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May 28, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels February 19, 2004 Two Porters for the price of one By Jennifer Squires Ashland Daily Tidings On paper, the Porter sisters look like they could be twins. Almost. Both are 5-foot-4 guards on the Raider women's basketball team. Born and raised in Wyoming, they each played on championship basketball and volleyball teams at Star Valley High. Candace (left) and camille porter are sisters and teammates on the Southern Oregon University women's basketball team. The duo didn't get to play together very much in high school, but are teaming up consistently for the playoff-bound Raiders. Denise Baratta | Ashland Daily Tidings These days Camille, a junior, and Candice, a freshman, both get a lot of playing time for the red and black. But in reality, Camille and Candice are like two sides of the same nickel. Raider head coach Kevin Wilson calls Camille "level-headed" in contrast to her "wild child" younger sister. "Camille, she brings an expertise to the team that was kind of lacking," Wilson said. "Candice, she just goes and goes and goes like the Energizer bunny. She probably has the best work ethic on the team." But even with their opposing personalities, the Porter sisters offer a one-two punch the rookie-laden SOU squad found missing this season. The atmosphere Camille and Candice create wasn't something Wilson had perceived would occur when he signed both sisters, but their connection has shown it's worth throughout the season. "It's the first time in a long, long time they've been able to play together," Wilson explained. "But it's important. They're the only ones who really know what each other's doing out there. That's an important aspect." The sisters agree. "I definitely know her style of ball," Camille said. "I can read exactly what she's thinking." Hereditary or practice? Back home in Freedom, a community of about 100, it's a half-hour drive to school or church, so playing basketball with the family was a constant source of entertainment. The Porter sisters used to roll out of bed at 6 a.m. to play basketball with their dad, their two older brothers and their cousins, who lived down the road, while their dad and two younger siblings stayed home. "There's nothing better to do at 6 a.m. than play ball," Camille said. "It's good for us. We didn't have anything better to do. At 6 a.m., it's feed cows or go play ball or feed cows, then go play ball." Still, despite the hours the girls spent shooting hoops together, they had few opportunities to team-up on the court. Candice, two years behind Camille in school, normally subbed into varsity games for her sister. Even though they backed one another up, each sister has her own style. "I think we played a total of 30 seconds together in high school," Camille said. "We're two different players, two different types of ball." Westward migration Last spring, Wilson hadn't anticipated the recruitment of a family. But he got more than he bargained for when he invited Camille, who'd already signed with Southern, out to work at the SOU basketball camp over the summer. She had been drawn to Southern back in March, after her performance at the College of Southern Idaho, a junior college in the same conference where Wilson had coached, caught the attention of the Raider coaching staff. "Mom didn't want me to drive alone," Camille said. "It's a 12-hour drive from Freedom, Wyo., where the girls' family lives, to Ashland. "I was her travel buddy," Candice said. "That's how I ended up out here." The Raiders held a few team practices during the camp, but came up one short when it was time to scrimmage. Candice stepped in and Wilson stepped up with a scholarship offer. What Wyoming brings With just one returning starter and a slew of players who'd never met before the summer, the Raiders had an uphill battle to wage. Though the SOU women (7-15) have not recreated last year's championship season, the Porter sisters have made significant contributions to a program-in-the-making. "I don't know why we're not winning," Camille said. "The talent on this team is incredible and the ability we have is amazing. I don't know why this season has been such a roller coaster." Camille, a starter since the Raider season-opener back in November, has led the charge, and the squad. The physical therapy major paces the team in steals (58) field goals made (116), 3-pointers made (56) and points-per-game average (14.2) this season. "Camille, she's our number-one player because she has more experience," Wilson said. "Candice, she's a role-player. She's just going to do whatever it takes." Coming off the bench, the true freshman criminology major records 2.2 points-per-game. Moreover, Wilson hopes the Porter duo will continue to be a force for the Raiders. "Candice is going to have a good four-year career here," he said. "We're hoping to get Camille back." The girls, on the other hand, aren't up for thinking about next year, or even next month. Like a family, the sisters would rather focus on the remainder of the Raider season and what could be than their plans for the future. "Watch out playoffs, here we come," Candice said, noting that the entire team still really wants to return to nationals, though senior Lindsay Hillarie is the only current Raider who played on the 2002-03 championship squad. "The season wasn't great," Camille said. "But if we can get [Lindsay] back to nationals - she deserves it. We have the ability, we just have to do it." 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