Harding, Hinkey come through in crunch time as Raiders down Tech
SOU Sports Information
ASHLAND – On a night dictated by defense, it was only fitting that the decisive shot from Southern Oregon guard Daranda Hinkey was created by her heads-up takeaway.
Hinkey and the Raiders stopped Oregon Tech, 61-56, and jumped the Owls in the Cascade Conference standings by ending on a 9-2 run over the final 69 seconds Wednesday night at Lithia Motors Pavilion.
With the Raiders trailing 54-52 after Courtney Clemmer's short jumper, Dominique Harding drew a foul at the rim and tied the game at the free-throw line with 1:02 to play. Hinkey then stepped in front of OIT's ensuing inbounds pass, dished to Harding and got it back in the corner for the go-ahead 3-pointer.
Following Kami Walk's block on the other end, Syd'Nee Fryer made four straight free throws to seal the victory.
With their sixth straight win, the Raiders shot to 11-5 overall and 7-2 in the Cascade Conference – giving themselves a chance to move into first place with Corban (11-6, 7-2) coming to town Friday and 22nd-ranked Northwest Christian (12-3, 6-1) visiting Saturday. Both games will tip off at 5:30 p.m.
The Owls (11-6, 5-2), who clawed back into the game after trailing by as many as 11 in the first half, have dropped two in a row after winning 10 straight.
Harding steadied the Raiders offensively during their 35-percent shooting night. The sophomore guard recorded team-highs of 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, shooting 6-of-12 from the field. She scored seven of those during a fourth quarter that featured two ties and two more lead changes.
Fryer was the only other Raider in double figures with 13 points and five rebounds, and her bucket at the rim gave SOU its biggest advantage at 36-25 with 1:41 left in the first half. Hinkey finished with eight points, three assists and two steals, Bryanna Raff had seven points, six boards and two blocks, and Kalei Iwami came up with four of SOU's 10 steals.
Amanda Constant's 10 points and 10 rebounds paced the Owls, who also got 11 points apiece from Kristin Farrell and Emma McKenney. They were also shaky from the field at 37 percent, but got back in the game by outscoring the Raiders 13-5 in the third.