After facing some tough opponents in the pre-season, the Southern Oregon men’s basketball team made a fantastic start to their 2011 season.
The Raiders made quick work of their first foes, easily coasting to a 5-1 record in conference play.
However inconsistency has been a thorn in Southern Oregon’s side that has never gone away and true to form, the Raiders soon found themselves struggling to keep up with the top of the table.
However despite the losses against opponents Southern Oregon had previously faced and dominated and vice versa, there were plenty of high points for the Raiders.
At the start of the season, head coach Brian McDermott recorded his 200th win at the helm of the Southern Oregon men’s team when the Raiders dominated Warner Pacific in a 77-46 win.
Also newcomers Jordan Highland and Kyle Tedder turned in one impressive performance after another to keep the Raiders hopes of a playoff spot alive.
Tedder, a freshman, managed to grab a career-high 33 points for the Raiders against the No. 11 Northwest on January 8 to lead the Raiders to their third straight win.
That night Tedder went 10 for 14 shooting including an impressive 6 for 9 from the 3-point line.
Highland was equally impressive for the Raiders during the season which saw him pick up several Cascade Conference honors including the Cascade Conference Newcomer of the Year award.
Highland was also named as a NAIA All-American.
Overall the Raiders had a fairly solid 2011, finishing the conference at 14-16 and will be looking to improve on that mark for 2012.
