GEORGE FOX 68, CORBAN 64: Bruins Pull Off OT Upset of Warriors behind Grant’s 20

SALEM, Ore. – Rookie guard A.J. Grant scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half and overtime, including the game-winner with 33 seconds left, leading the visiting George Fox University Bruins to a 68-64 upset of the Corban University Warriors in a non-conference men’s basketball game Tuesday night here at the C.E. Jeffers Sports Center.

The first half was a tale of two halves.  Josiah Sebens gave Corban an early 3-0 lead with a three-pointer, but the Warriors hit only one of their next 10 shots as the Bruins surged ahead.  Grant tied it with a three from the top of the key, igniting a string of consecutive baskets by Matt Zandbergen, Jon Adrian, and Mike Taylor, all inside, that gave George Fox a 9-3 lead.  After another Sebens jumper, the Bruins scored nine more in a row to make it 18-5, and Anthony Sanchez drained a three to give the Bruins their largest lead of 21-7 with 8:40 remaining.

The Bruins went ice-cold the rest of the half, however, scoring a lone free throw by Spencer Bolte at the 7:26 mark.  Meanwhile, the Warriors c aught fire with a with an 14-1 run, featuring two threes each by Jake Mauermann and Jordan Carter, to cut the margin to 22-21 with 4:26 left.   After several scoreless exchanges, Corban took its first lead since early in the game on a rebound basket by Jacob Kopra with 1:29 showing, and Mauermann hit another three with two ticks left, capping a 19-1 run that gave the home team a 26-22 lead at the break.

Sean Atkins broke the scoreless streak for the Bruins with a scoop shot to open the second half, and Adrian sank a three from the right corner as George Fox regained a 27-26 lead with 18:18 to go.  After an exchange of baskets, Erik Cronrath gave the Warriors the lead at 30-29 with a layup, starting a 17-6 Corban run that gave the Warriors their largest lead of 45-36 with 10:53 to play.

Sanchez drained two free throws and a trey from the left corner and Corey Clark added a drive and free throw to bring the Bruins back within two at 46-44 with 7:11 left.   Grant kept the Bruins close with nine straight points for his team, the last a pair of free throws that made it a one-point game at 54-53 with 3:29 remaining, and Atkins tied it 55-55 with a power move with two minutes left.  A Cronrath layup at 1:38 put the Warriors back up by two, but Sanchez again knotted it 57-57 with 1:24 left on a pair of charity tosses.  Neither team could score again before the clock ran out.

Grant’s driving layup gave George Fox the first two points of the overtime, but Carter tied it with a layup.  Atkins’ left-side jumper and a Sanchez free throw at 2:37 made 62-59 Bruins.  James Green cut the Corban deficit to one with two free tosses at 1:52, but a back-door layup by Atkins made it 64-61 with 1:20 left.  Sebens canned his fourth three for the Warriors with 54 seconds left to knot it, but Grant’s jumper in the lane put the Bruins ahead again 66-64.  A steal by Adrian and Grant’s two free throws with 17 ticks left iced the Bruins’ upset win. 

In addition to Grant’s game-high 20, Atkins scored 13 and Sancher 11 for the Bruins.  Mike Taylor had five assists and a pair of blocks shots before fouling out late in regulation.  Can Rier grabbed nine rebounds, leading the Bruins to a 33-31 advantage on the glass.  Grant also had three steals.

Carter with 19 points and Sebens with 14 paced the Warriors.  Carter also led his team with three assists and two steals.  Green hauled down a game-high 10 rebounds.  The Warriors had one more field goal than the Bruins (24-23) and four more three-pointers (10-6), but the Bruins won it by connecting on 16-18 from the line (.889) to only 6-12 (.500) for the Warriors.

NEXT: George Fox (1-2) returns home to play its fourth Cascade Collegiate Conference opponent in as many games Saturday, hosting the Northwest Christian University Beacons at 7:00 p.m. ...  Corban (4-3) is back in action Friday at 5:00 p.m. against NCAA Division II foe Western Oregon University in the Capital City Classic at Willamette University in Salem, Ore.