Corban Edges Bearcats 65-63 in Women's Basketball game with 14 Lead Changes

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Crosstown rivals Willamette University and Corban University played a close and competitive game at Cone Field House on Friday, Dec. 8. The teams played through six ties and 14 lead changes before Corban slipped past the Bearcats, 65-63. The fourth quarter featured one tie and five lead changes, including four lead changes in the final 3:34. Corban improved to 5-4 on the season. Willamette dropped to 4-4.

Willamette led 50-42 at the end of the third quarter, but the Warriors moved in front at 58-56 when Woodvine sank a 3-point shot with 5:49 to go. A bit later, Ashley Evans (Sr., PG, Canby, OR/Canby HS) of Willamette hit two free throws to secure the game's final tie at 58-58 with 4:47 remaining.

Corban regained a two point advantage on a jumper by Emily Yost, before Evans connected on a 3-pointer, assisted by Mary Eckenrode (Sr., G, Higley, AZ/Highland HS), with 3:34 left to give the Bearcats a 61-60 edge.

The lead changed hands three more times. First, Woodvine put in a jumper as the clock hit 2:50. Neither team scored for more than two minutes, and then Britanny Kochenderfer (Jr., G, Klamath Falls, OR/Henley HS/Idaho State Univ.) sent WU in front 63-62 on a layup at the 43-second mark. Maci Bozett of Corban made a jumper with 26 seconds to go, as the Warriors took a 64-63 advantage.

Celine Gregoire (Sr./Jr., P, Woodburn, OR/ Woodburn Academy) missed a shot for Willamette with 12 seconds left, and Treasure Farmer rebounded for Corban. Bozett was fouled with five seconds on the clock and hit the second free throw, giving the Warriors a 65-63 lead. Kylie Towry (Sr., G, Medford, OR/South Medford HS) attempted a potential game-winning 3-pointer with one second left, but the shot was blocked by Farmer.

Woodvine topped all scorers with 18 points on 8 of 13 shooting (2 for 2 on 3-pointers). Yost provided Corban with an additional 16 points and was 7 for 8 from the field. Bozett scored 10 points. Rasberry also hit the nets for 10 points and led the Warriors with eight rebounds.

Gregoire hauled down a game-high 12 boards for the Bearcats to go along with five points and one blocked shot. Towry led Willamette in scoring with 13 points. Evans contributed 11 points. Kochenderfer supplied 10 points, four rebounds and three steals. 

Towry and Evans each hit three 3-point shots. Towry extended her Willamette record to 245 career 3-point baskets. Evans is seventh all-time at WU with 133 career 3-pointers.

Corban scored the first seven points of the game ending with a 3-pointer by Bozett with 7:31 left in the opening quarter. The Warriors held an 11-4 edge a bit later. Willamette answered with a 13-4 run, as the Bearcats claimed a 17-15 lead on a 3-pointer by Evans with 1:40 remaining. Woodvine tied the score with a jumper on Corban's next possession. The Warriors were in front, 19-18, when the first quarter ended.

The second quarter included four ties and six lead changes, as neither team led by more than two points. A jumper by Eckenrode gave WU a 28-26 edge at the 5:32 mark. Rasberry tied the game on a jumper with 3:08 left. The teams wee tied again at 30-30 after Jada Leonard (Fr., G, Kent, WA/Kentlake HS) hit the second of two free throws for Willamette with 33 seconds on the clock.

Kendra Murphy missed a jumper for Corban with 14 seconds left, leaving the teams tied. Drew Farmer (So., PG, Brookings, OR/Brookings-Harbor HS) grabbed the rebound and raced down the court. She missed a layup with six seconds left. Lindsay Asplund hauled in the rebound and put in a layup just before the buzzer sounded to give the Warriors a 32-30 halftime lead.

Corban scored first in the second half on a layup by Yost. Willamette responded with 10 unanswered points to start a 15-2 run, as the Bearcats took a 45-36 lead with 3:20 left in the third quarter. Evans, Towry and Farmer each connected on a 3-pointer during the run. A layup by Yost and a jumper by Asplund cut the lead to 45-40 at the 1:40 mark. Another 3-pointer by Towry and another layup by Yost, plus an offensive rebound and put-back by Kochenderfer, left WU with a 50-42 advantage at the end of the quarter.

The Warriors shot 64.3% in the fourth quarter (9 of 14) on their way to outscoring the Bearcats 23-13. Corban shot 51.9% for the game (27 of 52), while hitting 4 of 7 three-point attempts. Willamette connected on 37.5% of its shots (24 of 64), including 50.0% (8 of 16) in the third quarter. The Bearcats were just 4 of 16 (25.0%) on field goals in the fourth quarter. WU sank 9 of 23 three-pointers (39.1%).

Corban finished with a slim 32-31 rebounding edge. Willamette forced the Warrriors into 14 turnovers, while the Bearcats lost the ball just seven times.

Willamette will not play again until Tuesday, Dec. 19 when they will take on Thomas More College (Ky.) at the Hoop N Surf Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. Game time is set for 2 p.m. HST/4 p.m. PST. The Bearcats will play Christopher Newport University in the second round of the tournament on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 11 a.m. HST/1 p.m. PST.