CORVALLIS, Ore. – Three CCC teams continue to the second round of the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
Southern Oregon University def. UC Merced, 86-52
Southern Oregon defeated University of California, Merced, in the first round of the NAIA Tournament by a final score of 86-52. CCC Player of the Year Morgan Baird tallied 28 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Raiders. Sierra Scheppele added 14 points and Meghan McIntyre came in with 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals. No. 2-seeded SOU (32-0 overall) were up 30 points by halftime against No. 15-seeded UC Merced and continued to keep the momentum going. Led by McIntyre and Schmerbach, SOU collected 15 steals while keeping the Bobcats at 33 percent from the field and the Raider bench amassed 36 points to Merced's four. Saturday at 5 p.m., Southern Oregon will host No. 7 seed Wayland Baptist University in the second round matchup.
Lewis-Clark State College def. Columbia College (Mo.), 75-59
Lewis-Clark State outlasted Columbia College in the first round of the NAIA Tournament by a final score of 75-59. Darian Herring and Payton Hymas recorded 21 points each and combined to go 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Herring blocked five shots and Hymas grabbed four steals to lead the Warriors. LC State ran away with the game in the fourth quarter, leading 70-54 with 5:06 to play and continued to lead by double-digits to close out the contest. The Warriors shot 50.8% from the floor, added 54 points in the paint, and forced 19 turnovers for 20 points. Saturday at 2 p.m., Lewis-Clark State will take on host Briar Cliff University in the second round matchup in Sioux City, Iowa.
College of Idaho def. University of Providence, 58-56 (OT)
College of Idaho edged out University of Providence in the first round of the NAIA Tournament in overtime by a final score of 58-56. Anna Mooney led the C of I scoring effort with 13 points, while Taryn Riley matched her with 13 of her own, including five crucial points in the extra period. Brooke Beresford battled on the boards with 7 rebounds, adding 10 points of her own. Kylie Waltermeyer drilled two key three-pointers and contributed 6 points. The Yotes overcame a 11-point second-half deficit, with Riley evening out the score at 51-51 with three seconds left in regulation. Ashton Adamson came up with a game-saving block in the dying seconds. With only one second left, Mooney dished a pinpoint pass to Adamson, who muscled in the go-ahead layup, sealing the 58-56 victory. Saturday at 5 p.m., College of Idaho will play against Georgetown College (KY) in Great Fall, Montana in the second round matchup.
Milligan University def. Oregon Tech, 83-74
Milligan University upset Oregon Tech with a 83-74 victory. OIT was ahead with nine minutes to play, but MU held Tech to 1-of-11 shooting and forced three turnovers in the game-changing 7-minute stretch. Tatum Schmerbach had a double-double, scoring a career-high 28 points with 10 rebounds to pace the Owls. Oregon Tech ended its season with a 23-8 overall record.
University of the Cumberlands def. Eastern Oregon University, 62-51
University of the Cumberlands was victorious over Eastern Oregon with a 62-51 win. EOU's defense held strong, forcing 16 turnovers and recording seven steals while limiting Cumberlands to just 1-of-10 shooting from three-point range. Kelsie Siegner paced the Mounties with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks. Eastern Oregon ended its season with a 19-10 overall record.