ASHLAND, Ore. — The No. 1 seeded Southern Oregon came out on top in Friday’s Cascade Collegiate Conference semifinal, defeating Eastern Oregon 53-44 at home.
The Raiders established an early lead, outscoring the Mountaineers 15-2 in the first quarter. Although Eastern Oregon mounted a late comeback, outscoring Southern Oregon 16-5 in the final quarter, they couldn’t overcome the deficit established early in the game.
Turnovers plagued the Mounties during the contest, as they gave the ball away 13 times, leading to 12 points for the Raiders. Southern Oregon also controlled the game down low, tallying 32 points in the paint compared to Eastern Oregon’s 16.
Southern Oregon’s Meghan McIntyre led the charge with 20 points, supported by Kami Walk’s 19-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Despite their late effort, the Mounties struggled to find a consistent offensive rhythm, shooting 27.6% from the field overall. Bayley Brennan led the Mountaineers with 15 points, while Brie Holecek added 6 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
With this victory, Southern Oregon will host the conference finals against Lewis-Clark State College, who defeated Oregon Tech 75-60 earlier tonight.
Eastern Oregon finishes the conference tournament with a 21-7 overall record and a 17-7 conference play record. At-large bids and the final 64-team field and bracket will be announced on Thursday, March 7, at 7:00 p.m. CT on the NAIA Youtube Channel.
