Lady Raiders look for wins against Evergreen, Northwest

ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon women's basketball team will take aim at its first wins of 2013 when the Raiders host Evergreen on Friday and Northwest on Saturday in Cascade Collegiate Conference action at Bob Riehm Arena.

Southern Oregon, 13-5 overall and 3-4 in conference play, concludes the first half of the 2012-13 CCC schedule with the weekend matchups. The Raiders are currently tied for fifth in the conference standings behind No. 8 Eastern Oregon (8-0), No. 21 College of Idaho (7-1), Oregon Tech (5-2) and Warner Pacific (5-2).

The Raiders rank second in NAIA Div. II in rebounding (48.7 per game) and field goal percentage (.488) while ranking third in scoring (88.2 points per game) and fifth in assists (18.4). Melissa Sweat (Bakersfield, Calif./Stockdale) ranks sixth nationally in scoring (20.5 points per game) and shooting percentage (.566). Alexi Smith (Bakersfield, Calif./Stockdale) averages 14.3 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game, while Allison Gida (Ashland, Ore./Ashland) adds 13.5 points per contest.

Southern Oregon is looking to break their first skid of the season, as the Raiders have dropped four of their past five games after beginning the season 12-1. Friday's game should provide that opportunity for SOU, as the Raiders are 21-8 all-time against Evergreen and the Geoducks come into the weekend with a 4-7 overall record, 3-4 in the CCC.

Evergreen averages 52.1 points per game while giving up an average of 56.7, led by Danielle Swain's 13.8 points per contest. Swain also leads the team in rebounding (8.4 per game), and Sammi Clark adds 10.3 points per game. The Geoducks have lost four of their last six games, with wins over Linfield and Concordia on Dec. 30 and Jan. 4.

Saturday's game will feature a Northwest team that has lost its past four games to fall to 2-12 overall and 1-6 in conference play. The Eagles have tallied 60.4 points per game and have been outscored by an average of almost 13 points. Domi Mendezona (12.4) and Sanda Milovic (10.7) are the only two players on the team scoring in double figures, while Carley Davis (5.1) leads the team in rebounding.

Southern Oregon is 27-8 all-time against Northwest, including nine wins in the past 11 matchups. The teams split during each of the last two seasons, with each team winning at home and falling on the road.
Lady Raiders look for wins against Evergreen, Northwest