BRACKET | TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Playing with a top-10 ranking at the NAIA Division II Championships for the first time since 1999, No. 8 Southern Oregon looked the part Wednesday morning at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Raiders' sturdy defense translated to the national stage as they stuck Montreat (N.C.), the seventh-highest scoring team in the country, with a season-low point total and won 85-67 in the Round of 32. SOU (24-7) – the No. 2 seed in the bracket's Liston quadrant – will appear in the Round of 16 for the first time in five years Friday, meeting 10th-ranked Holy Cross (Ind.), the No. 3 seed, at 6:30 a.m. Pacific Time.

Senior forward Tate Hoffman headed a 46-percent showing from the field with 19 points for the Raiders, hitting on 7-of-14 attempts while compiling five rebounds and four assists. Point guard Teron Bradford had 15 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, marking the first double-double of his sophomore campaign, and senior center Jordan Hunt battled foul trouble to add 14 points and six boards in 19 minutes.

Tez Allen was a steadying offensive presence – he recorded nine points and six assists, dishing out four of the Raiders' 12 in the first half as they built a 17-point lead by the break – but did his best work on the other end. The sophomore was the primary defender on Austin Butler, the Appalachian Athletic Conference's player of the year posting 22 points and four 3-point makes per game. Butler was limited to 4-of-14 shooting, didn't connect from downtown for the first time this season, and wrapped with his lowest scoring output in three months (11).

The Cavaliers (24-9), seeded seventh after a second-place finish in the Appalachian, collectively misfired on all but two of their 16 attempts from 3. They entered the matchup averaging 88 points and were sitting on 25 at halftime.

The margin of victory was the Raiders' widest ever in nine national tournament appearances.

They led by a point eight minutes into the game before Conor Carroll faded away and hit a jumper that started a 24-6 push, which he capped with a 3-pointer. Bradford, Brad Allen and Kerry Cook nourished the run with additional triples.

The lead was never less than 14 in the second half. After it was trimmed to 58-44 with just over 12 minutes to go, Tez Allen found Jake Virga for a 3 from the wing. Cut to 66-52 with 10 minutes left, Bradford drove to the bucket for a three-point play.

With Hunt in foul trouble, Brad Allen stepped in with nine points and six rebounds off the bench. Carroll shot 3-of-4, scored eight points and knocked down another back-breaking jumper from beyond the arc late.

Hoffman led the team in scoring for the 17th time and poured in 11 after halftime.

Jamiel Wright had 13 points to pace four Cavaliers in double figures.

The Raiders will see a contrasting style against Holy Cross. The Saints (27-6), who went 20-2 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, top the country in opponents' scoring, giving up 64 points per game. They won their tourney opener against 24th-ranked Indiana Tech, 60-56.