Document text
SOU women boost record to 5-0 CHICO, Calif. -- Southern Oregon stepped up when it needed to Sunday, completing a sweep in the Coslet Classic with a 77-62 victory over New Mexico Highlands. After settling for only two points in the first half, senior Nada Janackovic was benched in the second half by Raider coach Shirley Huyett, who pulled her star forward aside and insisted she needed more scoring from the 6-foot-1 senior. Heeding the request, Janackovic scored 23 points in the second half, including 19 in the last eight minutes to ice the victory. "We got a big, big second half from Nada," Huyett said. SOU (5-0) also got a big effort from senior Denise Berry, who chipped in 22 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks. Even with the Raider duo living up to their hype, New Mexico Highlands was able to trim a 40-29 halftime deficit to 49-48 with just over eight minutes to play. Undaunted, the Raiders stepped up their intensity and drained key foul shots to regain a comfortable cushion. SOU drilled 21 of 25 free throws for the contest, with Janackovic and Berry combining to sink a perfect 15 of 15 charity shots. "They were trying to stop Nada and Denise inside and that's a tough thing to do, especially without fouling them," Huyett said. Known for its 3-point marksmanship, New Mexico Highlands was no match for a gritty Raider defense that swarmed to open shooters and forced a 3-for-22 effort from behind the arc. New Mexico's leading threat Angelic Trujillo, who had scored 26 and 22 points in two prior Coslet Classic outings, was held to six points on 1-of-10 shooting. Taking advantage of space left open by SOU's perimeter defense, Becky Gonzales notched a game-high 32 points to lead New Mexico Highlands. Huyett said she was happy with the Raider effort in the classic, but that her team will need to step up this week when they face highly-regarded Sonoma State. "That will be a tough game for us," Huyett said. "I think they're ranked 17th in the NCAA Division II poll. We'll have to play well to be successful in that one." SOUTHERN OREGON (5-0) Berry 7-15 6-6 22, Taylor 1-8 1-2 4, Janackovic 8-17 9-9 25, Merritt 0-4 0-0 0, Richards 0-1 2-2 2, Garner 0-0 1-2 1, Spaulding 1-4 2-4 5, Mohan 2-3 0-0 6, England 2-5 0-0 4, Curran 3-4 0-0 8. Totals 24-61 21-25 77. N. MEXICO HIGHLANDS (1-4) Gallagher 3-4 1-1 7, Boots 3-4 0-0 6, Gonzales 15-32 2-4 32, Trujillo 1-10 1-2 3, Kurley 2-11 0-0 6, Alcon 0-1 0-0 0, Vigil 2-9 1-2 6, Sanchez 0-0 0-0 0, Law 1-4 0-0 2, Yazzi 0-0 0-0 0, Ramirez 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-76 5-9 62. Halftime--Southern Oregon 40, New Mexico Highlands 29. 3-Point goals--Southern Oregon 8-14 (Taylor 1-3, Berry 2-2, Spaulding 1-4, Mohan 2-2, Curran 2-3), New Mexico Highlands 3-22 (Gonzales 0-1, Trujillo 0-6, Kurley 2-10, Vigil 1-5). Fouled out--Boots. Rebounds--Southern Oregon 46 (Berry 18), New Mexico Highlands 40 (Gonzales 10). Assists--Southern Oregon 19 (Richards 5), New Mexico Highlands 20 (Trujillo 9). Total fouls--Southern Oregon 11, New Mexico Highlands 20. A--65. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,