ASHLAND –  Bryce Dyer made the tying and go-ahead free throws with six seconds left and Gio Evanson scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, pushing Southern Oregon to an 81-80 win against Simpson (Calif.) in non-conference action Monday at Lithia Motors Pavilion.

After leading 40-32 at the break, the Raiders (7-5) overcame an offensive onslaught mounted by the Red Hawks in the second half, where Simpson shot 70 percent from the field – including connections on 16 of its first 19 shots – turning SOU's eight-point halftime lead into a seven-point deficit inside the final five minutes.

Evanson finished with a team-high 21 points off the bench, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out two assists. Elijah Jackson scored 18 points with four 3-pointers and tied his season high with five assists. 

Jace Anderson also provided a boost off the bench, posting a career-high of 14 points, which included an emphatic poster slam midway through the first half, prompting a Simpson timeout. The redshirt freshman from Reno pulled down six rebounds – one of which was a game-saving offensive board within the final 10 seconds of the contest –, grabbed four steals, and recorded a block. 

Nian Allen and Timothy Parker scored 22 apiece for the Red Hawks (4-8). Parker had a contested look at a close-range jumper before the final buzzer that went off the backboard.

Brady Rice scored 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, Joe Juhala added seven, and Luke Wagstaff had five. Dyer posted six rebounds, four assists, four points, three steals, and a block.

Led by Evanson, Southern Oregon's bench outscored Simpson 40-12. They improved to 40-2 all-time against the Red Hawks. 

The Raiders play their first Cascade Conference road games against Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) on Jan. 2 and Walla Walla (Wash.) on Jan. 3.