Southern Oregon Picked to Repeat in the 2016-17 Season
LA GRANDE, Ore. – After finishing in the top spot a season ago, the Southern Oregon University women’s basketball team has been selected to repeat as conference champions, claiming eight first place votes in the 2016-17 Cascade Collegiate Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Head coach Alex Carlson enters his second year with the reigns after leading the Raiders to a 19-1 conference record and a CCC tournament championship last year. In the NAIA National Tournament, SOU advanced to the championship game before losing to Marian 59-48.
SOU returns seven players including All-Conference honoree Autumn Durand who averaged 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game along with last year’s co-defensive player of the year in Toria Bradford.
Eastern Oregon earned 107 points and two first place votes in the poll to come in second after a 16-4 conference record, going 21-10 overall a season ago. Eastern returns a number of key players including Payton Parrish who hit 82 threes to average 10.3 points as well as the 2014-15 CCC freshman of the year in Maya Ah You who did not play in 2015-16 due to injury.
Oregon Tech claimed the third spot in the poll after tying for second place in the conference standings with EOU last season at 16-4. The Owls are coming off an appearance in the CCC tournament championship game, and making it to the Sweet 16 in the national tournament.
The Owls return two starters including Ashleigh Vandenbrink who was named to the All-Conference list last year, averaging 12 points per game.
Coming in fourth was Northwest Christian who finished in that same spot at the end of last season with a 13-7 CCC record. The Beacons return nine players overall including Niki Duncan (11.7 ppg), co-defensive player of the year Monique Thompson, and Hanna Mack (72 blocks).
Next in the poll is Corban who will be under new direction in 2016 as Michelle Skyles enters her first season as head coach. The Warriors are coming off an 11-9 finish in conference play with Sadie Pilgeram as one of their key returners, earning all-conference honorable mention with 12.7 ppg.
Northwest finished with a 10-10 conference record last season and sit at sixth in the preseason poll while College of Idaho is in seventh, coming off an 8-12 season.
Rounding out the bottom of the poll are Warner Pacific in eighth, Evergreen in ninth, Multnomah in 10
th and Walla Walla in 11
th.
2016-17 CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Place |
Institution |
Points |
2015-16 Overall |
2015-16 CCC |
| 1. |
Southern Oregon (8) |
116 |
33-2 |
19-1 |
| 2 |
Eastern Oregon (2) |
107 |
21-10 |
16-4 |
| 3. |
Oregon Tech(1) |
100 |
26-9 |
16-4 |
| 4. |
Northwest Christian |
87 |
19-12 |
13-7 |
| 5. |
Corban |
76 |
16-14 |
11-9 |
| 6. |
Northwest |
66 |
15-16 |
10-10 |
| 7. |
College of Idaho |
59 |
9-18 |
8-12 |
| 8. |
Warner Pacific |
48 |
14-13 |
9-11 |
| 9. |
Evergreen |
31 |
6-19 |
6-14 |
| 10. |
Multnomah |
24 |
5-24 |
2-18 |
| 11. |
Walla Walla |
12 |
0-27 |
0-20 |
First place votes in parentheses