SOU takes down No. 5 Oregon Tech in final seconds, 77-76
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – With regard to its recent slide against Oregon Tech, there was never going to be an easy way out for the Southern Oregon men's basketball team. When the Raiders fell behind 14-0 and later trailed by 17 nearing halftime of Wednesday's meeting, that much rang true again.
The payoff for enduring those struggles was made worthwhile by Aaron Borich and Tate Hoffman, however, as the seniors lifted 15th-ranked SOU in the final seconds to a 77-76 defeat of the fifth-ranked Owls in another classic installment of the rivalry at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
After OIT All-American Mitchell Fink missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity with 17 seconds left, the Raiders took possession down 76-75. Borich then squared up his defender from the left wing, dribbled into the lane and leaned back to bank in a floater over a flurry of Owls, giving the Raiders their first lead with five seconds on the clock.
Following a timeout, Fink dribbled the length of the floor and left two defenders behind before dishing off to Matt Van Tassell, whom Hoffman denied at the rim as the buzzer sounded.
The Raiders (13-4 overall, 5-2 CCC) had dropped their last six CCC matchups against the Owls (14-3, 4-3) after winning seven of the previous eight.
Besides the daunting deficit – the largest being 44-27 – they had to overcome a career night from another All-American, Seth Erickson. OIT's senior guard dazzled with 36 points and on 14-of-21 shooting, hitting 12 of his first 13 attempts – six of which were beyond the 3-point line.
Hoffman and Borich scored 16 apiece for the Raiders, combining for 21 after halftime. They were responsible for 12 of SOU's 14 over the last 6:35, and Borich totaled five assists while Hoffman tallied three blocks.
But the swing occurred on the defensive end, as Teron Bradford helped hold Fink, the two-time CCC Player of the Year, to 3-of-17 shooting, and Allen disrupted the Owls with seven steals – the most for a Raider in more than 10 years – while also clamping down on Erickson late.
After halftime, the Owls shot 9-of-26 from the field. They were also hurt on the glass, giving up 18 offensive rebounds while collecting just six of their own.
Bradford finished with 14 points, eight rebounds (four on the offensive end) and three assists. Allen scored all 10 of his points after halftime and added eight rebounds.
Fink finished ended up with 14 points and eight assists. Harrison Steiger scored 14 more.
The Raiders will play two more at home this weekend, hosting Corban on Friday and Northwest Christian on Saturday. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. starts.