GRESHAM – The Umpqua basketball teams finally got their chance to head north for a showdown with the Mt. Hood Saints and the wait did not disappoint.
The Lady Riverhawks improved to 3-0 in South Region play with an 89-53 victory over the Saints. Umpqua jumped out to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and outscored Mt. Hood 19-6 in the third quarter to stretch its lead to nearly 40 going to the final period.
Tasia Bilbrew led the Riverhawks with 24 points. Jordan Stotler finished with a double-double, netting 22 points and 12 rebounds.
The Umpqua women have now won three consecutive games and sit tied for first in the South Region with Lane. The two teams meet for a second time this season on Wednesday at UCC. Lane won the previous meeting 78-69 in the championship game of the Bellevue Bulldog Classic.
The Umpqua men had three players finish with 20 or more points as they rallied from a four-point halftime deficit for a 98-91 victory over Mt. Hood.
Jacob Danhoff scored a game-high 24 points for UCC, while Grant Ellison chipped in 23 and Ethan Betts added 20.
The victory improved the men’s league record to 2-1. They sit near the top of the standings, although game cancellations have done a number on the league records for teams. Portland currently leads the South Region with a 1-0 record.
The Umpqua men will face Lane on Wednesday. Both teams enter the contest with 2-1 records.