ASHLAND, Ore. – Jordan Hunt led four Southern Oregon players in double-figures with 18 points, as the Raiders snapped College of Idaho's 5-game win streak with a 85-69 victory inside Lithia Motors Pavilion.
The loss for Coyotes (25-4, 14-3 CCC) sets up a winner-take-all match-up tomorrow night at Oregon Tech (7:30 p.m. PST) – as the victor claims the Cascade Conference regular-season title and home-court edge throughout the CCC Championships.
Southern (19-9, 9-8) limited the Yotes to just 31-percent shooting in the opening half – breaking open a tight game midway through the period with a 19-3 run. Tristen Holmes scored six-straight points to start the rally and Kaj Benson canned back-to-back 3-pointers to give the hosts a 34-20 lead.
SOU led 58-43 midway through the second half before C of I battled back.
Gibson Berryhill and
Nate Bruneel each hit 3's, with an
Ivory Miles-Williams basket cutting the margin to 60-53 – only to see the Raiders get triples from Aaron Borich and Tez Allen to extend the lead quickly to 70-55. Berryhill drained another 3-pointer, part of a 7-0 C of I run to get within eight points with four minutes left – but the visitors could not get closer.
Hunt made 8-of-10 field goals in the win, adding nine rebounds and six assists – as SOU recorded 24 assists on 30 made field goals. Allen scored 15 points and Holmes scored 14, with the Raiders scoring 22 points off 14 C of I turnovers.
Berryhill led the Yotes with 14 points and
Justin Saunders scored 11 – as the C of I bench outscored the starters 42-26. C of I moved to 4-4 this season when opponents scored 80-or-more points in a game (21-0 this season when opponents failed to reach 80).
