Bearcat Hoop Game Night: Willamette at Corban
SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University has just one more game before the men's basketball team gets ready for the Holiday Break and that game is tonight (Friday, Dec. 11) against nearby Corban College. The game between Salem's crosstown rivals is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. (PST) on the Corban campus.
SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University has just one more game before the men's basketball team gets ready for the Holiday Break and that game is tonight (Friday, Dec. 11) against nearby Corban College. The game between Salem's crosstown rivals is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. (PST) on the Corban campus.
The Bearcats enter tonight's game with a 2-5 record. Corban is 5-5 on the season. You can follow the game on Live Stats once the game gets underway.
After tonight, the Bearcats do not play again until Tuesday, Dec. 29 when they will take on the NCAA Division I team at Portland State University. Game time in Portland, Ore., is slated for 5:05 p.m. (PST).
Willamette will return to Cone Field House to open the Northwest Conference schedule by taking on Whitworth University on Saturday, Jan. 2 and facing Whitman College on Sunday, Jan. 3. Both games are scheduled for 3 p.m. (PST).
Last Week's Games
Willamette went 1-2 in the Lee Fulmer Tournament at the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif. The Bearcats lost to California Lutheran University, 83-69, were edged out by the University of California-Santa Cruz, 93-90, and defeated West Coast Baptist College, 87-62.
California Lutheran held a 38-36 lead at halftime of the opening game, then pulled away by outscoring the Bearcats, 45-33, in the second half. The hotly-contested first half featured nine lead changes and seven ties.
Even in the second half, CLU owned just a 57-53 advantage at the 10:20 mark. The Kingsmen tallied the next seven points for a 64-53 lead with 8:30 left and held at least a nine-point margin the rest of the way.
Taylor Mounts (So., Post, Kailua, HI/Iolani School) was WU's leading scorer against California Lutheran, as he put in 17 points and hit 7 of 13 field goals. Cameron Mitchell (Sr., Post, Portland, OR/Grant HS/U. of Redlands) tacked on 14 points and nine rebounds, while Marcus Holmes (Jr., PG, Seattle, WA/Garfield HS) supplied 14 points.
In the second game, UC-Santa Cruz built a 54-44 advantage in the first half. Willamette rallied and eventually took a 90-86 lead when Mitchell scored a basket with 55 seconds remaining in the game. The Banana Slugs scored the final seven point to earn the victory.
Mitchell scored 26 points, connected on 10 of 15 field goals and hauled down 11 rebounds. Mounts contributed 21 points and six rebounds for the Bearcats, while going 9 for 9 at the free throw line. Terrell Malley (Fr., G, Portland, OR/Roosevelt HS) scored 11 points.
UCSC was led by Darrin Lew. He scored 19 points for the Banana Slugs.
Against West Coast Baptist, the Bearcats were in front 54-50 with 15:39 left in the game, but closed the contest with a 33-12 run to blow out the Eagles.
Mitchell led all players with 27 points and 23 rebounds. He rebounding total tied for third highest on the Willamette single game list. Mitchell also tied the record last season when he grabbed 23 rebounds in an overtime loss at Whitman College.
Mounts also recorded a double-double, as he scored 10 points and grabbed 14 boards. Malley provided 15 points and Robbie Kunke (Jr., Wing, Clackamas, OR/Clackamas HS) sup;led 11. Danny Galdamez was the top scorer for WCBC with 17 points.
This Week's Opponent
Corban College
Nickname: Warriors
Location: Salem, Ore.
Affiliations: NAIA, Cascade Conference
2008-09 Record: 11-19
2009-10 Record: 5-5
Last Meeting: WU won 79-76 on Dec. 12, 2008
The Warriors are 5-5 on the season. Their leading scorer is junior forward Ian Logan with 19.0 points per game. Logan also is averaging a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game.
Also contributing double-digit scoring averages are senior guard Ben Potloff and sophomore forward Erik Cronrath. Potloff is averaging 18.7 points per contest, while Cronrath is supplying 11.6 points per game. Cronrach tops the Warriors' starters with 64.6% field goal shooting (42 of 65). Potloff is 44 of 55 (80.0%) at the free throw line.
Corban is 2-3 against Northwest Conference teams so far this season. The Warriors have split two games each against Pacific University and George Fox University. Corban is 0-1 against Linfield College.
Willamette's Probable Starters
Point Guard: Marcus Holmes (Jr., 5'11"),
11.1 points per game, 3.1 assists per game
Shooting Guard: Ryan Meehan (So., 6'2")
7.3 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game
Small Forward: Robbie Kunke (Jr., 6'4")
6.1 points per game, 5.0 assists per game
Power Forward: Taylor Mounts (So., 6'5")
14.6 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game
Center: Cameron Mitchell (Sr., 6'7")
19.1 points per game, 60.5% field goals, 12.7 rebounds per game
Bearcat Fast Breaks
* Current Warrior players Nash Keene and Bryan Martin are both former campers at Willamette's Pro Hoop Camp. They also are former Camp Counselors.
* The Cascade Conference (of which Corban is a member) is currently 12-6 this season against Willamette and other Northwest Conference teams.
* Willamette will take off the next two weeks for final exams and the Holiday Break before returning to action on Dec. 29 at Portland State University. The Bearcats' opening weekend of NWC action will be Jan. 2-3 versus Whitworth and Whitman, with both games played at Cone Field House.
* Cameron Mitchell and Taylor Mounts currently rank #3 and #8 in scoring in the NWC.
* Mitchell and Mounts also rank #1 and #4, respectively, in rebounding.
* WU freshman Terrell Malley and junior Marcus Holmes are averaging 11.3 and 11.1 points per game respectively.
* Bearcat junior Robbie Kunke is averaging 5.0 assists per game, despite moving from point guard to the wing (small forward) this season.
Cameron Mitchell is averaging 19.1 points and 12.7 rebounds per game this season.