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Oregon Tech Picked 5th, Eastern Oregon Preseason Favorite

10.16.2012

Oregon Tech junior Karissa Dixon. (photo by Kelly Caleb)

LA GRANDE Ore. – With first-place votes from nine coaches, Eastern Oregon University is the preseason choice to win the 2012-13 Cascade Collegiate Conference women’s basketball crown, according to a poll released by the conference office.

The Mountaineers, who earned 99 points in the poll, are coming off an historic season where they reached the elite eight of the NAIA D II national championships in 2011-12.

Corban, the defending CCC champion, earned one first-place vote and 85 points in the second spot, with The College of Idaho picked third with 83 points in the preseason ranking. Warner Pacific (63) placed fourth, and was followed by Oregon Tech (53), Southern Oregon (50), Northwest Christian (41), Concordia (35), Evergreen (23), and Northwest (14).

Eastern Oregon returns four starters and welcome seven new players to the team. Senior’s Korrie Bourn and Brooke Randall are back to lead the Mountaineers. Randall, the 5’7 guard averaged 10.97 points per game and 7.49 rebounds per game. Bourn the 5-10 guard/forward averaged 9.42 points per game on her way to earning All-Tournament second team honors at the NAIA D II championships.

At Oregon Tech, fourth year head women’s basketball coach, Scott Meredith, is coming off a 21-10 overall mark during the 2011-12 season, while also pushing their way back into postseason play after missing a berth to the 2010-11 conference tournament.

Oregon Tech returns four starters from last year, including juniors Karissa Dixon and Kassi Conditt who combined for 21 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest a year ago. Dixon returns as a first-team all-conference selection last season after a 44.5% effort from the floor, including 40.1% (63-157) from the 3-point line. Colleen Hunt, along with Maria Ramirez will also bring leadership at the guard position.

The top eight teams in the final CCC regular season standings will advance to the conference postseason tournament