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Quintet of players score in double figures in win
December 15, 2006
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Junior Jessica Steigleman scored a team-high 16 points, as Corban came-from-behind against Western Oregon to secure its fourth straight win. (Photo courtesy of Charissa Bernard) |
SALEM, Ore. – Junior Jessica Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) led a quintet of players in double figures with 16 points, as Corban's women's basketball came-from-behind to defeat NCAA Division II Western Oregon, 68-61, to close out its non-conference season on Friday.
It took five different Warriors scoring in double-digits and remarkably perfect shooting (14-for-14) from the free throw line for the Corban women’s basketball team to gain its fourth straight win.
Along with Steigleman, senior Brianne Carras (Olympia, Wash.) recorded 13 points, 9 rebounds, and a team-high 2 blocks in the win over the Wolves. Freshman Hillary Sell (Aloha, Ore.) notched a career-high 12 points, including 2-for-3 on three-pointers, while senior Kendall Dionne (Brownsville, Ore.) added 11 points and 9 rebounds. Senior Tosha Wilson (Madras, Ore.) recorded nearly a triple-double thanks to 10 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, and a game-high 7 assists in aiding in this evening’s victory.
Western Oregon’s Leada Berkey did most of the damage against Corban by scoring a game-high 33 points on 14-for-34 shooting from the field, while grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds. The Wolves' sophomore made her presence known early by scoring 11 points in the first seven-and-a-half minutes of play, including the first nine for her team. Her co-worker, Claire Carpenter registered 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field, including 4-for-12 from behind the arc.
Though down early, the Warriors fought back with vengeance. After falling behind 9-2 with 16:18 to go into the opening half, the host team took its first lead of the game (14-13) with just under 12 minutes to play. A steal and follow up lay-in by Wilson helped increase the lead (16-13) with 11:21 remaining in the opening stanza. Western Oregon, however, tied the game once again (18-18) with nearly eight minutes to spare in the opening half after Carpenter drained a three-pointer.
The closing minutes of the first half looked dim for the Warriors as the Wolves bit into their counterparts and took a nine-point lead (27-18) with 6:50 to go into the first half. Hustling back, Corban narrowed the difference to just 4 points (29-25) with just over three minutes remaining on the first half clock. Western Oregon increased its lead and took a seven point advantage (34-27) into the break.
The Wolves maximized their lead twice to 12 points (39-27 & 41-29) less than four minutes into the second half, but both double-digit leads were not enough to hold off the resilient Warriors. Corban jumpstarted its come back with an 11-0 run over a span of 4:30 to get back within a mere point (41-40) following a pair of free throws by senior Jessi Norton (Redmond, Ore.). Continuing to claw its way back, Corban took its lone lead of the final stanza (55-53) with 5:43 remaining via a 3-pointer by Dionne. Warrior perfection from the free throw line and a key block by Steigleman in the closing minute played immensely important, as the Warriors eventually picked up the victory. Dionne and Norton combined to go a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the final minute, as Steigleman provided the defensive stop needed via a block on Berkey with 1:06 to play.
As a team, Corban shot 25-for-68 (36.8%) from the field, while Western Oregon was 25-for-73 (31.3%) on the night.
With the win, Corban improves to 9-4 overall, while Western Oregon falls to 1-7 on the season. The Warriors return to Cascade Collegiate Conference action on Tuesday, December 19th, when they host Eastern Oregon beginning at 5:30 p.m. inside the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.
Story courtesy of James Young, Corban Sports Information Director Intern
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