Friday, 5 p.m. - SOU at Hope International - Live Stats - Live Video

Saturday, 1 p.m. - SOU vs. Arizona Christian - Live Stats - Live Video

ASHLAND – The first leg of a 10-game stretch away from home will land the 17th-ranked Southern Oregon men's basketball team (3-0) at Hope International's Mid-November Classic this weekend in Fullerton, Calif.

Two of the most formidable opponents on the Raiders' schedule, both of the NAIA Division I variety, await them at Darling Pavilion. SOU plays at 5 p.m. Friday against 10th-ranked Hope International (1-0), which was picked second in the Golden State Athletic Conference behind defending NAIA champion Vanguard. At 1 p.m. Saturday the Raiders will get 17th-ranked Arizona Christian (2-1), which was picked third in the GSAC.

The Raiders have never met either team.

Thanks to a torrid start, SOU forward Eric Thompson (Roseburg, Ore./Roseburg) is in line to make some history while away. The 6-foot-8 senior is averaging 27 points through three games, bumping his total to 1,874 over four seasons. That's 36 points from matching Shea Washington, SOU's all-time leading scorer who established his mark in 2006.

Washington, a three-year Raider and one-time NAIA player of the year, did his damage in 96 games, missing just one in his entire career. Thompson, who has never missed a game, is about to play in his 100th.

Three other Raider starters are scoring in double figures – Jacob Kaler (Camas, Wash./Camas Valley) (17.3), Jordan West (Gymea Bay, Australia/Port Hacking) (12.0) and Tim Weber (Roseburg, Ore./Roseburg) (11.0). In SOU's most recent win, a 90-78 overtime effort against Simpson on Nov. 4, Weber registered the first triple-double (10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in head coach Brian McDermott's 19 seasons at SOU, and he's averaging nine rebounds and eight assists. Point guard Joel Spear (Adelaide, Australia/St. Michaels) is throwing in 6.7 points, 4.7 assists and four rebounds.

Some additional scoring from the bench would be a welcome development. Currently, the aforementioned starters are responsible for over 80 percent of SOU's 91 points per game, and against Simpson reserves scored four points. (Granted, they took six of the 64 shots.)

Still, the Raiders are shooting 50 percent from the floor and 38 from 3-point range.

About Hope International: The Lions went 23-11 in 2013-14 with an 8-6 record in the GSAC. Their only game this season was a 105-67 win over California Merced. Tuff Barnes, a 6-7 junior forward, scored 19 points in that one, and 6-5 guard Garrett Neilan had 14. At 13 points per game, Neilan led all players back from lat year's squad.

About Arizona Christian: The Firestorm is fresh off a trip to Caldwell, Idaho, where it ran into two familiar Cascade Conference foes. They lost to No. 7 College of Idaho, 77-70, then won 82-81 against Eastern Oregon. Their only other game was a win over Saint Xavier (Ill.), which is ranked No. 23 in NAIA DII.

Sharif Watson, a 6-6 junior forward, leads the team at 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Brandon Newman, a junior guard from Atlanta, averaged 11 last season for a 23-win team to lead all returners and is posting 15 per outing this season.