Raiders fight back to finish off Eastern Oregon in overtime
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – A furious second-half rally wasn't quite enough for Southern Oregon to erase the horror of a nightmarish first half against Eastern Oregon. Tate Hoffman's 12 overtime points did the trick, however, in a dramatic 107-96 win Friday night at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
Hoffman recorded a career-high 30 points – hitting all eight of his free-throw attempts in the extra session – and pulled down 11 rebounds as the 18th-ranked Raiders (8-3 overall) erased a 15-point halftime deficit and improved to 2-1 in Cascade Conference play.
They forced the extra session after Aaron Borich hit Teron Bradford in transition for a 3-pointer that tied the game at 89-all with 13 seconds left in regulation, then started overtime on an 8-0 run.
Borich, who scored a career-high 22, was among several who helped the Raiders climb out of a 50-35 hole – the product of contrasting efforts from beyond the arc, where the Mountaineers (7-5, 1-2 CCC) went 8-of-14 while SOU was 3-of-16 before the break. SOU reversed course in the second half by going 8-of-13 from downtown, and Borich hit four of them while pouring in 18 after halftime.
Trailing 85-78 with three minutes left, the Raiders cut into the deficit as Bradford scored a bucket at the hoop and Borich rebounded his ensuing free throw to convert a three-point play of his own. Down 87-83 at the two-minute mark, Borich kept the Raiders alive again by dribbling into a 3-pointer.
Hoffman hit six straight free throws to start overtime, and Borich's tip-in in transition gave SOU a 97-89 advantage.
Tez Allen joined Hoffman with a double-double, registering 11 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, and Bradford finished with nine points and seven assists. Josh Washington's play inside was also critical: He scored 14 points, grabbed four of SOU's 20 offensive rebounds and shot 6-of-7 in the second half.
Conor Carroll added 11 points, shooting 3-of-6 from 3, and Jayson McMillan had nine.
Max McCullough led five Mountaineers in double figures with 20 points and seven assists. Jerek Schetzle, a 7-foot senior, stalled SOU's comeback progress with 16 of his 18 points in the second half. He finished 9-of-10 from the field with 10 boards.
With a chance to win on the final possession of regulation, McCullough was denied at the hoop.
SOU shot 48 percent overall (39-of-81) thanks to a 25-of-42 effort in the second half and OT combined.
Following its hot start, EOU misfired on eight of its final 10 attempts from downtown.
The double-double was Hoffman's second of the season. The senior forward has hit double figures in scoring in each of SOU's 11 games.
The Raiders – who also came back from 16 points down in Monday's win against Simpson (Calif.) – face another daunting task on Saturday. Fifth-ranked College of Idaho will be in town, fresh off its 77-65 win at second-ranked Oregon Tech. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.