SOU's 4th-quarter rally spoils Evergreen's upset bid

1/20/2018 9:11:00 PM

SOU Sports Information

ASHLAND – Through its first eight Cascade Conference wins, the Southern Oregon women's basketball team trailed on the scoreboard for a total of 21 minutes. On Saturday against The Evergreen State (Wash.), the 10th-ranked Raiders trailed for 29.

They responded to the foreign conditions with a furious fourth-quarter rally, making way for a 79-72 victory over the Geoducks at Mountain Avenue Gym – the 10th straight overall for SOU (17-1 overall, 9-1 CCC).

Evergreen (9-7, 7-5) built a 64-55 lead with nine minutes remaining before the Raiders ran off an 18-1 run. Remi Mejia shot 6-of-10 with 14 points in the frame, finishing with a game-high 22 and four 3-pointers. The Raiders also pulled down eight offensive rebounds and forced four turnovers in the fourth – allowing them to shoot 11-of-20 compared to Evergreen's 5-of-10 – and kept the Geoducks without a field goal for six minutes while they made their move.

Toria Bradford had 14 points and four assists, Ariel Augustine recorded 12 points and seven rebounds and Daranda Hinkey had five points and five assists to put SOU over the hump.

The Geoducks's 49-percent performance from the field was the best for a Raider opponent in a losing effort in over two years, and their 16 turnovers were the fewest SOU has forced this season.

Evergreen's Alexcis Higginbotham went 3-of-4 from 3 and scored a team-high 16 points. Jahpera McEachin had 15 points, four assists and two steals, and she knocked down a 3-pointer as the Geoducks scored the first 10 points of the game.

SOU trimmed Evergreen's lead to 37-33 by halftime, but Cayla Jones – who finished with 10 points, six boards and four assists – pushed it back to nine points when she scored on back-to-back possessions to open the fourth.

The night's most critical sequence followed: Toria Bradford dumped a pass off to Nitteayah Barfield for a layup plus a foul, and Barfield missed the ensuing free throw but Mejia stole the rebound and quickly hit a triple. Barfield then blocked shots on Evergreen's next two possessions, which were followed by buckets inside for Mejia and Bradford. In a span of 79 seconds, Evergreen's advantage had been erased.

Mejia's 3 with 5:40 to go made gave SOU its first lead since the halfway point of the second quarter, 67-65.

The Raiders have won 11 straight against Evergreen. They've won 12 in a row against Northwest (Wash.), which they'll host at 4 p.m. Sunday.