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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 Home News Latest Stories Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Control burn set for Wednesday Person suffers smoke inhalation in Ashland house fire Should the Plaza get yet another makeover? Education Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland Ashland Runs on Volunteers: OLLI classes pay dividends in joy of teaching, learning New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Environment Lots to celebrate at SOU Arbor Day rites Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers Business Cars We Remember: ‘Topper’ movie car most memorable Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Ashland's Knecht provides bright spot in Grizz nonleague loss to South Medford Blazers clinch playoff spot Thompson-Siporen second in decathlon Documentary about Southern Oregon University football's national championship team to screen for free Fantasy Sports: Reds’ Chapman opens list of top closers High school Ashland's Knecht provides bright spot in Grizz nonleague loss to South Medford Thompson-Siporen second in decathlon Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza Letters to the Editor, April 1 Landgren cartoon: European travel essentials Our View: One for the books Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan Editorial Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza Our View: One for the books Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Letters Letters to the Editor, April 1 Letters to the Editor, March 30 Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Council Corner: Ashland’s climate plan Chris Honoré: Some political and social observations Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Ashland High grad performs at OSF's Hip Hop Open Mic Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Review: From past into present in OSF's 'Long Day's Journey' Ticket availability Ticket Availability Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories 5 Things to Do This Weekend (April 3-5) Dave Ramsey: Dad’s career choices aren’t working Dear Monty: Relocation brings pay raise and challenges Garden Cameos: Planning for a fragrant garden year round Book Notes: America’s Test Kitchen takes a detailed look at vegetarian cooking Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland ... Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza ... Control burn set for Wednesday ... Chautauqua series brings author Jane Hamilton to Ashland ... Our View: Restoration remorse over Ashland's Plaza ... Control burn set for Wednesday ... MEN'S BASKETBALL Dynamic offenses square off in SOU-Midland first-round matchup No. 21 Raiders, No. 11 Midland square off in first round Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Mar. 11, 2015 at 4:47 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Mar. 11, 2015 at 4:47 PM The Big Show --> What: NAIA Division II National Championships, a 32-team, single-elimination tournament. When/Where: March 11-17 at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. First round: No. 11 Midla... » Read more X The Big Show What: NAIA Division II National Championships, a 32-team, single-elimination tournament. When/Where: March 11-17 at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. First round: No. 11 Midland vs. No. 21 Southern Oregon, 1:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. Pacific) today. Follow: Live stream and live stats links available at naia.org. » Social News Southern Oregon men’s basketball coach Brian McDermott has always maintained that if his Raiders could qualify for the NAIA Division II Championships their versatile, efficient motion offense would be a tough matchup for anyone. “I wouldn’t want to guard us,” he said. Now the 21st-ranked Raiders will put that theory to the test against another tough matchup — 11th-ranked Midland (Neb.) — today in the first round of the 32-team tournament at Point Lookout, Mo. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m. Pacific) at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks. Southern Oregon (24-9) was on the bubble when it came back from seven points down in overtime to beat Northwest Christian in the first round of the Cascade Conference tournament and all but clinched its at-large bid three days later with a semifinal win at then-15th-ranked Warner Pacific. The Raiders’ reward for their impressive CCC run — they eventually lost to No. 4 College of Idaho in the title game — is a date with one of the hottest teams in the tournament. Midland (26-7), last year’s national runner-up, placed third in the Great Plains Athletic Conference before beating No. 5 Dakota Wesleyan 81-74 and No. 6 Morningside 89-67 to win the GPAC tournament and claim an automatic berth to nationals. In terms of offensive prowess few first-round matchups can match SOU-Midland. Led by 6-foot-8 senior forward Eric Thompson, a fourth-year starter and four-time CCC all-star who averages 19.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, the Raiders rank third nationally in field-goal percentage (50.8) and sixth in assists (18.5). The Warriors also rely heavily on a big man - 6-foot-9 sophomore post Alex Starkel leads the team in scoring (15.6 ppg), field-goal percentage (58) and rebounding (5.5) – and boast the nation’s top 3-point field-goal percentage (41.5). They also rank third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6), fourth in turnover margin (minus-4.3), 12th in field-goal percentage (49.1) and 14th in scoring (83.5). “They’re a heavy pick-and-roll team and then they have a 6-8 guy inside [Starkel] that can score with both hands,” McDermott said. “He’s pretty good, so they’re very talented offensively.” For Southern Oregon, Thomson and 6-foot-8 junior post Jordan West (14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds) provide most of the heavy lifting inside, while 6-foot-8 senior guard Tim Weber (12.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists), who leads the nation in assists and triple-doubles (four), runs the show and is a master at gutting opposing defenses with backdoor passes. Junior guard Joel Spear (7.5 points, 3.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds) and freshman Ben DeSaulnier (9.8 points) also contribute key minutes for a team that ranked second in the CCC in points per game (79.8), assists per game (18.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio. Besides Starkel, the Warriors, who have won six straight, roll out a potent backcourt led by 5-foot-7 senior Galen Gullie (12.1 points, 3.4 assists, 1.5 steals) and 6-foot-2 senior Marcus Franklin (12.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists). McDermott said the Warriors generate open perimeter looks with their pick-and-roll offense, which may have to make some adjustments against a Raider team that plays almost exclusively zone. “It’s why we’re playing zone,” McDermott said of the pick-and-roll offense, “so we don’t have to defend it so much. They’ll still play a lot of pick-and-roll, I think. They get a lot of drive and kicks where people have to help. We feel like if we make them shoot off the dribble that’d be a good thing for us.” To do that, the Raiders will probably have to stay home against Starkel, who scored 21 points on 10 of 13 shooting against Morningside and 19 points on 8 of 15 shooting against Dakota Wesleyan. “He’s just slippery,” McDermott said of Starkel. “Almost everything he shoots is either a layin or a jump hook. He’s going to be hard to handle.” Defensively, the Warriors play mostly man-to-man, which could present problems against an SOU team which will have some serious size advantages in the backcourt. Weber’s length could force Midland out of its comfort zone, but McDermott said the Warriors have ways of making up for that. “They get after you and are very well coached,” he said. “But we feel like we’ll have chances to shoot the ball. Someone’s going to get a favorable matchup.” The SOU-Midland winner will face either seventh-ranked Bellevue (28-5) or 24th-ranked Grace (21-10) in the second round Friday. Second-ranked Embry-Riddle and 15th-ranked Union are also in SOU’s quarter of the bracket. “I think the bracket would be really nice for us if we could get through the first one,” McDermott said. Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Mar. 11, 2015 at 4:47 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. fantasy football Who Will Be QB1s with New Teams in 2015? 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