Holmes, Raiders hold down No. 20 Knights, 63-54
SOU Sports Information
PORTLAND – The 13th-ranked Southern Oregon men's basketball team held No. 20 Warner Pacific to its lowest point total in a Cascade Conference game in 14 years, and Tristen Holmes helped make that fact meaningful with 24 points and 12 rebounds in a 63-54 win Saturday night at Bart Valentine Court.
Holmes' eighth career double-double and Tate Hoffman's fourth of the season – he had 11 points and 10 rebounds – were some of the only bright spots on the Raiders' side of the box score. The ugliness they created on the other side, however, allowed them to shoot their lowest percentage (32.8) in a victory in seven years.
They moved to 13-3 overall and 3-2 in the CCC going into Sunday's 7:30 p.m. game at Multnomah.
The Knights (10-4, 3-2) shot 35 percent (21-of-60), their lowest clip of the season. Their top and most efficient scorer, Ashland product Collin Malcolm, was limited to 5-of-15 shooting in his 13-point, 14-rebound effort.
The Raiders kept WPU without a field goal during the final five minutes of the first half, during which time they staged a 12-2 run capped by Conor Carroll's buzzer-beating 3-point to take a 33-22 lead.
The Knights went the first five minutes of the second half without a bucket, too, and SOU's lead grew to 17 points.
Holmes scored 17 of his points after halftime, answering every Knight mini-run and making six consecutive free throws in the final minutes. He's scored at least 20 in four of SOU's five conference games.
The Raiders have won eight league games in a row against the Knights and five straight overall on their home floor. Their winning streak stands at four games.
Teron Bradford chipped in seven points and five rebounds.