5:30 p.m. Saturday – Corban at #15 SOU – Live Stats – Live Stream
1 p.m. Sunday – Northwest Christian at #15 SOU – Live Stats – Live Stream
*All home games to be played at Ashland High School.

ASHLAND – Closer to full strength than it's been since the season started, ready or not, the 15^th-ranked Southern Oregon women's basketball team will dive into Cascade Collegiate Conference play this weekend with a target on its back.

The Raiders were picked second in the CCC preseason poll behind three-time defending champion Eastern Oregon, but now own the league's top ranking following a 6-0 start. The conference-opening tipoffs are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday against Corban (4-4) and 1 p.m. Sunday against Northwest Christian (4-3) at Ashland High's Mountain Avenue Gym.
 
"We had a lot to learn putting in a new system, so I feel very positive about how everyone has bought in," first-year SOU head coach Alex Carlson said. "It's really encouraging how people have dealt with increased roles and stepped up while we've dealt with injuries early."

More specifically, the Raiders had to do without conference preseason player of the year Carly Meister through their first five games. The 6-foot-2 senior forward made her return Tuesday at Simpson, scoring 21 points while her teammates matched a program record with 14 3-pointers in an 89-68 win.

"The biggest thing about having Carly back is you can throw it to her and get a good shot every time, and, it's a small sample size, but it opens up a lot with our shooters and keeps us balanced as well," Carlson said. "She's just starting to tip the scale with what she can do right now. The next step, as she gets back into shape, is making her more of a defensive presence too."

The Claussen Crutch: When it comes to softening the blow of playing without one player-of-the-year frontrunner, the ability to lean on another one doesn't hurt, as has been the case with SOU and point guard Ashley Claussen. The senior enters the weekend averaging a league-best 21.3 points to go with 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals, which both rank second in the CCC. She scored 20-plus in each of SOU's first four games after doing so three times in the first 89 games of her career. She's made 18 of 43 3-point attempts, bringing her career 3-point percentage to 40.1 and makes total to 121 – the fifth-most in Raider history. She's also up to No. 3 on the program's career assists list with 424.

"It's pretty impressive to see her playing consistently at such a high level," Carlson said. "She does it night in and night out and gets us into our sets, and she's not in a typical fourth-year-senior situation with having to adjust to a new system. But I think it fits her well, and as a leader she's filling our needs in every which way."

Quick Hits:
– The Raiders enter the weekend leading the CCC in scoring average (88.8), assists (17.8) and turnover margin (plus-6.7). They've committed 90 turnovers, compared to 127 through six games last season.
– Granted the number may be skewed by Meister's absence, but still: SOU has taken 38% of its total field-goal attempts this year from 3-point range. That number hadn't gone above 25% in the previous four seasons.
– Freshman post Courtney Setzer will benefit as much as anyone from Meister's return, but has already been impressive with averages of 13.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
– After going 9-for-35 from downtown last season, Majerle Reeves is already 15-for-35 this season.
– Autumn Durand has kept up her reliable play, scoring in double figures four times after doing so 17 times in 2014-15 and 16 times as a freshman. In 68 career games, she's averaging 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds.
– The Raiders went 9-0 at home in CCC play last season and are working an 11-game CCC home win streak overall.

About Corban: The Warriors went 11-7 in the CCC last season but lost their all-conference staple, the 6-3 Tara Van Weerdhuizen, and have been picked to finish fifth this season… They're dangerous from the 3-point line with nine makes per game, and they're led in scoring by senior guards Julia Young (16.1) and Jade Lowery (15.9) and junior forward Sadie Pilgeram (13.9). In the preseason they shot 37.5% as a team… SOU leads the all-time series, 36-26, and has won three straight head-to-head matchups. The Warriors last won in Ashland in an 82-79 upset during the 2013-14 regular season.

About Northwest Christian: The Beacons return three starters from a team that won eight CCC games – the most in program history – but lost leading scorer Melyssa Weber and two-time all-conference point guard Hannah Frederick. Still in search of their first winning conference record, they were tied for fifth with Corban in the preseason poll… Hannah Mack, a 6-4 transfer from Eastern Washington, leads the team with 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game and is shooting 43%. Andrea Gloss, a 6-1 post, and Monique Thompson, a 5-9 post, also average double figures… SOU is 14-3 in the all-time series and split two matchups last year, losing 95-92 in Eugene and winning 84-53 in Ashland.