SOU-Corban Boxscore 

Senior guard Rhiannon Dickison (Redding, Calif./Anderson) went for 23 points to lead the 22nd-ranked Southern Oregon women's basketball team to a 77-71 victory over Corban in the first round of the Cascade Conference Postseason Tournament.

Southern Oregon improved to 25-5 on year and Corban finishes the year 12-17.

SOU travels to face the College of Idaho Friday in the conference semifinals. The Yotes defeated Oregon Tech 63-41 tonight.

Dickison led five players in double-digits and had five 3-pointers. Jacki Speer (Centralia, Wash./Centralia) and Ashley Baker (Grand Junction, Colo./Fruita) both had double-doubles for the Raiders. Speer had her 21st double-double of the season with 13 points and 17 rebounds. Baker went for 11 points and 10 rebounds. Emily Brookins (Central Point, Ore./Crater) finished with 13 points and six rebounds and Whitney Scott (Tumwater, Wash./Black Hills) had 11 points and six assists.

Katie Steigleman finished with 21 points for the Warriors.

Five straight points by Dickison to close out the half gave the Raiders a 37-25 lead at halftime.

Dickison came out in the second half and hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 15 and it looked like the rout was on.

But Corban wouldn't go down without a fight. An 8-0 run cut the SOU lead to 64-57. After a Brookins' 3-pointer, Corban kept the pressure on and had the lead down to 70-66 on a layup by Jennesa Miller with 2:25 left to play.

SOU then went to work on the free throw line. Free throws by Speer and Brookins sandwiched a jumper by Scott to give the Raiders breathing room at 75-66 with 38 seconds to play.

“Rhiannon came out and had a great first half,” SOU head coach Lynn Kennedy said. “We wanted to isolate her and Jacki and it worked. When they dropped in on Jacki, Ree hit the 3's and in the second half, Ashley and Jacki were able to establish themselves inside.”

Kennedy was impressed with Corban in the second half.

“Give them credit,” Kennedy said. “They started to hit their 3's and never gave up.”

SOU and the College of Idaho split their previous two meetings, with each team winning on the other team's home court.