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Photo from Mail Tribune files Denise Berry, right, has helped Southern Oregon to 53-13 record the past two years. Front-liners at fore as Raiders eye nationals By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN ASHLAND -- With two experienced and talented post players returning, one might expect Southern Oregon University women's basketball coach Shirley Huyett to pound the ball inside more than ever. But that won't be the case. Huyett, starting her ninth season as SOU's coach and hoping to guide the Raiders to their third straight national tournament, says 6-foot-1 Nada Janackovic and 6-0 Denise Berry have enough skills, including 3-point shooting touch, to be moved around in the offense. They were a big reason the Raiders went 28-4 last season. "Basically, we are going to take what defenses give us," says Huyett, who has a 160-78 record and no losing seasons in eight years at SOU. "If we just tried to go inside to Nada and Denise, teams would try to jam it up in there, and they would eventually stop us. "Nada and Denise are quick enough that we can move them around and put them at the 3-point line, and see how the defense reacts,'' says Huyett. "If they back off, they can both hit the 3-point shot. And they have the freedom to take it." The Raiders (2-0) opened the season with impressive wins in Northern California over Patten College (84-51) and Bethany College (100-54) last weekend. They play in the Coslet Classic at Chico, Calif., this weekend, opening tonight against Humboldt State at 5. Janackovic is averaging 24.5 points per game and Berry 21.5. The Raiders, who have won 10 consecutive regular-season games, lost six players from last year, including starters Wendi Lamb, Michelle Westerberg and Megan Winchester, a trio that fortified SOU's perimeter game the past three seasons. Janackovic and Berry will carry a huge load. Last year, Janackovic, a native of Yugoslavia, led the Cascade Conference in scoring at 17.4 points per game and in free-throw percentage (.866). She was sixth in the conference in rebounding with an average of 7.9 per game. Berry averaged 13.2 points per game and ranked No. 18 in the nation in field-goal percentage (.528). She averaged 8.0 rebounds per game. Lindsay Taylor, a 5-9 senior forward from Beaverton, is expected to fill out the front line when Huyett wants to go with a big lineup. Starting perimeter players are expected to be junior Catlin Curran, a 5-9 shooting guard from Junction City; sophomore Stevi Spaulding, a 5-4 guard from Scappoose; and sophomore Tiwana Merritt, a 5-5 guard. "Tiwana is the fastest player I've coached here," says Huyett. "It's really not even close. "She ran the 200 (meters) in track last spring, and she's also very quick. She can really push the ball and handle it in the open floor, which will help our transition game a lot when we want to run." Merritt was the Cascade Conference 200-meter champion in 1998. Spaulding leads the team in 3-point shooting (3-for-6) through two games. Former Phoenix High Class 3A all-state point guard Ali Richards will play point guard, off guard and small forward and will be a part-time starter for the Raiders as a sophomore. "We want to use Ali's all-round skills and her athletic ability," says Huyett. "She's tall enough (5-8) to play a small forward or both guard positions. She's strong and a good rebounder. She's a very good passer and team player." Richards says she's ready to help out any way she can. "I just want to get out there," she says. "My focus will be on playing good defense and playing hard. "As a point guard, I've taken it to the next level. I'm a little faster than I was in high school, and I'm reading the floor better." The Raiders have only 11 players. "But I still think this is a deeper team overall than we had last year," says Huyett. "We can't afford many injuries." After reaching the semifinals of the NAIA national tournament two seasons ago and being eliminated in the second round last season -- the Raiders were 53-13 in that span -- Berry has set high goals for her senior season. "We want to get to the final four again," she says. "Nada and I will need to provide leadership and do a lot to help us accomplish that." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford,