Norton's game-high not enough in loss to Coyotes

December 20, 2006

BOX SCORE - ALBERTSON 73, CORBAN 69

Senior Jessi Norton scored a game-high 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field tonight in a heart-breaking loss to the 'Yotes of Albertson College of Idaho. (Photo courtesy of Charissa Bernard)

SALEM, Ore. - Senior Jessi Norton (Redmond, Ore.) scored a game-high 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field, but it was not enough as Corban’s women’s basketball team had its five-game winning streak snapped thanks to a 73-69 loss at the hands of the Lady Coyotes of Albertson on Wednesday.

Corban fell behind early, but fought back and found their first lead (6-5) almost five minutes into the game when junior Jessica Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) hit a jump shot assisted by Tosha Wilson (Madras, Ore.). Senior Brianne Carras (Olympia, Wash.) stretched the Warriors lead to 7 points (16-9) after she converted on two free throws with 10 minutes left on the first half clock. However, ACI was able to recover. Alberton’s Whitney Clark made a lay-in with 6:18 remaining in the first half that tied the game at 19-19.

The Warriors remained in control of the first half. Norton remarkably scored the next five points for Corban over a period of 18 seconds that made the Warrior lead 24-19. In the closing seconds of the first half, Norton stole a ‘Yotes pass and scored via a lay-up that barely beat the buzzer and gave Corban a 34-29 advantage going into the break.

Albertson outscored the Warriors 7 to 2 at the start of the second half. A three pointer by Clark with 17:27 remaining tied the game (36-36). This was the second of nine ties between the two teams. The ‘Yotes moved from this by claiming their first lead (40-38) since the opening minutes of the game when Denise Hill knocked down an unassisted jumper with 15:21 left on the game clock.

With 10:43 remaining in the game, the Coyotes were able to mark their largest lead (51-46) when Clark hit one of her six free throws on the night. However, Steigleman helped the Warriors creep back into the game with 10:15 on the game clock when she finished a running jumper set-up by a cross-court pass from senior Kendall Dionne (Brownsville, Ore.). Norton followed by draining a three-pointer with 5:51 left that kept Corban trailing by just one point (61-60). Carras slipped in back-to-back baskets that tied the game (63-63) and gave the Warriors the lead (65-63) with under five minutes to play in the game.

An important steal by Steigleman with 35 seconds remaining gave the Warriors the ball and a chance to tie the score, as Corban was trailing by two (71-69). After a missed Warrior shot, the rebound was grabbed by Albertson’s Hill, who was fouled. With 12 seconds left to tick off the clock, Hill missed a free throw but was put right back on the line. Her second attempt was completed and kept the ‘Yotes ahead (72-69) with still 12 seconds to play. Another missed shot by Corban led to Hill going back to the charity stripe. Repeating her performance from seconds earlier, Hill put ACI’s lead out of reach (73-69) by hitting her second shot from the free throw line.

Corban recorded 24-for-64 (37.5%) from the field, 3-for-17 (17.6%) on three-pointers, and 18-for-24 (75.0%) from the charity stripe. The visiting ‘Yotes, on the other hand, tallied 27-for-68 (39.7%) on field goals, 5-for-13 (38.5%) from behind the arc, and made 14-for-22 (63.6%) on free throws in their win.

Along with Norton’s game-high in points, the senior guard also recorded a game-high 5 steals for the Warriors, while Carras added 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. For Albertson College of Idaho, Whiney Clark had a team-high 18 points, while Jori Grady closely trailed with 17 points. Christon Vander Esch recorded six points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds respectively.

Story courtesy of James Young, Corban Sports Information Director Intern