Undefeated Raiders charge past Merced into 2nd round, 86-52
For the fourth year in a row, the Southern Oregon women’s basketball team is through to the second round of the NAIA National Tournament. In Friday night’s 86-52 first-round win over UC Merced at Lithia Motors Pavilion, the Raiders made it look routine.
Senior forward Morgan Baird rang up 28 points, six rebounds and four assists as No. 2-seeded SOU (32-0 overall) used a 24-4 second quarter to go up 30 points by halftime against the No. 15-seeded Bobcats. Senior point guard Meghan McIntyre set a rollicking pace – which led to a 21-0 advantage in fastbreak points – with 12 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals.
The task gets taller, literally and figuratively, in Saturday’s 5 p.m. second-round matchup against No. 7 seed Wayland Baptist (Texas). The Raiders will have to contend with 6-foot-4 All-American post Megan Nestor — who went 17-of-20 with 35 points and 15 rebounds in the Flying Queens’ 72-63 first-round win over Carroll (Mont.) — as they attempt to advance to the 16-team final site for the first time since the tournament adopted its current format three years ago.
Their defense overmatched Merced, the California Pacific Conference champion whose season ended at 17-9. The Bobcats were stuck with the same pedestrian point total that they mustered in a 24-point loss to the Raiders four months ago. Emma Schmerbach flew around with six steals, six points, four assists, four rebounds and a blocked shot.
Second round Saturday:
Wayland Baptist (Texas) (Round of 32)
5 p.m. Saturday, March 15, Lithia Motors Pavilion, Ashland
To buy tickets ($5-12), click here
Led by McIntyre and Schmerbach, SOU collected 15 steals while keeping the Bobcats at 33% from the field.
“I’m really proud of our complete team effort on both ends of the floor,” SOU coach Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt said. “We pushed the ball well and found the open person all night.”
After Baird, who went 12-of-19, started with four early buckets, Sierra Scheppele got loose with four 3-point makes on five tries, totaling 15 points. Mallory Williams joined her off the bench with two more triples. Eliza DiGiulio, another reserve, shot 5-of-5.
The Raider bench amassed 36 points to Merced’s four.
SOU held Nicole Lukito, the Cal Pac Player of the Year, without a point in the first half, though she finished with 14, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Saturday’s game represents a chance to exorcise some festering demons for both clubs. They met in the first round two years ago, when Wayland Baptist jumped out to a 29-point lead before SOU executed the most remarkable comeback in team history to win 68-66.
“We had a great environment tonight,” Kloppenburg-Pruitt said, “and we’ll need everyone back tomorrow.”
This story first appeared on the Southern Oregon University Sports Information website, souraiders.com.
