OLYMPIA, Wash. — Oregon Tech used a 6-0 spurt to take the lead for good Friday and open Cascade Collegiate Conference men's basketball play with an 89-65 win over Evergreen State at the Costantino Recreation Center.
 
The Geoducks held a couple of early leads, the last a 6-5 advantage just 2½ minutes into the game.
 
When the host school scored again, Matt Van Tassell had already scored twice and Garret Albrecht once as the top-rated Hustlin' Owls took an 11-6 lead, but Evergreen stayed close until Tech went on a 10-0 outburst to take a 25-13 lead.
 
Tech maintained a double-digit advantage to the end.
 
By halftime, OIT had gone ahead 46-29 in a game in which its biggest lead came at 75-42 with eight minutes left to play.
 
Albrecht and Van Tassell both scored a game-high 15 points to lead OIT, while Seth Erickson added 14 in a game in which 10 of the 12 Tech players to see action scored. 
 
Eleven of the 12 players also had at least one rebound in the game.
 
Lachlan McKimm narrowly missed a double-double for the Hustlin' Owls and finished with eight points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
While Tech made 52 percent of its shots, the Geoducks were limited to 40 percent shooting.
 
Still, OIT coach Justin Parnell expressed concern about turnovers, and Evergreen scored 16 of its points off Tech mistakes.
 
"We need to clean up the turnovers," Parnell said. "They have really become a problem for us that could hurt us in a close game".
 
Otherwise, Friday was another solid win.
 
"Our focus and effort on the road was really good," Parnell said. "We executed the scouting report really well, and shared the ball really well. Our bigs gave us really good minutes and controlled the paint".
 
Led by Albrecht and Van Tassell, OIT held a solid, 44-28, edge in points scored in the paint, and helped the Hustlin' Owls hold a 41-28 edge in rebounds.
 
LaBrandon Price and Gloire Biongo both scored 13 points for the Geoducks, while Lukas Kelly had a team-high four rebounds.