COMING UP: vs. Eastern Oregon, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; vs. No. 1-ranked College of Idaho, Saturday, 5 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All 28 regular-season men's basketball games and all postseason contests will be broadcast live on 92.5 KLAD-FM with Mike Safford calling the action –with the Justin Parnell Show beginning 30 minutes prior to tip-off, with Live Stats available through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal. Live Video of both games will be carried live on the Owls Sports Network (with a simulcast of the radio broadcast), with in-game updates on "X" via @OITMBB. Friday is Military Appreciation Night, as all active or retired military personnel, along with their families, admitted for free – with the first 500 fans (and 100 OIT students) receiving special camouflage t-shirts, courtesy of the Oregon Army National Guard. Tickets for all home games are available online through the OIT Ticket Portal.
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2023-24 season will be posted online via the OIT Men's Basketball Flickr Page, while highlight clips and interviews will be posted online via the new OIT Men's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION – EASTERN OREGON: Conference play opens Friday against Eastern Oregon, coming off a trip to the first-round of the NAIA National Tournament. The Mountaineers (1-4) have played a competitive schedule – losing games to Top-10 teams in Arizona Christian and Montana Tech, but earning a key overtime win over Carroll. Chris Kemp's squad is averaging 77 points a night, making 42-percent of their field goals, but have been outrebounded by over two rebounds per game. Newcomers Garrett Hawkes (19.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Johnny Hillman (12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) have joined returners Malachi Afework (12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) and Preston Chandler (7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) as the top offen
 
HISTORY VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS: The OIT-Eastern rivalry dates back to the Oregon Collegiate Conference and Evergreen Conference days – as the teams have squared off since the 1950s. Tech holds a 114-75 series edge, including a 75-18 mark at Danny Miles Court – but the Mounties are coming off a 3-game sweep of the Owls, culminating with an overtime victory in the CCC Tournament quarterfinals.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION – COLLEGE OF IDAHO: The defending NAIA national champions head to the Basin on Saturday, as College of Idaho looks to defend back-to-back CCC regular-season and tournament titles. The Coyotes (5-1) saw a school-record 38-game win streak snapped two weeks ago against Vanguard, but rebounded for quality wins over Antelope Valley, Montana Western and Hope International – and take a 30-game CCC win-streak into the weekend. C of I has struggled a bit offensively – making just 44-percent of their field goals and 30-percent of their 3-pointers – but make up for it on the glass, averaging 11 more rebounds than their opponents. Guards Samaje Morgan (13.3 ppg, 3.5 apg) and Johnny Radford (12.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg) are tough to stop, as are forwards Drew Wyman (9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Jake O'Neil (12.2 ppg, 8.8 rpg) – with O'Neil 19 points away from 1,000 for his career.
 
HISTORY VS. THE COYOTES: The longtime rivalry between the Owls and C of I features the top-two perennial NAIA programs in the Northwest, combining for 46 national tournament appearances and five national titles. The Yotes hold a 58-44 series lead, including wins in six of the last seven meetings, but OIT has had the upper hand in the Basin, winning 27-of-48 meetings.
 
CHAMPS IN KLAMATH: Saturday's OIT-C of I match-up marks the fourth time a defending NAIA champ has met the Owls at Danny Miles Court – with Tech dropping games to Life (Ga.) in both 1997-98 and 1999-2000 after the Runnin' Eagles claimed NAIA Division I crowns, while OIT defeated C of I during the 1996-97 season following the Yotes NAIA Division II title.

RATINGS: The second regular-season NAIA Top-25 poll will be released by the national office on Wednesday – as Tech looks to gain votes after recording a 3-0 mark since the last tabulation. In the Massey Rating computer index, three preseason opponents are ranked (No. 1 Grace, No. 21 Bethel and No. 26 OUAZ), with College of Idaho at No. 3 and the Hustlin' Owls sitting at No. 14.
 
CONFERENCE SEASON UNDERWAY: The Cascade Conference schedule opened last week, as Multnomah outlasted Warner Pacific – but the bulk of the 22-game, double round-robin schedule begins in earnest this weekend. The Top-8 teams earn automatic bids into the CCC Championships, with the regular-season winner and tournament champions each earning spots in the NAIA National Championships. Game times are set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday's and 5 p.m. on Saturday's (outside of games against Walla Walla and LC State – which are altered due to WWU's religious affiliation).
 
CCC OPENERS: The 2023-24 season marks the 33rd season of Cascade Conference men's basketball, with OIT recording a 20-12 record in conference openers. It is the fourth time the Owls will start a league slate against Eastern Oregon – searching for their first win against the Mounties – having dropped openers in 1994, 1995 and 2022.
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: No unbeaten teams remain in the CCC – with only three teams above the .500 mark (OIT and C of I are both 5-1, Multnomah is 4-1) – while every team in the league has at least one victory. Along with the big match-ups in Jackson County and Klamath County as EOU and C of I head to Southern and Tech, Northwest and Evergreen head east for Thursday-Friday games at Lewis-Clark State and Walla Walla, with Corban and Bushnell making the short trip up I-5 for Friday-Saturday games vs. Warner Pacific and Multnomah.
 
BIG TRIP TO THE DESERT: OIT finished non-conference play 3-0 on the road, sweeping a pair of games in Arizona to cap the preseason slate. The Owls rallied to top Ottawa (Ariz.) in overtime on Nov. 15 – as a Jamison Guerra 3-pointer forced the extra session and Blake Jensen won the game with a dunk inside the final minute. On Nov. 17, Tech drove to 5,300 feet of elevation to stop Embry-Riddle, 90-68, converting a season-best 60-percent of their field goal chances – improving to 4-0 all-time in the desert.
 
OVERTIME WIN: The 91-90 overtime win at OUAZ was the 71st overtime game in program history – and just the second overtime win since the 2011-12 season. The Owls have a 34-37 combined record in all-time overtime games – which have featured six double-overtime and four triple-overtime contests.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Tech ranks among the Top-3 in the CCC in five categories – No. 1 in field goal percentage (.492), No. 2 in offensive rebounds per game (12.0), turnover margin (+2.3) and defensive 3-point percentage (.296), ranking No. 3 in assists per game (16.0).
 
GUERRA CONTINUES BIG START: Headlining non-conference play for the Hustlin' Owls has been the breakout performance by Jamison Guerra, who keyed both wins in Arizona. The point-guard scored 16 points and recorded career-highs with 10 assists and five steals – the most assists and steals in a game by an OIT player since Mitchell Fink in 2019-20. Guerra added eight points and seven assists at Embry-Riddle, finishing the trip 10-for-14 from the field – and heads into CCC play leading the league in assists per game (7.3).
 
JENSEN POSTS CAREER HIGH: Forward Blake Jensen was instrumental in the overtime win at OUAZ – posting a career-high 20 points with 11 rebounds, his eighth double-double in 12 games. Jensen followed it up with 15 points and six boards at ERAU, finishing the trip 15-of-21 from the field – improving his field goal percentage above 60-percent. The junior ranks among the Top-15 in the CCC in field goal percentage (.604), rebounds per game (8.2) and scoring average (13.2).
 
SHIVERS HAS BIG NIGHT IN PRESCOTT: The Owls were led at Embry-Riddle by Keegan Shivers, scoring a season-high 22 points in the win – knocking down 6-of-9 3-point attempts. The junior recorded his sixth career game with 6-or-more triples – upping his season 3-point percentage above 40-percent – ranking No. 2 in the CCC in 3-pointers per game (3.0). Shivers is 116 points shy of the 1,000-point mark for his OIT career.
 
KEY PRODUCTION: Tech got a boost up and down the line-up in Arizona – as starters Erik Fraser and Kam Osborn, along with reserves Kody Bauman and Yanni Fassilis paved the way to two wins. Fraser had the best weekend of his season, slashing nine points, nine rebounds and five assists at OUAZ, adding 12 points at Embry-Riddle – converting a combined 9-of-14 field goal chances. Osborn had a big night at OUAZ, scoring 14 points and continues to lead the club in free throw percentage (.840). Bauman scored 10 at OUAZ, while adding nine points and a pair of steals at ERAU, with Fassilis scoring six points with five rebounds at Embry-Riddle and is converting 56-percent of his season field goal attempts.
 
SUCCESS IN DANNY'S HOUSE: Since OIT moved to their current campus in 1964, the Hustlin' Owls have had a decisive home floor advantage inside the Athletic Center – winning over 81-percent of their home games. Over the last 60 seasons Tech has played on what is now known as Danny Miles Court, the Owls hold a 776-177 overall record in the building – including an 89-17 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell. OIT has recorded a winning record in 57-of-59 seasons (going 5-7 in 1965-66 and 1-8 in 1970-71), including undefeated records four times (1986-87, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11). OIT finished 2022-23 with an 8-5 home record, their 52nd-straight winning season on their home floor and has a 2-1 mark at home in 2023-24.
 
3-POINT STREAK NEARING THE 1,000 MARK: The 3-point shot has been key to the Hustlin' Owls success over the years, with Tech converting at least one 3-pointer in 989 consecutive games. OIT last failed to make a 3-pointer on Dec. 4, 1992, at Humboldt State, going 0-for-7 from outside the arch. During the streak, the Owls made one 3-pointer in a game on five occasions. UNLV holds the current 3-point streak record (1,198), just ahead of CCC rival Corban (1,185), Duke (1,154) and College of Idaho (1,129).
 
CAREER RECORD BOOK: Seven members of the Hustlin' Owls are among the Top-75 in the OIT Men's Basketball Career Record Book heading into the weekend. Keegan Shivers leads the group, ranking No. 15 in 3-pointers made (165), No. 18 in 3-point attempts (403), No. 48 in rebounds (414), No. 49 in field goal attempts (695) and points scored (884), No. 55 in steals (60), No. 60 in assists (165) and No. 61 in field goals made (302). Jamison Guerra is No. 27 in assists (297), No. 56 in steals (63), No. 58 in 3-point attempts (188) and in free throws made (154), No. 61 in free throw attempts (200) and No. 64 in 3-pointers made (52); Erik Fraser is No. 62 in 3-pointers made (55) and No. 64 in 3-point attempts (160); Jay Elmore is No. 61 in 3-pointers made (58) and No. 67 in 3-point attempts (147); Kam Osborn is No. 69 in both 3-pointers made (48) and 3-point attempts (144); Kody Bauman is No. 50 in blocked shots (21) and Blake Jensen No. 53 in blocked shots (20).
 
NEXT WEEK: Owls will have next week off for finals, prepping for a string of three road games in six days – at Northwest (Dec. 15), at Evergreen State (Dec. 16) and at Southern Oregon (Dec. 20).