Southern Oregon celebrates its 2007-08 CCC tournament title.
SOU Claims CCC Title, Beats C of I in Overtime
ASHLAND, Ore. -- The Southern Oregon University Raider women's basketball team won its fifth Cascade Conference tournament championship with a come-from-behind 82-72 overtime victory over College of Idaho Monday night before 1,100 screaming fans at McNeal Pavilion.
With the victory, SOU receives the league's second automatic berth to the NAIA national tournament in Sioux City, Iowa next week and will open play either March 12 or 13. The national pairings for the 32-team tournament will be released March 5.
In the first half, the lead went back and forth for the first nine minutes with SOU jumping on top 18-10 by an Ashley Baker layin at the 11:44 mark. Over the next five minutes the Coyotes would go on a 14-0 run and take a lead of 24-18 before SOU's Rhiannon Dickison hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 24-21. From there C of I closed out the half with a 36-32 lead.
SOU came out cold in the second half not making a field goal for nearly eight minutes. Four free throws by Chelsey Muri and one by Jacki Speer kept SOU close. The Raiders tied the game at 44-44 with a three-pointer by Carly Wood. SOU extended its lead to 51-45 with 9:44 left before C of I stormed back thanks to ShaNae Horner, who stole the ball and made a layup. She stole the ball a second time and scored another, giving C of I a 51-49 lead. A Whitney Owens jumper tied the game at 51 and the battle was engaged to the end.
A Tyre Rickman layup with 4:44 to go gave the 'Yotes a 60-56 lead. The lead extended to 66-60 after Josie Pugsley hit a jumper with just 3:29 left in the game. The Coyotes looked like they might pull off the upset at McNeal where SOU was unbeaten in 14 games ths season.
Muri, the CCC Player of the Year, who was sick all weekend with migraines, made four three throws and a basket and the game was tied 68-68 with 1:11 to go in the game. But with 54 secondsremaining, an Emily Brookins foul put the Yotes' Christon Vander Esch at the line where she made one of two free throws to again tie the score at 69. Speer missed a layup at the buzzer that would have won the game for SOU in regulation.
It was all SOU in the overtime as the Raiders outscored the Coyotes 13-3 to win by 10 points. SOU was 4-8 from the field and 6-6 from the free throw line in the extra session; the Coyotes were only 1-7 shooting in the extra period.
In the end, SOU was led by Speer with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Muri finished the game with 15 points, including 13-13 free throws, Whitney Scott had 20 points. SOU shot 36 percent for the game compared with 41 percent for C of I.
Free throws were a big difference ,with SOU connecting on 26-35 while C of I shot 11-19. C of I was led by Vander Esch and Magen Dufurrena, who tallied 16 points each. Whitney Clark chipped in 11 points.
SOU is now 29-4, the best record in school history. C of I dropped to 19-11. The championship trophy was presented by Cascade Conference Commissioner Dave Haglund after the game. For SOU and Coach Lynn Kennedy, the night couldn't have ended better -- a big enthusiastic crowd, a tournament championship and an opportunity to play in the national tournament.