College Hoops: UCC men and women sweep MHCC, stay atop South Region

GRESHAM — It was a big weekend for the Umpqua Riverhawks against Mt. Hood.

The Umpqua men took over sole possession of first place in the South Region with a 67-64 comeback victory over the Saints on Saturday in Gresham. 

The Riverhawks trailed by nine at halftime. The Saints managed to hang on to the lead nearly to the end, but a 3-pointer by Mikey Lloyd with 17 seconds remaining tied the game at 64-64.

Mt. Hood missed a layup attempt for the lead with 8 seconds left to play, leaving enough time for Jackson Taylor to hit the game-winning shot. Taylor was fouled in the process and added a free throw for good measure. 

Taylor finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Umpqua (20-2, 8-1). Lloyd added 16 points. 

The UCC men have now wone five consecutive games and have a one-game lead over Clark for first place in the South Region.

The Umpqua women rolled to their eighth straight victory with an 88-59 win over Mt. Hood. 

Kaelyn Shoemaker dropped in 30 points and added 15 rebounds to lead the way for the Riverhawks. Rebekah Beltran added 18 points. 

The Umpqua women (17-5, 8-1) stayed a game behind Clackamas for first place in the South Region. 

Up next, the Riverhawks host the Clackamas Cougars on Saturday.