ASHLAND, Ore. – The Bushnell men's basketball team wrapped up the first half of Cascade Collegiate Conference play with a loss to Southern Oregon on the road, falling to the Raiders, 77-72.
 
Head Coach Eddie Alexander said, "I am proud of our team and the way they worked through adversity this weekend. OIT and SOU are extremely good teams, especially at home."
 
Bushnell trailed 70-68 before a pair of SOU offensive boards and a three-point play by Jordan Veening put the Raiders up by five with 49 seconds to play. Veening made three of his next four free throw attempts to make it a six-point advantage with 14 seconds on the clock.
 
Kaden Sand picked up two points for Bushnell with a layup but there was too little time on the clock to narrow the margin any further. With the win, the Raiders improved to 11-6 overall and 9-2 in CCC play. The Beacons drop to 9-8 overall and 6-5 in conference action.
 
Spencer Hoffman finished with 21 points and nine rebounds to lead Bushnell. Sand added 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Cory Johnson shot 4-of-5 from three-point range, tallying 14 points on the night.
 
Casson Rouse and Veening led the Raiders with 20 points each.
 
"We have a quick turnaround with our rival at home on Tuesday," said Alexander. "We need our fans to show up and feel the love in the Morse. This team, especially our seniors, deserve to hear it from our crowd!"
 
Up next, Bushnell hosts Corban on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the Morse Center.