CALDWELL, Idaho – Dalton Patchen tipped home a missed shot with two seconds remaining in overtime, lifting Corban University to an 85-83 victory over the College of Idaho inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The Warriors (14-7, 5-6 CCC) overcame a 21-point first half deficit – making 62-percent of their field goals after the break – snapping C of I's 8-game win streak and handing the Yotes their first home loss of the year.
A.J. Hodges scored 30 of his game-high 33 points after halftime – including eight-straight points in overtime – helping Corban take an 83-77 lead with 2:33 left.
Talon Pinckney answered was fouled on a 3-point attempt that swished home, with his 4-point play and following a missed 1-and-1 try by the visitors, added two free throws to tie the score.
C of I had a chance inside the final 30 seconds to regain the lead, but
Keun Palu-Thompson was swatted by Mike Seng on a lay-up attempt – setting up the Warriors final chance. Hodges drove into the paint with the clock running down, missing a floater – but Patchen, who finished with a double-double, tipped the rebound high in the air – off the back iron and through. The Yotes did not call time out, instead getting a desperation 3-pointer from 65-feet off before the horn that fell short.
The Coyotes (21-3, 9-2) dominated the opening 20 minutes – bolting to a 9-0 lead in the first three minutes.
Justin Saunders canned a pair of 3-pointers and
Gibson Berryhill added another in a 13-2 run that extended the margin to 22-8 – with a 3-point play by
Connor Desaulniers giving C of I their largest lead of the night at 37-16.
The second half belonged to Hodges and Corban, as the visitors scored 20 of the first 25 points of the period. A Tyler Wadleigh lay-up gave the Warriors their first lead at 50-49, with two Hodges triples, followed by a 3-point play gave the visitors a 69-62 lead with 3:18 remaining in regulation.
The Yotes would scrap back into the game – as
Nate Bruneel hit a trey and following a turnover, Berryhill knocked down a step-back triple. After Corban missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Pinckney scored on a tough basket to complete the 8-0 run, giving C of I a 70-69 lead. After both teams squandered chances, the Yotes fouled Joel Johnson with 15 seconds left – with the senior splitting two free throws to tie the score.
Berryhill nearly had the game-winner, but his corner 3-point with one second left rattled out and a put-back attempt from Bruneel was short as time expired – forcing the overtime.
Hodges finished 8-of-14 from outside the arc in the victory, with Patchen scoring 16 points with 13 rebounds. Local product Jaxon Hughes had 11 points and assists in the win.
Pinckney tied a career-high with 23 points in the loss and Desaulniers posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Yotes struggled from the field – making just 36 percent of their shooting attempts and ended 16-of-25 from the foul line.
The Yotes have a quick turnaround, traveling Tuesday night for a 7:30 p.m. (PT) match-up at rival Eastern Oregon.
