11/2/2009 2:12:55 PM
The Southern Oregon women’s basketball team will get a taste of the big time Tuesday night as they take on NCAA Division I Oregon in an exhibition game to open the 2009-10 season.
Tipoff at Mac Court is set for 7 p.m.
Following Tuesday’s game, the 18th-ranked Raiders will travel to the Bay Area for games against Holy Names (Friday), Cal Maritime (Saturday) and Pacific Union (Sunday).
“Playing Oregon gives us a chance to step up and play against one of the better programs in the Nation at the D-I level,” SOU head coach Lynn Kennedy said. “We will use that game to get ready for Friday’s game against Holy Names, which will be a matchup of ranked teams.”
Holy Names is just outside the Top 25 at 26th in the NAIA preseason poll.
Southern Oregon returns starters Jacki Speer, Ashley Baker and Emily Brookins from last year’s 25-7 team that made it to the NAIA National Tournament for the second straight year.
For the second straight year, all eyes will be on Speer, a 6-1 senior post. Speer earned Third Team All-American honors and All-Cascade Conference honors last year after putting up on the most impressive statistical seasons in SOU history.
Speer averaged 16.6 points and 11.3 rebounds and came away with 22 double-doubles on the year. In the conference, Speer ranked first in rebounding, fifth in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage and eighth in blocked shots.
Speer’s 360 rebounds last year rank second all-time and she ranks second on SOU’s career list for free throws made, second for free throw attempts, third for rebounds and sixth for points.
“Jacki has always been really good in the low post,” Kennedy said. “This Summer she added an outside shot that she can knock down and she’s getting better at passing out of the double teams.”
Baker, a senior forward, averaged 9.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. Brookins averaged seven points and made 82 percent of her free throws.
With senior Whitney Scott out for the season with an injury, SOU will be looking to the combo of Gabe Johnson and Keri Nakamura to run the point guard spot and Lindsey Scheffler will start at the off guard spot.
Carly Wood and Krystal Smith will once again give SOU a lift off the bench.