Box Score EUGENE, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University women's basketball team took the rubber match with Corban University on Tuesday night, claiming a 63-59 overtime victory in the quarterfinal round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament.
 
Six days removed from NCU's only loss this season to an unranked team, The No. 3 seed Beacons led by as many as 15 early in the second half before the Warriors made their charge. No. 6 seed Corban claimed a 45-44 lead with 5:37 remaining and the teams would trade four times over the next five minutes.
 
A layup from Emily Yost with 22 seconds remaining in regulation gave Corban a 51-50 lead but Anamaria Virjoghe hit one-of-two free throws on NCU's next possession, to tie the game and send it to overtime.
 
The Beacons scored the first seven points of the bonus frame including four from Morgan McKinney (pictured) and three from Katerina Brejchova. The Warriors once again rallied, climbing to within two points in the final moments before senior Niki Duncan iced the game on a pair of free-throws with two seconds remaining.

The Beacons (23-5) were led by Virjoghe, scoring 22 points with eight rebounds and five blocked shots. Morgan McKinney added 16 points, and two blocks as NCU posted nine blocks as a team. NCU also collected nine steals as they forced 25 Corban turnovers. The Beacons shot 33% in the game and were just 3-for-14 from three-point range, but hit 20-of-25 free-throw attempts.

Head Coach Heath Alexander said, "I am extremely proud of what we did on the defensive end tonight. We really rotated hard and were alert. Corban is way better than their record. They have battled injuries  all year and gave us everything they had once again. They made a late run and we were able to answer, getting the tough play when we needed to."

Jordan Woodvine was a primary factor in Corban's second-half charge, scoring 21 of her 29 points after the break. She also collected 12 rebounds and was 5-for-5 at the free-throw line. Jordan Rasberry added 13 points while Emily Yost came off the bench to score nine points and ten rebounds. Corban (13-15) out-rebounded the Beacons for the second straight game (46-32). They were the only team all season to out-board the Beacons and they did so in each of the past two meetings. 

With the win, NCU advances to the semifinals of the Cascade Conference tournament for just the third time in school history. All three times the Beacons made it out of the first round, it was Corban that they defeated in the quarterfinals.
 
The Beacons will hit the road on Friday to face the No. 2 seed Southern Oregon University for an 8:30 pm tip-off after the Raiders knocked off No. 7 seed Warner Pacific on Tuesday night, 99-80. No. 1 Eastern Oregon will host No. 4 Oregon Tech in the other semifinal.