SALEM, Ore. – After trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, Bushnell rallied back to within one point late in the second before falling to Corban University, 87-81 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action. It was the first CCC loss of the season for the Beacons while the Warriors remain undefeated in conference play.  
 
"I am really proud of the way our guys fought tonight," said head coach Eddie Alexander. "We were very resilient and we know we will be significantly better coming out of this game tonight. It starts on the defensive end and we did not do that very well the first ten minutes of the game. Corban took advantage of us and I'm not happy with our execution in a few key moments, but those are teaching moments where we will learn."
 
The Beacons (5-4, 2-1 CCC) out-shot the Warriors 51% to 49%, but couldn't overcome a cold start that included a 1-for-9 effort from three-point range over the first 20 minutes. Bushnell also went 11-for-17 at the free-throw line in the second half, which ended up being a difference maker.  
 
Alexander said, "We battled back and cut the deficit at the half and then played as hard as we could in the second half to grind back into the game. We missed six free throws in the second half and that was the difference, along with the inability to secure a few more defensive boards.
 
Corban finished the game with a 37-31 margin on the glass, including 12 offensive boards that led to a 17-6 advantage in second-chance scoring.
 
The Beacons were led by an impressive showing from Kaden Sand, scoring 25 points on 9-for-10 shooting, along with a game-high seven assists. Ashton Harvey came off the bench to score 14 points for the Beacons, including 12 in the second-half as starting post Spencer Hoffman was dealing with foul trouble.
 
Corban (5-2, 3-0) had five players in double-figures, led by 15 apiece off the bench from Aundree Polk and Jay Wilson.
 
The Beacons continue their road trip next weekend, heading to face off with Walla Walla University on Friday at 1:30 pm.