EUGENE, Ore.  – For the sixth time in the last seven meetings, No. 7 NCU defeated Willamette Valley rival Corban University on Tuesday night in Cascade Collegiate Conference action, 82-77. Senior Jay Mayernik (pictured) scored 22 points to lead NCU back into the win column after dropping two CCC games over the weekend.
 
As is fitting in a conference rivalry, NCU and Corban exchanged leads eight time and were tied on ten different occasions. Beacons broke the final tie with 38 seconds remaining as Brock Rice drained a three-pointer from the top-of the key to give NCU an 80-77 lead. Kenny Blackwell then iced the win with a pair of free throws.
 
The game wasn't always so close as Corban jumped out to an early 14-point lead and held the advantage for the first 20 minutes save for a pair of late ties. The Warriors hit seven three-pointers in the first half while NCU had just one and Corban took a 38-36 lead into halftime.
 
The Warriors (8-7, 1-4 CCC) finished with 12 triples in the game including four from Chris Martin who came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points. Jake Love and three of the deep buckets and scored 15 points while Joel Johnson added 14 points and ten rebounds before fouling out. Another strong performance off the bench came from A.J. Monterossi, scoring 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting. In all, the Corban reserves outscored their NCU counterparts, 36-10.
 
Mayernik's game-high 22 points came behind 5-for-9 shooting and 12-for-18 on free-throws. The senior came within one free-throw attempt of tying the NCU record set by Jon Willis in 1984.
 
The Beacons (9-3, 3-2) had three other players in double-figures, led by Jack Hackman with 16 points. Kylor Kelley connected on a double-double with 14 second-half points, ten rebounds and five blocks. Kenny Blackwell added 12 points and three assists.
 
Northwest Christian will be back in action on December 30, taking the show back on the road to Washington where they will face Walla Walla University at 2:00 p.m.