Raiders on a roll, taking conference championship and advancing in tournament
Ashland.news staff report
Students from three elementary schools cheered on the Southern Oregon University women’s basketball team to a 65-49 win Friday, Feb. 23, against Walla Walla.
Walker and Bellview elementary schools in Ashland and Griffith Elementary School in Medford had a lot to cheer about as the Raiders cruised to win earning them a tie for the top spot in the Cascade Conference, setting the stage for a league championship victory in a 60-58 thriller over Lewis-Clark State on Saturday.
The kids filled most of the seats on one side of the gym and made a lot of noise throughout the game, which started at noon.
Students in the Griffith school group are pen-pals with the women on the SOU team.
The Raiders (24-4 overall, 20-2 CCC) had fallen a game back of LCSC (23-4, 19-3) with their 68-42 loss in Lewiston on Jan. 12. They’ve won 14 in a row since, earning homecourt advantage throughout this week’s CCC Tournament and an automatic bid to make their fourth consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearance.
The Raiders beat Corban 71-55 Tuesday, advancing SOU to host No. 4 seed Eastern Oregon at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals.
SOU Sports Information contributed to this report.
