LA GRANDE Ore. – With first-place votes from seven coaches, Southern Oregon University is the preseason favorite to win the 2014-15 Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s basketball crown, according to a poll released by the conference office.
The Raiders, who earned 96 points in the poll, are coming off a season where they reached the CCC title came against eventual tournament winner Oregon Tech. SOU ended the 13-14 campaign at 12-6 in the CCC and 25-8 overall just missing an at-large bid to the NAIA D II National Championships.
Defending league champ, Eastern Oregon, earned two first-place votes and 87 points and are picked second. The Mountaineers, 14-4 in the CCC last season, advanced to the NAIA D II national championships and finished at 23-10 overall. The College of Idaho was picked third with 75 points and one first- place vote.
Oregon Tech (69) placed fourth, and was followed by Corban (58), Concordia (50), Northwest (46), Evergreen (25), Warner Pacific (23), and Northwest Christian (21).
Southern Oregon, led by coach Lynn Kennedy, will look to key returners 6’2 forward Carly Meister and 5’9 junior guard Kristen Schoenherr to lead a Raider team that only lost two players to graduation from last year.
EOU, under the direction of Anji Weissenfluh, will be led by 5’10 junior forward Nikki Osborne and 5’8 junior guard Maloree Moss. EOU boasts a junior class of ten players along with one senior, three sophomores and one freshman.
Mark Owen takes the helm of the Lady Yote team after serving as an assistant the previous two years and the men’s head coach from 2000-2010. COI is expected to be led by 5’7 Elisha Hensey and 5’4 Aleah Lowber. Both guards are seniors.
2014-15 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
Place |
Institution |
Points |
2013-14 Overall |
2013-14 CCC |
|
1. |
Southern Oregon (7) |
96 |
25-8 |
12-6 |
|
2 |
Eastern Oregon (2) |
87 |
23-10 |
14-4 |
|
3. |
College of Idaho (1) |
75 |
16-12 |
12-6 |
|
4. |
Oregon Tech |
69 |
28-6 |
13-5 |
|
5. |
Corban |
58 |
13-18 |
8-10 |
|
6. |
Concordia |
50 |
7-23 |
4-14 |
|
7. |
Northwest |
46 |
18-13 |
10-8 |
|
8. |
Evergreen |
25 |
14-12 |
10-8 |
|
9. |
Warner Pacific |
23 |
6-23 |
2-16 |
|
10. |
Northwest Christian |
21 |
9-19 |
5-13 |
First place votes in parentheses