Warriors suffer slight set back to University of Great Falls

December 9, 2005

BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – In the second game of the 2005 Corban Classic, Corban’s men’s basketball team failed in a last-second bid to tie, falling to the University of Great Falls (MT), 94-92, despite a team-high 25 points and 13 rebounds by senior All-American Eric Fiegi (Medford, Ore.) on Friday night.

Senior All-American Eric Fiegi grabbed a rebound and hit a lay up with 6 seconds remaining to pull Corban within 1 point at 93-92.

Down by 8 (51-43) at halftime, the Warriors stormed back behind the play of senior Chris Lynn (Kent, Wash.), junior Ryan Heil (Medford, Ore.), and a bevy of players off the bench.  With 17 seconds remaining, Lynn hit a driving lay up to pull the Warriors within 3 points (93-90), then made an amazing leap over the home bench to gain control of a loose ball and called timeout.  The heroic effort by the Kentwood High School graduate gave Corban another quick possession with 17 ticks left on the clock.  Despite back-to-back misses by Lynn from long distance, Fiegi grabbed the carom and laid the ball in to pull the Warriors within 1 point (93-92) with 7 seconds left.  The Argos’ Tyrone Witherspoon made 1-of-2 free throws to put Great Falls up by 2 points (94-92) with 5 seconds left before Lynn drove the length of the floor and put up a shot that bounced off the side of the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

Lynn finished with 24 points, while freshman Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) and Heil added 13 and 12 points respectively.  Heil and junior Dan Buhler (Clackamas, Ore.) aided Fiegi on the boards with 7 and 6 rebounds respectively.

Corban shot 34-for-73 (46.6%) from the field, while Great Falls shot 31-for-65 (47.7%).  The Warriors made a season-high 11 three-pointers, but the different came at the free throw line where the Argos outscored the Warriors, 26 to 13.

Witherspoon led Great Falls with a game-high 30 points, while Erik Scott and Hanif Pollock added 23 and 10 points respectively.  Witherspoon and Scott led Great Falls with a team-high 10 rebounds each, while Keithan Gregg, Rashaun Puryear, and Scott Mount pulled down 5, 4, and 4 rebounds respectively.

With the loss, Corban falls to 6-5, while Great Falls improves to 6-7.  The Warriors are next in action on Saturday, December 10th, when they take on the NAIA Division I member and No. 23-ranked Lewis-Clark State in the final game of the Corban Classic beginning at 8:00 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.  Earlier tonight, NCAA Division II member Western Oregon defeated Lewis-Clark State, 62-57, in the opening game of the Corban Classic.