The Southern Oregon University women enter the Grande Ronde Valley confident for a couple reasons.

The Raiders are ranked No. 9 in this week's NAIA Div. 2 rankings, and they have won the last three meetings against Eastern Oregon University. SOU began the 2009-10 season winning its first nine games, before falling by one at home to Warner Pacific on Dec. 5.

Southern's Jacki Speer comes into Saturday's contest as the Cascade Collegiate Conference leader in points scored per game (22.8), rebounds per game (14.8), and blocks per game (2.3). The preseason All-CCC member was named third team All-American last season. Speer broke the Raiders' career rebounding record this season.

Speer also leads SOU in steals per game (1.92). The senior is first in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (10.2), and total rebounds (178). She ranks in the top seven nationally in six other statistical categories. Speer has averaged almost 12 points a game versus the Mountaineers in six meetings during her career.

As a team, Southern rebounds very well. The Raiders are fifth in the country in total rebounds per game (45.4), and sixth in defensive rebounds per game (30.3).

After falling in the conference championships last season, Southern Oregon fell in the first round of the national tournament as an at-large team to Black Hills State. The Raiders finished 2008-09 with an overall record of 25-7 and 16-4 in conference play.

SOU eased past Eastern Oregon in Ashland on Dec. 5, 2008, 91-66. But the Mountaineers challenged the Raiders in La Grande on Jan. 31, 2009. After leading by eight at halftime, EOU stretched the lead to double digits in the second half. Southern crawled back into the game behind Speer's game-high 21 points. The Raiders pulled out the road victory in the end, 72-69.

Since the 2000-01 season, the Mountaineers have won 10 out of the 18 meetings. The Raiders are 3-6 in La Grande over the same span. SOU lost five straight at EOU until they won on the road last season. Eastern won nine straight meetings from 2003 to 2007. Southern won 10 straight over the Mountaineers from 1994 to 1999. The Raiders hold a 33-24 advantage over EOU in the all-time series.

The Southern Oregon University men's basketball team has overachieved so far this season. The Raiders were predicted to finish eighth in the conference after finishing 9-21 last year.

Southern is only two wins away from equaling last season's total after going 7-1 through its non-conference schedule. However the Raiders have begun the conference schedule 0-2 after dropping a pair of games at home to Concordia and Warner Pacific.

After consecutive 20-win seasons in 2004-05 and 2005-06 the Raiders have gone 31-59 over the past three seasons. SOU climbed to No. 1 in the national poll in 2004-05 and finished the year in the national quarterfinals. Southern Oregon has made the postseason six of the past eight seasons.

The 2009-10 Raiders are led by five players that average 10 or more points per game. Ryan Staker leads the team at 13.5 points per game, followed closely by Humphrey Jackson's 13.2 point average. Jackson leads the team with 4.2 assists per game, and Roland Johnson averages 6.1 rebounds per game.

From 2001 to 2005 Southern won 10 straight games against Eastern Oregon. The Mountaineers responded by winning six of the last seven meetings, including last season's two victories and road loss. EOU fell to the Raiders by five on Dec. 5, 2008 in Ashland. Eastern then beat SOU in La Grande on Jan. 31, 2009, and Feb. 25, 2009 in the first round of the Cascade Conference tournament.

Five games since 2000 have been decided by 10 or fewer points, and three games have been decided by five or fewer points. Southern Oregon holds a 95-70 lead in the all-time series. Friday's game 166th meeting will be the second-most against any other program for EOU. Eastern and Western Oregon have met 187 times.