PORTLAND – In their first home game of the 2021-22 season, the Warner Pacific University Men's Basketball team (5-3, 1-1) suffered their first conference loss of the year at the hands of the Corban University Warriors (6-4, 1-1), dropping tonight's game by a final of 72-84.
 
Despite jumping out to an early 11-point lead, the Knights quickly saw their success at the basket falter beyond saving, as Corban would reverse the tides and lead by 8-points at the midway point of tonight's contest. The Warriors shot an impressive 46% from the fields, and 41% from beyond the three-points line to flip the script on the Knights, who couldn't find any consistent offensive success for a majority of the evening.
 
9-points was the closest margin WPU would see for the remainder of the game, as the Warriors had an answer for everything the Knights threw their way. Warner Pacific's only saving grace was from beyond the arc, shooting 50% for the game from three, but Corban converting their free throw opportunities and dominating the points scored in the paint (32-20) kept the Knights in check.
 
Knights' freshman guard Nigel McKay had his best game as a member of the Warner Pacific Men's Basketball team, dropping 14 points to lead WPU in scoring. Senior guard Drew Magaoay put together another healthy statistical spread for the Knights, dropping 13 points and securing 5 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.
 
Corban's guard Jordan Newt recorded his best game as a Warrior, splashing a game-high 28 points and setting a career-high in scoring for the 5'9 guard, who converted 5 of his 7 three-point attempts and all 9 of his free throws to dumbfound Warner Pacific's game plan all night long. Forward Denis Kirichenko proved to be an issue for WPU in the paint off the bench, scoring 11 points and securing 7 rebounds to help boost the Warriors to their first conference win.
 
Warner Pacific Men's Basketball returns to the hardwood tomorrow evening, as they will play host to the Bushnell University Beacons for the end of the opening weekend of conference play, with tipoff set to follow the conclusion of the WPU Women's Basketball game. Tipoff is tentatively set for 5pm PST.