Mountaineers Win CCC Tournament 63-52 Over SOU
LA GRANDE, Ore. - The Eastern Oregon women's basketball team defeated rival Southern Oregon 63-52 on Monday night to win its fifth Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament title, the second most all time in the conference.
The Mounties (30-2, 20-0 CCC) extended their winning streak to 24 games and haven't lost a game since November 25 against then-No.16 Montana Western. The Blue and Gold continued its historic run against CCC opponents, going 23-0 when playing conference foes.
Senior forward Mariah Swanson had a historic night by adding five blocks to her 16 points. This was the second-highest block total in a single game in program history. Junior guard Maya Ah You-Dias flirted with a triple-double, scoring 13 points, grabbing nine rebounds and dishing six assists.
Southern Oregon was the side that started fast, as they led 22-14 at the end of the first quarter after starting the game on a 9-0 run. The second quarter was a defensive battle, as the teams scored a combined 16 points and shot 6-for-33 on the field. The Raiders ended the half with a 28-24 lead.
The Mountaineers increased the intensity in the second half, opening up the third quarter on a 9-0 run and shooting 40% from behind the arc. After gaining the lead, the Blue and Gold did not look back behind a strong 23-11 fourth quarter score.
Toria Bradford was the top scorer for the Raiders with 14 points, as the Raiders' star player and the conference's leading scorer Remi Mejia fouled out with 10 points.
The No. 11 Raiders enter the national tournament with an impressive 27-4 overall record, with three of those losses at the hands of the Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers clinched their berth to the NAIA Championships with their regular season title, thus earning SOU the conference's second automatic berth due to finishing as the runner-up in the CCC Tournament. Both teams will head to Sioux City, Iowa, for the national tournament, which begins March 7. The NAIA selection show will be streamed on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Pacific time as both teams learn their first round opponents.
For more information on Eastern Oregon women's basketball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
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Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu