ASHLAND — A pair of free throws by freshman Thomas Ward with five seconds remaining lifted Southern Oregon University to a 57-55 Cascade Conference tournament quarterfinal victory over Warner Pacific College at McNeal Pavilion Wednesday.

The 11th-ranked and second-seeded Raiders (18-9) won their fifth straight home playoff game dating back to 1988 only after erasing a seven-point halftime deficit and surviving a last-ditch 3- point attempt by the No. 7 draw Knights (17-15).

Southern earned a Saturday night McNeal Pavilion date with No. 3 seed and 16th-ranked Western Baptist College when Knight guard Josh Jackson’s running 20-footer banked off the backboard onto the left edge of the rim as time expired.

SOU, which trailed 53-52 with 2:51 to go, pulled even on a free throw by junior All-American forward Shea Washington, who provided the Raiders with a 55-53 edge on a pick-and-roll play from guard Steve Farley with 1:20 on the clock.

WPC forward Donny Woods’ inside jumper knotted the score at 55-all with 35 seconds remaining, but a Woods hard foul of Raider guard Brad Coen in the act of shooting at point-blank range after a Farley inbounds pass set up the game-winning sequence with five seconds to go. With Coen, who suffered a shoulder injury on the play, unable to continue, Ward came off the bench to convert the free throws.

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"We executed (the offense) a lot better in the second half, and that helped opened things up for Shea (Washington) and for guys like Matt Cowell, who can make plays," Raider coach Brian McDermott said. "Warner’s defense forced us to take a lot of late-shot clock shots in the first half."

With Woods and Jackson clicking offensively, Warner, which lost to the Ashland school for the third time this season, looked primed for an upset when it extended a 30-23 halftime lead to a nine- point bulge (34-25) early in the second stanza. SOU then used 3-point plays from Farley, Coen, Ward and Washington to whittle away, and the Raiders capped the surge with a Coen trey to go up 52- 48.

Washington compiled his 13th double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds to lead SOU, which improved to 5-0 all-time in home conference playoff games and 7-4 overall for McDermott.

Farley finished with 11 points, six assists and three steals, and Cowell scored all eight of his points in the second half.

Jackson paced Warner with 17 points, while Woods overcame an 0-for-5 effort from 3-point range with 14 points inside the arc.

Winless in six trips to Ashland dating back to 1986, the Portland school made 13 of its first 25 shots but finished at 44-percent for the game (22 of 50), including a chilly 9-for-25 clip in the second half.

Despite being out-rebounded 32-28, Southern shot 48-percent (23 of 48).

The Raiders, who earned no worse than the sixth and final at-large berth to the upcoming NAIA Div. II tournament by finishing at No. 11 in yesterday’s final top-25 poll, plays Western Baptist for the third time in postseason action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.

The Warriors (28-5), who defeated SOU by 27 in Salem on Dec. 18 but suffered a 73-70 upset setback in Ashland on Jan. 21, toppled Northwest 91-79 in their home-court quarterfinal fray.

Albertson travels to Oregon Tech in the other conference tournament semifinal. Should sixth-ranked OIT defeat the 21st-ranked Coyotes Saturday, the SOU-WBC winner will receive the league’s second automatic bid to nationals regardless of outcome in next Tuesday’s tourney finale.

WARNER PACIFIC (17-15)

Hoover 3-5 0-1 7, Jackson 6-13 5-5 17, Powers 2-6 3-6 7, Woods 6-14 2-2 14, Eischen 4-8 0-0 8, Oury 1-3 0-0 2, Walton 0-1 0-0. Totals: 22-50 10-14 55.

NO. 11 SOUTHERN OREGON (18-9)

Farley 5-10 0-1 11, Coen 3-11 0-0 8, Washington 8-12 1-4 17, Williams 1-6 0-0 3, Gabel 1-2 0-0 2, McCallister 1-1 0-0 2, Cowell 3-3 1-1 8, Ward 1-2 4-5 6, Elam 0-1 0-0 6. Totals: 23-48 6-11 57.

Halftime—Warner Pacific 30-23. 3-point goals—Warner Pacific 1-11 (Hoover 1-2, Jackson 0-2, Woods 0-5, Eischen 0-1, Oury 0-1), Southern Oregon 5-18 (Farley 1-4, Coen 2-8, Washington 0-1, Williams 1-3, Cowell 1-1, Ward 0-1). Fouled out—none. Rebounds—Warner Pacific 32 (Eischen 8), Southern Oregon 28 (Washington 12). Assists—Warner Pacific 7 (Woods 4), Southern Oregon 19 (Farley 6). Total fouls—Warner Pacific 16, Southern Oregon 13. A—350.