12 p.m. Friday – Walla Walla (1-13, 0-7) at SOU (13-2, 6-1)
3 p.m. Saturday – Lewis-Clark State (12-1, 6-1) at SOU (13-2, 6-1)
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ASHLAND – Among the silver linings of the Southern Oregon women's basketball team's first Cascade Conference loss: it raised the stakes of Saturday's marquee matchup with Lewis-Clark State (Idaho).

The Raiders (13-2 overall, 6-1 Cascade Conference) are back at Lithia Motors Pavilion, first to host last-place Walla Walla (Wash.) (1-13, 0-7) at noon Friday. That'll lead into Saturday's game against the Warriors (12-1, 6-1), who are new to the conference and tied with the Raiders in first place.

FAN POLICY: All fans 12 and older planning to attend are subject to SOU's vaccination policy, which requires proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 or a negative test taken no more than 48 hours prior to entry. Photo ID must be presented for verification. Per state mandate, non-participants will also be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

SCHEDULE UPDATE: Southern Oregon's CCC game scheduled for Jan. 15 at Warner Pacific has been canceled as WPU announced a two-week shutdown of all athletics activities Thursday due to a significant increase of COVID-19 cases. Per conference policy, the Raiders will be awarded a forfeit victory the day of the game as long as they have enough individuals cleared to compete.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW: SOU made a wobbly return from holiday break in Saturday's 58-47 loss at Evergreen (Wash.), which snapped a 10-game winning streak. Playing without star forward Kami Walk, the Raiders struggled at 27 percent from the field and 4-of-24 from 3. They recovered by turning up the defense in a 72-54 win Sunday at Northwest (Wash.), forcing 34 turnovers as Dominique Harding collected six steals and Walk had six in her return. Walk and Syd'Nee Fryer led the Raiders with 14 points apiece, while Harding and Kalei Iwami both scored 13.

BRIEFLY:

• SOU is 7-0 at home with an average margin of victory of 18.3 points.
• The Raiders remain among the NAIA leaders in a couple of key defensive categories: points allowed per game (52.5, 8th) and turnovers forced (24.3, 7th). In conference play, despite ranking ninth among CCC teams in opponents' field-goal percentage (42.0), they're No. 1 in points allowed (54.3) thanks to an average turnover margin of plus-10 (25 to 15). The turnover discrepancy is also helping them make up for the CCC's 10th-best offensive field-goal percentage (37.7).
• Four different players have led the Raiders in scoring in their last five games.
• Kami Walk continues to dominate the CCC leaderboard – ranking second in points (17.2), fifth in rebounds (8.6), 10th in blocked shots (1.0), 12th in field-goal percentage (48.3) and third in free-throw percentage (88.5). At 92-of-104 at the line, Walk has made 41 more free throws than any other player in the CCC shooting better than 70 percent.
• Two more Raiders are averaging double-figure points in CCC play: Syd'Nee Fryer (12.0) and Brianna Phiakhamngon (11.4). Fryer is also the CCC steals leader (3.3) in conference play while ranking 15th in rebounds (5.9), and Phiakhamngon is No. 8 in assists (3.3) and No. 3 in 3-point percentage (43.8).

ABOUT WALLA WALLA: The Wolves picked up their lone win against NCAA Division III school Lewis & Clark in November but have dropped every other game by double digits. They're winless in 11 all-time matchups with SOU. Carolina Montes accounts for 31 percent of their points at 16.2 per game.

ABOUT LC STATE: The Warriors' lone loss came on a buzzer-beater at Eastern Oregon, but they've been steady otherwise behind a pair of sophomores: guard Callie Stevens (15.5 points, 38-of-93 from 3) and forward Maddie Holm (12.6 points, 11.8 rebounds). Another post, 6-foot-3 junior Sara Muehlhausen (10.2 points, 8.1 rebounds), gives them options in defending Walk. They'll go up against SOU's pressure defense with the 12th-lowest turnover average in the NAIA (12.7). They're 3-2 head-to-head against the Raiders and visited Lithia Motors Pavilion on Nov. 23, 2018, as SOU won 74-72.