HIU player in double-digits with ten points and five rebounds.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Warriors will travel down the I-5 Interstate to Corvallis for an exhibition matchup with NCAA DI Oregon State University (0-0) in their first meeting with the Beavers since 2013. Tipoff is scheduled for 3pm at Gill Coliseum and will be broadcasted live on ESPN+.
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