COMING UP: Host Lithia Classic – Southern Oregon vs. George Fox, Friday, 3 p.m.; Oregon Tech vs. George Fox, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Both tournament games, along with all 22 Cascade Conference games will be carried live in the Klamath Basin on 104.3/960 Sports, with Mike Safford on the call. The broadcast begins with the Joy Lease Show 30 minutes prior to tip-off – with the broadcast simulcast with video on the Owls Sports Network. Live Stats available through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal. Both single-game and season tickets for the 2023-24 season are available online through the OIT Ticket Portal.
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2023-24 season will be posted online via the OIT Women's Basketball Flickr Page, while highlight clips and interviews will be posted online via the new OIT Women's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – GEORGE FOX: First-year head coach Lauren Howard is looking to return the Division III Bruins (0-0) back to dominance after missing the postseason last year for the first time in 20 seasons. GFU finished 11-14 last season, but returning starters Erin Yoshitake (9.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Jenna Lacey (7.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Ella Roberts (7.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg) look to lead a team that will play more uptempo and expected to pick up pressure on the defensive end. The Bruins averaged just 51 points per game in 2022-23, making just 34-percent of their field goals and 25-percent of their 3-pointers, but held a sizeable rebound margin (+4.7).
 
HISTORY VS. THE BRUINS: Saturday's match-up against GFU marks the 21st meeting between the schools, with Fox holding a 12-8 series edge – as the two teams were a part of the NAIA District II from 1983-92. OIT ended a 5-game losing streak with the Newberg school last season, rolling to an 84-50 victory – the biggest margin of victory in the all-time series. The two clubs have met nine previous times at Danny Miles Court, with Tech holding a 5-4 series edge.
 
LITHIA CLASSIC RETURNS: For the seventh-straight year, the Lady Owls have partnered with Lithia Motors to host an event in Klamath Falls, as George Fox University and Southern Oregon University join Oregon Tech for the weekend tournament. OIT hosted the Lithia Classic from 2017-19 and were to host the event in 2020 before the season was shifted to the spring, with the tournament returning each of the past two seasons.
 
HISTORY OF THE CLASSIC: 2023 marks the 15th straight year Tech has hosted a preseason women's basketball tournament – as in 2009 and 2010, the squad hosted the OIT Classic; from 2011-16, the Owls hosted the Midland Empire Classic; before Lithia picked up the title sponsorship in 2017. Both OIT and Southern Oregon have played in each of the previous events – SOU going 23-1 in tournament play, with OIT recording a 21-3 record. Teams making multiple appearances include William Jessup (eight trips, 0-16 in tournament games), Cal Maritime (6 trips, 0-12 in tournament games) and Simpson (5 trips, 1-9 in tournament games). Last year, OIT and SOU swept both games, each defeating Menlo College and George Fox.
 
THE OTHER TEAM IN THE CLASSIC: Southern Oregon joins OIT and George Fox in the tournament, playing the first game on Friday. The Raiders (0-0) opened the new season with an exhibition game at the University of Oregon, debuting a new line-up that has to replace three starters from a 24-8 squad that reached the second-round of the NAIA Championships. Southern returns their top player, two-time NAIA All-America forward Kami Walk (14.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg), along with contributors Clara Robbins (5.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and Emma Schmerbach (6.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg) - part of an offense that averaged 65 points per game and a defense that forced 18 turnovers a night. Newcomers Meghan McIntyre (20.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 7.2), a first-team All-CCCAA pick at Oregon Coast CC and Sierra Scheppele (15.0 ppg, .449 3FG%) of Lane CC are expected to be impact players.
 
SEASON OPENERS: Over the last 20 seasons, OIT has a 14-7 record in season openers, riding a 3-game win streak. The Nov. 4 start date equals the latest the team has opened a season since 2011 – when Tech traveled to Walla Walla for a pair of games against Walla Walla University. Three times over the past seven years, the Lady Owls have started a season in the month of October.
 
HOME OPENERS: The Lady Owls have dominated their first opponent of the season at home in recent years – taking an 18-game home opener win streak into Saturday's match-up with George Fox. Since 2002, OIT is a combined 19-2 in home openers – the last loss coming against Lewis-Clark State to start the 2004-05 season.

SUCCESS AT DANNY MILES COURT: Danny Miles Court has been a difficult place for opponents since Tech brought women's basketball back as a varsity sport in 2002. Over the last 21 seasons, the Lady Owls have won 75-percent of their home dates – posting a stellar 236-76 overall mark. The 2012-13 squad finished the year with a 15-1 mark, while a season later, the Owls had a 16-2 record – at one point winning 19-consecutive home games. Last season, Tech recorded a 12-3 mark at home. During that 21-year stretch, OIT had a winning record every season on their home floor.
 
DEBUT FOR LEASE: Tech will have a new leader on the sidelines, as Joy Lease will make her head coaching debut on Saturday night. The longtime successful head coach at Willamina, Santiam and Mazama High Schools (337 wins) joined the Lady Owls staff last season under interim head coach Paul Poetsch, before being named his successor this past spring. She will be joined on the bench by former Lakeview High coach Cody Blair and former Henley High coach Shannon Carlson.
 
ALL-AMERICAN RETURNS: The 2023-24 team will be anchored by All-America guard, Olivia Sprague, who posted one of the top all-around seasons by an OIT guard in program history. The junior ranked among the CCC Top-10 in scoring average (16.6), 3-point percentage (.426), free throw percentage (.842), assists per game (3.9) and steals per game (2.1), posting nine 20-or-more point scoring games and double-figure marks in 29-of-30 contests. She will be joined in the backcourt by fellow junior, Kennedy Tull, along with sophomore Gabbie Gascon.
 
FOUR NEWCOMERS JOIN THE SQUAD: The Lady Owls have added four new players to the roster – all freshmen who were instrumental in deep runs in the Oregon state playoffs. South Medford teammates Tatum Schmerbach and Kendall Fealey helped their team to the 6A state championship game – Schmerbach earning All-Southwest Conference honors and Fealey earning All-State accolades; post Jozie Ramos was the 4A Player of the Year, helping Baker High to the state crown; while guard Kate Miles was a 4A All-State pick, helping Marshfield to the state semifinals.
 
REPLACING TWO ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS: Tech will have to replace starting post Maddyson Tull and wing Melissa Lee, both honored on the All-CCC team. Seniors Kayley Elliott and Jenna Wallace, along with freshman Jozie Ramos, will be key in the post, while senior Alexis Elquist, sophomore Kaitlyn Wright, along with freshmen Tatum Schmerbach and Kendall Fealey expected to see minutes at the wing.
 
LADY OWLS PICKED FOURTH: Coming off a 21-win season and trip to the CCC Tournament semifinals, the Lady Owls were picked to finish fourth in the Cascade Conference Preseason Poll. OIT received 99 voter points from the 12 coaches – trailing Eastern Oregon, Lewis-Clark State and Southern Oregon – with LC ranked No. 11, EOU ranked No. 16 and SOU receiving votes in the NAIA preseason poll.
 
RECORD BOOK: Four Lady Owls begin the season ranked in the career Top-50 record book, led by Olivia Sprague, who is No. 13 in 3-pointers made (100), No. 17 in assists (196), No. 18 in 3-point attempts (251), No. 19 in steals (106), No. 22 in points scored (772), No. 27 in field goal attempts (669), No. 28 in field goals made (269), No. 30 in free throws made, No. 33 in blocked shots (19), No. 35 in free throw attempts (171) and No. 48 in rebounds (239). Kennedy Tull ranks No. 40 in free throws made (105), No. 48 in 3-pointers made (18) and No. 49 in both 3-point attempts (54) and free throw attempts (131); Gabbie Gascon is No. 40 in 3-point attempts (69) and No. 46 in 3-pointers made (16); with Kayley Elliott No. 45 in blocked shots (15) and No. 50 in 3-pointers made (14).
 
SCORING 90, ALLOWING UNDER 50 EQUAL WINS: OIT has scored 90-or-more points in a game 35 times, posting a 32-3 record in the high-scoring contests. The Lady Owls will go into the season riding an 87-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game, recording a 161-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Lady Owls make the short trip over the hill to Ashland for the Raider Classic, meeting Simpson next Thursday and Hope International on Friday.