LEWISTON, Idaho – Thirty-four minutes passed before Southern Oregon generated any momentum Friday at Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) – enough time that the clock eventually ran out on the Raiders' frenzied fourth-quarter comeback and their bid to clinch the Cascade Conference title.

In a battle of two teams locked together in first place on the penultimate day of the regular season, the 21^st-ranked Warriors escaped with a 60-55 win at the P1FCU Activity Center. Kami Walk's 19-pound, 14-rebound effort and late heroics weren't enough to overcome a slow start that left the Raiders (24-5, 17-4) playing from behind all afternoon.

The Warriors (24-3, 18-3 CCC) are guaranteed at least a share of the championship and can take it outright with a win Saturday against Oregon Tech. The Raiders will have no worse than the No. 2 seed in next week's CCC Tournament if they win at Walla Walla (Wash.), and they'll own the No. 1 seed if it's paired with an LCSC loss.

SOU shot 2-of-19 in the first quarter, trailed 25-16 at halftime and was down as many as 13 points in the third.

Brianna Phiakhamngon's 3-pointer cut into an 11-point deficit with six minutes to play, signaling the start of the Raiders' first prolonged run. Down 52-44 with 3:09 left, Walk hit two 3-pointers and a 19-footer on consecutive possessions to trim the lead to two.

After Warriors guard Callie Stevens made a pair of free throws to make it 56-52, Syd'Nee Fryer banked in a deep 3 from straight on with 21 seconds left. Maddie Holm then made two at the line, and with six seconds left Phiakhamngon misfired from the corner on a potential game-tying attempt.

Fryer joined Walk in double-double range, recording 11 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Phiakhamngon scored 11.

But the Warriors' effective zone defense was the prevailing story. They limited the Raiders to 30-percent shooting from the field, and 6-foot-3 post Sara Muehlhausen dominated the interior with five blocks and 13 boards.

Holm led the Warriors with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Stevens, the CCC's leading scorer, went scoreless in the first half and finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

The meeting was the first between the teams. The Warriors forfeited the first scheduled matchup, in addition to its scheduled game at Oregon Tech, due to Covid-19 protocols. They've won 12 straight since.

Heading into Saturday's 7 p.m. game at Walla Walla, the Raiders have already clinched a home game at 7 p.m. Tuesday for the quarterfinal round of the CCC Tournament. A win against the Wolves would also give them homecourt advantage through at least next Friday's semifinals.