ASHLAND – Southern Oregon started its résumé-building early with a 51-47 upset of No. 4-ranked Carroll (Mont.) in the opener for both teams on Thursday at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
The Raiders trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half but outscored Carroll 29-18 in the second, making the Saints their highest-ranked victims in at least 20 years. Kami Walk scored eight of her 14 points in the fourth quarter, and Makayla Scurlock came off the bench to total nine points on 4-of-4 shooting to go with five rebounds.
The Saints, picked to win the Frontier Conference after advancing to last season's NAIA Round of 16, shot 36 percent in the game with just one 3-point make and 16 turnovers. They went 2-of-10 in the fourth quarter and were held without a field goal for the final five minutes.
Trailing 37-32, the Raiders got a 3-pointer from Brianna Phiakhamngon to close the third quarter and then took their first lead on Kalei Iwami's 3 to open the fourth.
The teams were tied at 42 with four minutes left when Danasia Allison came up with a steal and went coast-to-coast for a layup. After a defensive stop, Phiakhamngon found Walk for a corner triple that stretched the lead to five.
Walk – a junior forward and SOU's NAIA All-America honorable mention recipient – struggled from the field at 4-of-14 but came up with another big play with the Raiders up 47-44 and 1:21 left, driving to the hoop and absorbing contact to convert a three-point play that served as the dagger.
Phiakhamngon totaled seven points and four assists. She and Iwami, who scored seven, both hit a pair of 3-pointers. Clara Robbins collected three steals and Allison had two.
Jamie Pickens, Carroll's 6-foot-2 NAIA All-America honorable mention recipient, needed 21 shots to get to 24 points. No other Saint scored more than six.
The Raiders aren't home again until Dec. 16. They'll play next week at the Lithia-Oregon Tech Classic, facing George Fox on Nov. 4 and Menlo (Calif.) on Nov. 5.