SOU erases 14-point deficit to beat Warner Pacific, 70-68
SOU Sports Information
PORTLAND – The 18th-ranked Southern Oregon women's basketball team picked off Warner Pacific with its biggest comeback in two years Saturday at Bart Valentine Court, sealing a 70-68 win when Syd Fryer blocked WPU's desperation 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
The Raiders (8-3 overall, 4-1 Cascade Conference) trailed by as many as 14 points and were down 51-42 at the start of the fourth quarter. The deficit evaporated within the first two minutes of the period, and SOU claimed its first lead of the game on a pair of Sophia Altemus free throws with seven minutes left.
Destinee Jones had 14 points and eight rebounds and started the 11-0 run with back-to-back takes to and finishes at the basket. Fryer, who had 12 points and five rebounds, cut WPU's lead to two with a 3-pointer, and Daranda Hinkey's steal that led to her transition layup finally tied it.
Jones scored 12 of her points in the fourth. With three minutes left, her put-back gave the Raiders a 66-60 lead. A minute later, a steal that she took all the way to the basket made it 68-62.
The Knights (7-4, 3-1) had been unbeaten in CCC play when the evening began. They've lost 13 in a row against the Raiders.
WPU made one last push in the final moments. Trailing 69-62, Kendyl Cone hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left. Following an SOU turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass, Grace Prom hit another to cut the lead to one.
The Raiders' issues at the free-throw line, where they went 19-of-34, were punctuated by three consecutive misses after that, but Dominique Harding hit her last attempt to provide the final score.
Sophia Altemus went 8-of-10 at the line and totaled 10 points and three rebounds. Daranda Hinkey added eight points and Ariel Augustine had seven with eight rebounds.
Prom's 16 points on five 3-pointers led WPU.
The Raiders will finish the road trip at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Multnomah.