ASHLAND, Ore. - The Corban University women's basketball team played tough against the best shooting team in the NAIA Division II, but ultimately fell short to No. 13 Southern Oregon, 74-64. The Warriors dropped to third place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) standings, while the Raiders won their 12th straight game at home and crawled to within a half-game behind first-place Eastern Oregon. 

Senior center Tara Van Weerdhuizen (Spokane, Wash.) paced Corban with 18 points and six blocks, while junior guard Jade Lowery (Oregon City, Ore.) compiled 10 points and four assists for the Warriors. 

Corban (14-10, 8-4 CCC) jumped to an 8-5 lead just over four minutes into the first half following back-to-back buckets by Lowery. Southern Oregon, however, responded with some offensive firepower of its own, as the Raiders scored the next seven points to take a 12-8 advantage. The two teams traded baskets before Corban finally regained the lead at the 9:01 mark, as Van Weerdhuizen scored a layup to put the Warriors up one (20-19). 

After a pair of free throws by junior guard Julia Young (Snohomish, Wash.) granted Corban its largest lead of the contest (24-21) with 5:40 left in the first frame, the Warriors missed seven of their final eight shots of the half. In the final seconds of the stanza, sophomore guard Tiani Bradford scored a bucket to give Southern Oregon a 34-30 lead going into the locker room. 

"The Warriors played a good first half but let the lead slip in the last minute," said head coach Dave Bale. "It felt like we were a possession or two from breaking it open, and then Southern Oregon scored two transition baskets."

In the first 20 minutes, the Navy and Gold fired a 36.4% (12-for-33) clip from the field compared to a 37.8% (14-for-37) effort by the Raiders. Southern Oregon edged Corban on the glass, 26-21, and the Warriors only made one three-pointer compared to three by the Raiders. 

In just 11 minutes of first-half action, Van Weerdhuizen scored nine points, collected four rebounds, and blocked five shots. On the opposite side of the hardwood, the Raiders were led by senior guard Kristen Schoenherr, as she scored 10 points and knocked down a pair of jumpers from beyond the arc. 

Corban opened the second half with an 8-3 run to take a 38-37 advantage with 18:17 left to play. But the Navy and Gold's lead only lasted a mere 37 seconds, as Southern Oregon answered with a three-pointer to claim the lead for good. After falling behind by as many as 12 points in the second stanza, Van Weerdhuizen scored a layup to bring the Warriors to within seven (68-61) at the 2:59 mark, but Corban couldn't get over the hump. 

Senior guard Katherine Salness (Portland, Ore.) came off the bench to snag a career-best seven rebounds for Corban, while sophomore forward Payton Wilcox (Salem, Ore.) and sophomore forward Sadie Pilgeram (Helena, Mont.) chipped in nine and eight points, respectively. 

Three players scored in double figures for Southern Oregon (18-3, 9-3 CCC), as sophomore guard Autumn Durand and Schoenherr tallied 18 points apiece. Junior guard Ashley Claussen added 17 points, while senior forward Alexi Smith, the team's leading scorer, was held to eight points on just 4-for-15 shooting. 

As a team, the Warriors shot 35.4% (23-for-65) from the field, while the Raiders recorded a 42.0% (29-for-69) clip. Southern Oregon edged Corban on the glass, 48-40, and the Raiders scored 18 points off 12 Warrior miscues. 

Corban returns to the hardwood tomorrow night to take on the Owls of (RV) Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls, Ore. at 5:30 p.m.