Melissa Sweat totaled 25 points, six rebounds and six steals
SOU Women Pull Away from New Hope Christian 87-72
BOX SCORE
ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon women’s basketball team won its second straight game to open the 2012-13 season, knocking off New Hope Christian 87-72 Saturday night at the Red Lion/SOU Season Opening Classic.
Southern Oregon improves to 2-0 with the win after scoring 53 points in the second half to pull away from the Lady Deacons. The Raiders return to action Nov. 10, when they will travel to Cedar City, Utah, for an exhibition game against Southern Utah.
Melissa Sweat again led the Raiders in scoring, tallying 25 points to go with a team-high six rebounds and six steals. Alexi Smith scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Krysten Copeland finished with 14 points and five boards and Angelica Cahee filled the stat sheet with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Chelsea Dyson led New Hope Christian with 24 points and five assists. Deanna Tupai tallied 18 points, while Dorian Perkey posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and Lei Lolohea finished one rebound shy with 11 points and nine boards.
The Raiders and Deacons shot an identical 34.4 percent (11-of-32) in the first half as SOU took a slim 34-32 lead into halftime. Southern Oregon pulled away with a hot second half, shooting 52.6 percent (20-of-38) in the period to outscore NHC 53-40 after the break.
The first half featured two tie scores and five lead changes, as New Hope led by as many as seven points early and the Raiders built an eight-point lead with just under six to play in the half. The game remained close through the majority of the second half, as the Deacons held a brief 43-44 lead following a three-point by McKenzie Gorman less than five minutes into the period.
Southern Oregon looked like it might pull away midway through the second when a Kiara Moore jumper made it 61-51, but the Deacons rallied to get within one possession at73-70 following a bucket by Gorman with just under four minutes to play.
From then on it was all Raiders, as SOU used a 14-2 run to put the game away in the closing minutes. Neither team scored for two minutes before a pair of Sweat free throws with 1:51 remaining made it 75-70. Sweat made a layup on the next drive despite being fouled on the play, and she hit the ensuing free throw to put SOU up by eight.
After Perkey made a three-pointer to pull NHC within six points, Ashley Claussen answered with a three-pointer of her own and Sweat hit a layup to follow a Claussen steal. Krysten Copeland scored the final four points on a pair of free throws and a layup to close out the 15-point victory.