@SOURaiders @souwbb

Tonight’s winner moves on to the national tournament! Tonight’s loser moves on to the national tournament. So what’s the point? Besides winning the conference tournament, if SOU can win tonight, they will likely be a #1 seed in the national tournament (given that three of the teams ranked above the #5 Raiders have lost in their conference tournaments). Being a #1 seed at the national tournament can make a big difference. It means a team doesn’t have to play a team seeded #1 until no earlier than the final four. It means a team doesn’t have to play a team seeded higher than #2 or #3 until no earlier than the elite eight. So tonight’s result does the potential to drastically alter SOU’s final five games.

Here is a look at last year’s bracket. Note that no #2 or #3 seeds made the final four.

Go Raiders!

Posted on February 29th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: Ashley Claussen, basketball, Raider Athletics. Comments Off on CCC Championship tonight!

@SOURaiders @SOUWomensSoccer @presleylambert

I’m sure SOU soccer player, Presley Lambert, made this half-court shot a couple years ago, with Rocky Raider praying so fervently and all…

Posted on February 28th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: basketball, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, Nikon D600, presley lambert, Raider Athletics, rocky raider, soccer, sports photography. Comments Off on Power of prayer

Ashley Claussen scored 20 points (and also had four assists and two steals) in 23 minutes tonight

@SOURaiders @souwbb

#5 Southern Oregon easily handled Northwest Christian tonight in Cascade Conference semifinal action in Ashland, 92-62. #4 St. Francis was upset at home. #2 St. Xavier also lost at home. SOU’s odds of moving up to the #4 or even #3 spot in the country improved greatly. They will need a win on Monday night against OIT to possibly seal the deal on a well-deserved #1 seed in the national tournament.

Posted on February 26th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: Ashley Claussen, basketball, Nikon AF‑S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens, Nikon D750, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on Raiders may be one win away from a #1 seed

@souwbb @SOURaiders @ADurand25

Tomorrow night’s game will likely be the last one in Ashland for the men’s team this season. The only way they will get another home game is if they win AND Northwest Christian loses their home game taking place at the same time in Eugene.

Posted on February 26th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: autumn durand, basketball, Ben DeSaulnier, Raider Athletics. Comments Off on Semifinals

Joel Spear

@souwbb @joelspear @SOURaiders @ADurand25

Two things are similar about this year’s basketball teams. They are both perfect at home, and they are both advancing to the semifinals. Beyond that the games couldn’t look more different. The men’s team is 12-0 in close games, while the women are 23-0 in blowouts.

Catch the women this Friday night at 7 and the men on Saturday night at the same time. Both games will be at Ashland High School.

Autumn Durand

Posted on February 24th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: autumn durand, basketball, joel spear, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on Raiders advance to semis

Carly Meister

@SOURaiders @souwbb @CarlyMeister34

The SOU women’s basketball team’s winning ways, combined with a couple key upsets, could earn them a #1 seed in the national tournament. The Raiders ended the regular season with a 26-1 record.

Saint Xavier, ranked #1 before tonight, dropped their regular season finale to #12 Stritch in OT on the road. They will likely fall to somewhere between #3 and #5 in the rankings.

Marian, ranked #3 before last night, dropped their final two games of the regular season. They lost to a 5-23 team on the road before losing their home finale tonight. They will likely drop out of the top eight with those losses.

#6 SOU will move up at least one spot in the rankings. If they don’t move ahead of Saint Xavier they will need to sweep the conference playoffs at home and hope for another upset of a higher ranked team to crack the top four and receive a #1 seed in the national tournament.

Posted on February 20th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: basketball, Carly Meister, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on #1 seed?

@souwbb @syddthaakiddd

Posted on February 20th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: basketball, jordan west, Raider Athletics, sports photography, Sydney Mullings. Comments Off on CCC playoffs in Ashland

Danny Miles shakes hands with his former player and current SOU women’s basketball coach Alex Carlson before his final game in Ashland

@SOURaiders @souwbb

Beginning with the 2016-17 season, the Cascade Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Trophy will be renamed the Danny Miles Trophy. More details here.

Danny Miles was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and baseball at Southern Oregon State College in the 1960s.

Posted on February 18th, 2016 under only in ashland, people. Tags: alex carlson, basketball, danny miles, Raider Athletics, Southern Oregon University. Comments Off on Danny Miles Trophy

Kristin Smeaton

@SOURaiders @souwbb

After a 3-0 week, Massey Ratings has the 24-1 Raiders in the top 4, a position they need to get to in the coaches’ poll in order to receive a #1 seed in the national tournament. The coaches had SOU at #6 last week, and the teams ahead of SOU did not lose so it is doubtful the coaches will change things.

The coaches have College of the Ozarks at #4 while Massey has them at #14. Also, note that Massey is counting SOU’s exhibition loss to San Jose State, an NCAA Division 1 school, as a regular game.

Posted on February 16th, 2016 under people. Tags: basketball, Raider Athletics, sports photography. Comments Off on New basketball rankings