Felicity Jones at the line vs. SOU in C of I 75-60 victory
CALDWELL, Idaho - Felicity Jones scored a season-high 23 points as The College of Idaho opened up the 2012 Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships with a 75-60 victory over Southern Oregon, tonight inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
With the win, the No. 20 ranked Lady Yotes (20-8) secured their third 20-win season in the last four years and earned a home date with Eastern Oregon in the tournament semifinals. Tip-off against the No. 25 ranked Mountaineers is set for 7 p.m. on Friday night, as EOU rolled past Northwest, 88-57.
The Raiders (14-16) used a 6-0 run late in the first half, keyed by back-to-back Cassandra Tiggett baskets, to cut a C of I lead to 23-21. The Lady Yotes would rally, rattling off 10 of the next 12 points in the final two minutes - as Tina Fakahafua begin the run with a three as the shot clock expired, and Katelin Shannon capped it with a trio of free throws after a long-distance foul with two ticks on the clock, as the hosts led 33-23 at the break.
SOU would get within 35-27 early in the second half, but a Jones fast break basket and a pair of free throws gave the Yotes a 14-point lead - with the game played between a 10 and 14-point margin the rest of the way.
The C of I won the game at the foul line, hitting a season-high 30-of-38 free throws in the victory, outscoring the Raiders, 30-11, at the stripe. The hosts held a 53-39 edge on the glass, including 21 offensive rebounds, while forcing 21 SOU turnovers.
Jones hit 11-of-12 free throws in the win, while adding four steals for the Yotes. Fakahafua had her second-straight double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, with Shannon scoring 11. Tiggett had a career night for Southern, scoring a game-high 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting, with RaTanya Newsome scoring 11.
CCC Championships (Quarterfinals) - No. 1 Corban 60, No. 8 Evergreen 46' No. 2 College of Idaho 75, No. 7 Southern Oregon 60; No. 3 Eastern Oregon 88, No. 6 Northwest 57; No. 4 Warner Pacific 76, No. 5 Oregon Tech 58. Semifinal Pariings (Friday, Feb. 24) - No. 4 Warner Pacific at No. 1 Coban; No. 3 Eastern Oregon at No. 2 College of Idaho