College Place, Wash. – Walla Walla men's basketball opened its Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) season, hosting No. 24-Ranked Corban University. The teams needed overtime to determine a winner, as the Wolves outscored the Warriors 16-8 in the extra period to register their first conference win while securing the upset bid, 82-74. 

"The game today was a culmination of hard work, change in mindset, and faith in the direction of the program," said head coach Brandon Broome. "We had great practices leading up to todays game, so we felt confident that we could compete with a team like Corban."

Walla Walla (3-4, 1-0) could not have executed a better start, as their defense fueled their start. Wolves' guard Caleb Golden knocked in a triple to start the scoring while the defense held the No. 24-Ranked Warriors scoreless for the first three-plus minutes of the game before Beau Goddenbach got the Warriors on the scoreboard, going 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. 

The Wolves continued their great start, extending the lead to 20-12, as Ethan Ford provided a spark off the bench, scoring eight points in a two-minute stretch. The Warriors were able to chip into the lead after Reece Van Lierop converted a three-point play to make it 17-22 with seven minutes remaining. The Wolves built their largest lead to 10 after Alexander Robertson found KiAndre Gaddy streaking down court for a two-handed dunk.

The Warriors quickly responded in the last two minutes of the half, ending the half on an 8-2 run, as the Wolves took a slim 35-33 lead heading into the half. The Wolves held the Warriors to 30-percent shooting for the half.

Corban took its first lead since the 12-minute mark in the first half after Beau Roggenbach converted a three-point play to give Corban a 38-37 lead two minutes into the second half. The Warriors would extend their lead to five at 43-38, forcing head coach Brandon Broome to take a timeout. The Wolves answered, scoring the next seven points after Zayne Browning knocked down a three-pointer to reclaim the lead at 45-43.

The defense picked back up, as a Mauricio Smith free-throw was the only point for a four-minute stretch before Smith converted a layup that helped the Warriors reclaim the lead at 46-45 at the ten-minute mark. The teams would play even basketball before KiAndre Gaddy knocked in 1-of-2 free throws to tie up the score at 56 with 4:35 remaining to set up an entertaining finish.

The Wolves pushed the lead out to seven as Dylan Browning and Alexander Robertson knocked down back-to-back three-pointers. With two minutes remaining, the Warriors clawed back, cutting the game to a one-possession game at 64-66. After an empty Warriors possession, the Warriors rebounded a Wolves miss and were able to convert a second chance opportunity to tip up the score at 66 with 11 seconds remaining. Coming out of the timeout, the Wolves ran a well-designed play that saw Zayne Browning get some open space off a screen, but the shot fell just short and the game went to overtime tied at 66.

A Warriors free throw gave the Warriors the first lead in overtime, but it would not last long, as a Dylan Browning tough contested two-point layup gave the Wolves back the lead. The Wolves added to their lead, as KiAndre Gaddy converted a three-point play to give the Wolves a 71-67 with just under three minutes remaining. 
The Wolves were able to extend the lead out to 10 points, as some great ball-movement and solid defense led to the lead. The Wolves were able to ice the game from the free-throw line to secure the upset bid over the Warriors.

The Wolves were led by KiAndre Gaddy, who registered an impressive double-double with 24 points and 19 rebounds, which tied the school record since joining the CCC. Gaddy also registered four blocks and four steals. Dylan Browning registered a career-high 22 points while freshman forward Ethan Ford provided a huge spark off the bench, scoring 10 of his 18 points in the first half. 

The Warriors were led by Beau Goggenbach's double-double, as the forward recorded 20 points and 14 rebounds.
Both teams continue their season tomorrow evening, squaring off for a second time. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Windemuth Court.  

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