ASHLAND – Oregon Tech guard Seth Erickson burned Southern Oregon again Saturday night, but this time his playmaking translated to an Owls win in the semifinal round of the Cascade Conference Championships presented by U.S. Bank.

Erickson, a senior NAIA All-American, scored eight of his 21 points in the final four minutes to break open a tie game and lead eighth-ranked OIT to a 70-65 defeat of No. 7 SOU in front of a capacity crowd at Lithia Motors Pavilion.

The Owls (26-6) will attempt to secure the CCC's second automatic bid to the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Tuesday's title game at top-ranked College of Idaho. It'll go to the Raiders (23-7) if OIT falls – by virtue of finishing second to C of I in the regular season – but both teams are locks to at least receive at-large spots when the 32-team field is announced Wednesday.

Erickson – who scored 37 in the teams' first matchup in Ashland, but watched OIT squander a 17-point lead in a 77-76 SOU win – lifted the Owls after the Raiders erased what had been a 50-37 deficit four minutes into the second half.

Tied 60-60, he took an assist from Mitchell Fink to lay in the go-ahead bucket with 3:29 to go, then hit back-to-back jumpers from 10 feet out to extend the lead to six with two minutes left.

The Raiders had their chances despite a 38-percent shooting night. But after Aaron Borich fed Conor Carroll for the game-tying hoop with 5:15 to go, they committed three straight turnovers – including two in transition – with chances to take the lead.

While Erickson went 7-of-10, Fink was held to 6-of-17 shooting and coaxed into committing seven turnovers, though he still created ample offense with 13 points and eight assists in directing the Owls to a 50-percent clip from the field.

Teron Bradford and Jordan Hunt scored 13 apiece to lead SOU. Tez Allen recorded 12 points and three steals, and hit a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half that kept the Raiders in the fight. Carroll contributed 10 points, shooting 4-of-9 off the bench.

Garret Albrecht was a beneficiary of Fink's playmaking, hitting all four of his attempts from the field to score 11 points while pulling down a game-high 12 boards. Harrison Steiger added 11 points.

OIT held Borich and Tate Hoffman, SOU's top scorers during conference play, to 3-of-22 combined shooting.