spear
Al Case, Ashland Daily Photo
82
Northwest University NU 8-14, 4-8
83
Winner Southern Oregon SOU 16-5, 9-2
Northwest University NU
8-14, 4-8
82
Final
83
Southern Oregon SOU
16-5, 9-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Northwest University NU 40 42 82
Southern Oregon SOU 37 46 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | SOU Sports Information

Spear, Raiders take another wild one from Northwest, 83-82

ASHLAND – Joel Spear's penchant for production in the clutch is becoming commonplace. Once again Saturday night, the senior point guard wouldn't let the 18th-ranked Southern Oregon University men's basketball team lose.

Spear's 24th and final point of the night was a go-ahead free throw with 0.8 seconds left, lifting the Raiders to a thrilling 83-82 win over Northwest (Wash.) at Mountain Avenue Gym. The shot was only the final piece of drama in a game that was full of it for Spear, who also had eight rebounds, five assists and went 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

SOU trailed 79-78 until Gary Melvin finished a fast-break layup and was fouled with 27 seconds left, getting an assist from Tristen Holmes. Melvin missed the free throw, but Spear rebounded and put it back to put SOU up 82-79. With 16 seconds left, though, Eagles guard Dak Shagren drilled a 24-footer that tied the game.

On the other end, Spear came off an on-ball screen and was fouled shooting a mid-range jumper near the baseline. He missed the first free throw, but the second one swished through, and Jaden Jenkins' desperation attempt from 30 feet didn't hit the rim as the buzzer sounded.

The Raiders are 16-5 overall and 9-2 in the Cascade Conference going into Sunday's 3 p.m. game against Evergreen. The Eagles – who also lost a double-overtime decision to the Raiders on Dec. 30, 99-91 – dropped to 8-14 overall and 4-8 in the CCC despite shooting 52 percent from the floor, 13-of-27 from 3-point range and getting 27 points from Shagren.

SOU came into the night shooting 44 percent from the field in the first half and 53 percent in the second on the season, so an 18-of-27 performance after halftime that lifted the Raiders' percentage to 58 was not especially unusual. Despite missing all five of his 3-point attempts, Ben DeSaulnier went 7-for-13 with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jordan West scored 13, and Clay Sierra went 5-for-5 with 11 points, five boards and three assists.

The Raiders didn't even their first lead until Spear's triple with 8:33 left made it 54-51. They trailed by 40-30 at one point, 40-37 at halftime, and neither team was able to muster more than two consecutive points until Spear's 3-pointer tied the game at 54 with 12:34 left.

The Eagles got back in front, 72-69, at the 4:24 mark on Jessie Norton's 3-pointer, but West answered with one of his own. Another Northwest 3 from Zach Smith made it 79-76 with 2:05 left. DeSaulnier got to the cup and scored on the other end, and SOU had to survive two NU misses to make Melvin's go-ahead score possible.

Melvin came up big around the hoop all night, going 6-for-8 with 11 points.

In the second half, Spear totaled 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. In the first half, he orchestrated an offense that assisted on all 14 of its makes. Overall, the Raiders' first 18 buckets of the game were assisted, and they finished with 25.

The Raiders have now trailed at halftime in six of their nine conference wins, but they remain in second place, 1 ½ games back of Northwest Christian (11-1). They swept the season series against the Eagles for the first time in 10 years.

Point guard Michael Dupree added 16 points for Northwest, including 14 in the first half.
 
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