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Raider men fall short in title game SALEM - The Southern Oregon University men's basketball team pulled off two miracle road victories in an improbable Cascade Conference playoff run, but 13th-ranked Western Baptist College squelched another Raider upset bid with a 78-68 victory in the league tournament championship Tuesday. The sixth-seeded Raiders (15-16) had beaten No. 3 draw Albertson and top-seeded and sixth-ranked Evergreen State in the past week and led for much of the first 30 minutes against Western. But a five-minute dry spell late in the second half cost the school a shot at a second trip to the NAIA Division II tournament over the past four seasons. Southern charged to a 23-11 lead with a 15-3 run over the first nine minutes and led 38-33 at the half. The Warriors (28-6) took the lead with a 14-4 spurt over the opening five minutes of the second stanza, but the Raiders responded with a 10-3 skein capped by a Martin DeGroot layin with 11 minutes left to put SOU on top 52-50. With the score knotted at 54-all with 8:30 remaining, the seesaw affair finally teetered Western's way when the Warriors went on an 11-0 run. Despite a game-high 24 points by senior center Jeff Tacheny, SOU never got closer than seven the rest of the way. The victory lifted the Warriors to the school's second conference title and third appearance in the 32-team national tourney since 1997. In addition to Tacheny, who went 10-for-18 from the floor for 12 points in each half, the Raiders received 12 points from junior guard Oscar Rodriguez and nine from freshman Brad Coen. The contest was the last in the Raider basketball careers of Tacheny, forward Matt Zosel (eight points) and guard Hamilton Barnes (six points). Western, paced by Drew Langstraat's 23 points, topped the Ashland school for the third time this season. The Warriors shot 17-for-31 in the second stanza (.608 for the game), while SOU went just 9-for-31 (.290). SOUTHERN OREGON (15-16) Barnes 1-8 4-5 6, Caughell 3-14 4-5 6, Tacheny 10-18 4-4 24, Rodriguez 4-9 1-2 12, Zosel 3-7 2-4 8, Olson 0-1 1-2 1, Knudsen 0-1 0-0 0, Coen 4-4 1-1 9, DeGroot 1-6 0-1 2. Totals: 26-68 12-18 68. WESTERN BAPTIST (78) Plotts 4-4 1-2 10, Reid 2-4 0-0 4, Roberts 8-13 0-3 17, Langstraat 8-17 6-9 23, Elliott 1-4 1-2 3, Jacobsen 6-7 3-3 15, Face 2-2 0-0 6, Steed 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 31-51 11-19 78. Halftime-S. Oregon 38, W. Baptist 33. 3-point goals-S. Oregon 4-15 (Barnes 0-5, Caughell 0-3, Rodriguez 3-5, Knudsen 0-1, Coen 1-1), W. Baptist 5-14 (Plotts 1-1, Reid 0-2, Roberts 1-4, Langstraat 1-5, Face 2-2). Fouled out-none. Rebounds-S. Oregon 35 (Zosel 7), W. Baptist 34 (Langstraat 12). Assists-S. Oregon 12 (Caughell 6), W. Baptist 19 (Reid 8). Total fouls-S. Oregon 17, W. Baptist 17. A-750. Women's Tennis SOUTHERN OREGON 8, SHASTA COLLEGE 1 - At Ashland, Southern Oregon suffered its first match loss but remained undefeated early in the campaign. The Raiders, who had beaten Oregon State and Willamette by 9-0 scores, got a victory from Megan Loeding in No. 1 singles, 7-5, 7-5, over Ashley Tipton. In No. 1 doubles, the Raiders' Loeding and Sabrina Dake topped Tipton and Maria Cook, 8-2. SINGLES - Megan Loeding, SOU, def. Ashley Tipton, 7-5, 7-5; Maria Cook, SC, def. Shannon Nelson, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; Heather Virell, def. Miyako Furuya, 6-0, 6-0; Jennifer Marks, SOU, def. Olena Prokopenko, 6-0, 6-0; Kristin Maloney, SOU, won by forfeit; Julie Nelson, SOU, won by forfeit. DOUBLES - Sabrina Dake-Megan Loeding, SOU, def. Ashley Tipton-Maria Cook, 8-2; Heather Virell-Jennifer Marks, SOU, def. Miyako Furuya-Olena Prokopenko, 8-2; SOU won by forfeit. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.