Riverhawks roll past SWOCC in men’s and women’s basketball

COOS BAY — The Umpqua Riverhawks picked up a pair of resounding South Region basketball victories over the Southwestern Oregon Lakers on Wednesday.

The UCC women (16-0, 4-0 South) made 10 3-pointers and dominated the glass to run away with a 108-53 victory over SWOCC and remained undefeated on the year.

The Riverhawks had six players in double figures, led by Zoe Barry who scored a season-high 20 points off the bench. It was the best game of the season for the 6-foot-1 freshman from Brisbane, Austrailia.

Brooklyn Fely added 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Kierra Bennett and Male’ata Polamalu, a couple of Douglas High School grads, also made significant contributions. Bennett had 17 points off the bench and Polamalu had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

The Umpqua women held a 61-25 advantage on the boards and the Lakers were held to just 24% shooting.

Bree Turner had 14 points to lead Southwestern Oregon in scoring.

The Umpqua men (14-2, 3-1 South) raced out to a big lead in the first half and cruised to a 97-77 win over the Lakers in the nightcap.

The Riverhawks shot nearly 65% from the floor in the first half to build a 24-point advantage at the break. Bentley Whitear scored 15 of his game-high 24 points in the opening period and added nine rebounds, six assists and did not have a turnover in 37 minutes of play.

Umpqua had five players finish in double figures. Jayden Haskell and Mikey Lloyd added 19 points each, while Jok Job chipped in 14 points off the bench. Bowen Davies had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The UCC men and women will continue the season on Saturday at Clark College.