Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo
Mayernik, No. 6 Beacons drop Raiders, 92-80
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – Sixth-ranked Northwest Christian concluded its Cascade Conference regular-season title run with a 92-80 win over Southern Oregon Saturday night at Mountain Avenue Gym.
Beacons forward Jay Mayernik – a 6-foot-7 senior who began his career at SOU 13 years ago and reemerged with the Beacons as a sophomore in 2014 – dominated all over the floor with 19 points, 19 rebounds and eight assists, his 17th double-double of the season.
NCU (24-4 overall, 17-3 CCC), which clinched the championship Thursday, led 48-44 at halftime and shot 19-for-32 in the second half. Austin Tyner scored 17 points off the bench on 7-of-8 shooting, and as a team the Beacons shot 58 percent with just nine turnovers for the game.
Tristen Holmes had 24 points and nine rebounds,
Ben DeSaulnier scored 21 and
Conor Carroll added 16 for the Raiders (17-12, 11-8). That trio combined to go 20-of-35 from the field, but the rest of the team was just 6-of-18.
With the Beacons up 63-58 at the 12-minute mark, Mayernik and Michael Loomis scored inside on back-to-back possessions. After the Raiders cut the lead back down to seven with 6:21 remaining, Jordan Alexander and Tyner bookended an 8-0 NCU run with 3-pointers.
The Beacons have won 16 of their last 17 overall.
SOU remained in fifth place, a game up on Northwest (Wash.), going into Sunday's 3 p.m. regular-season finale against Corban.