Williams Leads NCC to Win Over SOU
EUGENE, Ore. -- After scoring just four points in regulation, junior Andrew Williams added eleven points in overtime, pushing Northwest Christian College to an 80-76 victory over Southern Oregon University on Friday night.
The Raiders welcomed the return of leading scorer Matt Cowell on Friday. After missing the previous six games with an ankle injury, Cowell returned in strong fashion hitting 7-of-10 three-pointers to finish with a game-high 27 points.
Cowell’s fifth trey of the evening came with 30 seconds to play in regulation, giving the Raiders a lead at 66-64 with the 15th lead change of the closely contested second half. On the Beacons next possession, Josh Jarrett dumped in a six-foot jumper to tie the game at 66-66, forcing the extra frame.
Jarrett ended his night early in the overtime period with his fifth foul, but not before scoring 27 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds on 9-for-15 shooting. He was also 9-for-10 at the free-throw line.
Northwest Christian (10-17, 7-10 CCC) sits in eighth place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and holds a three-game lead over Corban with three games to go in the fight for the final playoff spot. The Beacons now need just one win or a loss by Corban to clinch a post-season berth.
Southern Oregon (8-20, 4-14) has officially fallen out of contention for the post season with the loss. They are currently 10th in the CCC. Cowell was joined on the scoreboard by three others in double figures, including 12 from Ryon Pool off the bench. Combined with Cowell’s efforts, the SOU reserves ended up outscoring their NCC counterparts 42-20. The defining characteristic of the game for the Raiders will go down at the free-throw line, where they shot just 44% (7-for-16).
The Beacons will be back in action tomorrow night when they play host to Oregon Tech, ranked sixth in the NAIA Division II coaches poll. Owl’s head coach Danny Miles will coach his 1200th game