ASHLAND – Southern Oregon guard
Conor Carroll had the hot hand as 15th-ranked Southern Oregon hammered Evergreen (Wash.) 99-40 on Friday night at Lithia Motors Pavilion, marking the Raiders' largest margin of victory ever in a Cascade Conference game.
Carroll, a senior from Medford, scored 22 of his career-high 26 points in the second half, where the Raiders outscored the Geoducks 53-12. The lefty's 9-of-12 outing from the field included a 5-of-7 mark from 3-point range.
Senior forward
Tate Hoffman added his sixth double-double of the season and his third in SOU's last four games with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The Raiders (17-5 overall, 11-3 CCC) picked up their ninth win in 10 outings ahead of Saturday's key clash against Northwest (Wash.), which will enter the contest with a 9-3 circuit record. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The point total for Evergreen (3-17, 0-14) was the lowest for an SOU opponent in any game since the Raiders held Pacific to 39 points during the 2005-06 season. The Geoducks, led by Anthony Grandberry's 11 points, shot just 26 percent from the field.
The Raiders ended with a 49-percent clip despite missing 16 of their first 17 3-point attempts. They totaled 25 assists compared to just eight turnovers, a category in which they've committed 10 or fewer in six consecutive games.
Teron Bradford chipped in 10 points,
Jordan Hunt and
Josh Washington had nine apiece, and
Kiefer Edwards added eight. Hunt, Washington and Edwards also combined for 18 rebounds and
Brad Allen recorded seven.