PORTLAND – The Southern Oregon University women's basketball team got a little help Friday night to clinch its first home Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament game in five years. Then the Raiders helped themselves with a typically explosive performance at Warner Pacific.
While Eastern Oregon was defeating Northwest – ensuring SOU a top-four seed and a quarterfinal date Tuesday at Bob Riehm Arena – the Raiders were busy putting together a 97-81 win against the Knights at Bart Valentine Court.
SOU (22-7 overall, 11-6 CCC) went on a 21-11 run to take a 53-42 lead into halftime, then started the second half on a 21-2 surge to quiet the Knights (6-22, 2-15) for good.
Allison Gida (Ashland, Ore./Ashland) had 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, and
Carly Meister (Elma, Wash./Elma) recorded 17 points and five rebounds to lead seven players with at least seven points.
Meister had been 1-for-4 before the run but went 4-for-5 with 11 points during it.
The Raiders' first postseason opponent will be determined after their regular season finale Saturday at Concordia, set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. They could still attain the No. 3 seed; they're tied currently with College of Idaho, which was upset Friday by Evergreen.
The Raiders, who are on their way to becoming the highest-scoring team in CCC regular season history at an average of 83.8 points per game, just missed their fifth 100-point game of the season.
Ashley Claussen (Scotts Valley, Calif./Santa Cruz) recorded all 13 of her points in the first half,
Kristen Schoenherr (Rainier, Wash./Rainier) had 10, and
Autumn Durand (Onalaska, Wash./Onalaska) contributed nine points, five assists and four steals on 4-for-4 shooting. The Raiders went 27-for-60 from the field and made 39 of 59 free throws, getting eight apiece at the line from Gida and Claussen.
They swept the season series with the Knights for the first time since 2008-09.
Allie Campbell scored 17 with seven rebounds and four steals for the Knights off the bench.
Brenna Anderson (Burlington, Wash./Burlington-Edison) took away their last lead, 24-21, with a 22-footer that was one of just four SOU 3-pointers. The Raiders made the other three earlier to keep the initially-hot Knights from getting away.
Cambie Edwards (Burglington, Wash./Burlington-Edison) chipped in eight points and
Tiani Bradford (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City) seven off the bench.