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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Fireworks show features fiddler ... Police reports, June 30-July 1 ... Verbal assailant likely has mental issues ... Fireworks show features fiddler ... Police reports, June 30-July 1 ... Verbal assailant likely has mental issues ... WOMEN'S BASKETBALL No Claussen, no problem as Raiders roar into national semis SOU overcomes star guard's injury exit, advances to Final Four for first time since '97 Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Mar. 12, 2016 at 7:17 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Mar. 12, 2016 at 7:17 PM » Social News Their lead down to a single point and their best player on the bench nursing an injured knee, the Southern Oregon Raiders found a way to keep their dream season going Saturday. Southern Oregon's defense produced seven straight stops in the final three minutes and Autumn Durand scored off a perfectly executed pick-and-roll pass from Demi Sahlinger with 35 seconds left to highlight a key five-point surge as the No. 3-ranked Raiders survived the loss of star point guard Ashley Claussen to beat 11th-ranked Tabor, 73-67, in the quarterfinals of the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Raiders, who are the highest-ranked team left in the tournament, will play No. 18 Goshen of Indiana in the national semifinals on Monday. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (Pacific) and the game, which represents SOU's second semifinal appearance and first since 1997, will be streamed live on ESPN3. The Raiders looked ready to blow the game open, up 22-15 early in the second quarter, when Claussen fell to the floor as her left knee twisted awkwardly. She was helped off the court and sat out the rest of the half, then re-entered to start the third quarter only to go down again. The Cascade Conference Player of the Year watched the rest of the game from the bench and her status for the semifinals is uncertain. With Claussen out, the Raiders (32-1) struggled to regain their rhythm offensively and Tabor (28-8), which eliminated the Raiders in the second round a year ago, rallied from an 11-point deficit to take a 41-39 lead with 3:37 to go in the third. A 3-pointer by SOU's Majerle Reeves gave the Raiders a 64-58 lead with 6:11 left in the game, but the Blue Jays rallied again and trailed by one, 66-65, after Tena Loewen scored with 3:24 on the clock. That's when the Southern Oregon defense, along with some clutch execution, tilted the game in SOU's favor. Toria Bradford went 1-for-2 at the free throw line with 2:07 left to increase SOU's lead to 67-65, and following a missed 3 and a turnover by the Blue Jays, Sahlinger hit Durand as she rolled to the basket for a wide-open layup and a 69-65 Raider lead with 35 seconds left. Two missed Tabor jump shots later, Durand iced the game at the free throw line. Goshen, seeded fifth, beat Dakota Wesleyan 89-71 earlier in the day. The national championship game will be played Tuesday at 5:04 p.m. (Pacific). By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Mar. 12, 2016 at 7:17 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501