Mountaineers ride big 1st half to win at SOU
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – The 18th-ranked Eastern Oregon women's basketball team came out firing and never let up in an 82-59 defeat of Southern Oregon in Cascade Conference action Friday night at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
Rachel Fielder scored 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting and the Mountaineers (9-4 overall, 3-0 CCC) hit nine of their 10 3-pointers before halftime, pushing to a 54-29 lead that was too much for the Raiders (5-5, 1-2) to overcome.
Megan Still hit three triples and scored 15 points off the bench, also collecting four of EOU's 12 steals. Beverly Slater chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, and Jane Nelson shot 2-of-3 from downtown.
Up 23-21, the Mountaineers scored the last five points of the first quarter and took over with a 26-8 advantage in the second, where they shot 5-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Sophomore post Bryanna Raff scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting for the Raiders. Syd'Nee Fryer totaled 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Daranda Hinkey had 10 points and three steals, and reserve Kalei Iwami added nine points and three assists.
The Raiders cut the deficit to 62-48 on Fryer's 3-point play near the end of the third quarter before fading.
EOU has won 52 of its last 53 conference games dating back to the 2016-17 season.
SOU will be at home again Saturday, facing College of Idaho at 5:30 p.m.