Overtime Comeback Bid at No. 23 Carroll Falls Just Short for Corban Men’s Basketball
A fantastic second half effort from the Corban University Men's Basketball team (6-3, 2-1) came up just shy of a road upset at No. 23 Carroll College (7-2, 1-1), as the Warriors fell 82-75 at the PE Center earlier tonight.
"Tonight was an absolute battle, hurts to come out on the wrong side of that one," Corban Head Coach Taylor Kelly started off with sharing. "Our guys competed like grown men tonight, Carroll was able to impose their will just a little more than we were and made more plays down the stretch."
"I'm proud of our group. We're looking to forward to getting back to league play on Friday and Saturday at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center," Kelly concluded.
The Warriors kept steady with the No. 23 Saints early in the first half, going shot-for-shot with Carroll to stay within a possession and leading on multiple occasions. Senior forward Mateo Escheik hit a crucial and-one fadeaway bucket to put Corban ahead, right before the Saints jumped back out in front on a consecutive layup and three-pointer.
Carroll held plenty of possessions that resulted in unforced miscues, yet the Warriors just could not connect on their opportunities to force the Saints' hand. They began 0-for-3 from three-point range, which had been one of their more dependable options through the eight games played thus far this season.
Senior guard Masie Mohammadi jumped back into the game to hit a pair of massive back-to-back three-pointers in transition, thanks to great defensive pressure on Carroll's offensive end from junior guard Dirk Helaire II on lockdown defense and a huge block at the rim that led to the Warriors 24-21 advantage.
The Saints rallied off a 15-6 run to close out the first half, flipping the script on Corban to lead on their home court, where they have remained undefeated on thus far this season. The Warriors were staring at an uphill battle to kick off the final half, trailing 36-30 with 20 minutes to play.
Corban's starting lineup was responsible for all but five first half points, with three starters tied for the team-high in points at the half with six apiece. Fighting Saints' guard Isaiah Moore came off the bench to lead all student-athletes offensively with eight points scored in 17 minutes played.
Carroll was able to maintain their six-point lead over the first four minutes, but Helaire II checking back in provided the Warriors with the momentum on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor to tie the contest at 42-all, highlighted by his pocket-picking steal and transition layup with 13:50 remaining.
The hometown Saints jumped back out in front yet again, this time from beyond the three-point arc by hitting back-to-back threes in transition to force Coach Kelly into calling a timeout. The Warriors refused to go away however, as Corban was able to close the gap in the closing minutes, resulting in an intense final minute of play at the PE center on Carroll's campus.
With momentum and ball control on their side, the Navy and Gold forced another missed opportunity on the Saints' end of the court, with junior guard Taylor Anderson hitting a layup plus the contact to earn an additional made free throw that pulled Corban within a single point.
Following a pair of free throws for Carroll guard Andrew Cook, the Warriors held possession and a three-point deficit, needing a three-ball to send this game to an overtime period. Enter senior guard Masie Mohammadi, who despite the entire arena knowing he was receiving the shot opportunity, still was able to drain a double-clutched three-pointer at the top of the arc with 5.2 remaining on the clock.
A solid defensive possession for Corban at the opposite end sent this contest to an overtime period, as the Saints' last-ditch effort was foiled at the rim by Henderson, who led all players with 21 points through regulation play.
The Warriors kept pace with the Saints through the first three and a half minutes of the overtime period but began to fall behind after a layup and two free-throws on Carroll's end. With only six seconds remaining, a long-shot three-pointer from Corban and a defensive rebound for the Fighting Saints allowed the home team to dribble out the final seconds.
Henderson closed out the contest as the leading scorer with 23 points, adding 11 rebounds to clinch the only Corban double-double of the evening. Anderson recorded 17 points and five assists to control the Warriors offense, while Escheik completed an eight-point, five-assist, and five-rebound contest.
Cook jumped out in the second half and overtime period as the leading scorer for Carroll, securing eight boards in the process. Forward Brandon Temple tallied a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, adding seven assists to fall just three shy of a triple-double.
The Warriors return home to host (RV) Lewis-Clark State College this upcoming Saturday, December 17th, with tipoff scheduled for 6pm PST in their final home weekend of 2022.
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