Bradford, Raiders finish off Montana Tech for 1st win
SOU Sports Information
BUTTE, Mont. – Sophomore guard Teron Bradford scored 22 points, senior forward Jordan Hunt bounced back with a double-double, and Southern Oregon left the season-opening Montana Tech Tip-Off Classic with a split by defeating the host Orediggers 83-73 on Saturday night at the HPER Complex.
In their first win of the season, the 18th-ranked Raiders shot 53 percent (32-of-61) and put four players in double figures. Tez Allen shot 5-of-6, scored 12 points and had seven assists, and Tate Hoffman recorded 16 points, five rebounds and three steals.
Bradford's 8-of-14, five-rebound outing set the pace. With SOU clinging to a four-point lead and 2:40 to play, he picked Cody Baumstarck's pocked and went the length of the floor for a layup. And leading 78-71 inside the one-minute mark, he put the game away when Allen found him for a 3-pointer on the wing.
A night after being shut out in the scoring column for the first time in his career against Carroll, Hunt came through with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 11 rebounds. The Raiders mounted a 45-23 advantage on the glass and collected 13 offensive rebounds, four of which went to Hunt.
The Diggers, which topped Eastern Oregon on Friday, stayed in it behind Troy Owens Jr.'s 22 points and four 3-pointers. The Diggers led 24-15 after his 3 just eight minutes in before the Raiders took over with an 18-5 run, eventually bringing a six-point edge into halftime.
Jayson McMillan led all reserves with five points and three rebounds, and Conor Carroll connected on a pair of clutch jumpers down the stretch.
The Raiders will play their next counters Nov. 15-16 at the Oregon Tech Lithia Classic, but on Tuesday have an exhibition matchup at NCAA Division II foe Humboldt State (Calif.).