COMING UP: at Raider Classic (Ashland, Ore.) – vs. Simpson, Thursday, 4:30 p.m.; vs. Hope International, Friday, 4:30 p.m.
COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Both tournament games will be carried on the
Owls Sports Network (produced by SOU), with Live Stats available through OIT's
SIDEARM Stats 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 – SIMPSON: Tech heads out on the road for the first time this season, making the trip to Ashland for the Raider Classic – opening against Simpson University. The Redhawks (0-1) are coming off their most successful season in school history, finishing 20-11 and advancing to their first-ever NAIA Championships. SU dropped their season opener at Menlo, 64-59, making just 3-of-20 3-pointers and committing 23 turnovers. Rory Hedrick (19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Dyani DelCastillo (9.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg) are newcomers looking to make an impact, while All-California Pacific Conference guard Celina Tress (15.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg) brings key experience.
HISTORY VS. THE REDHAWKS: The Lady Owls meet Simpson for the 34th time, with the two teams meeting every season since 2008 (minus the 2020-21 COVID season in which SU did not compete), holding a 28-5 series edge. Tech takes a 9-game win streak into the match-up and holds a 28-5 series edge, including last season's 69-61 win in Redding. It is the fourth time the teams have met on a neutral floor, with the Redhawks winning 2-of-3 match-ups. It is the 121st meeting between OIT and a Cal Pac school, with the Owls posting a 96-24 all-time record against the Northern California based league.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – HOPE INTERNATIONAL: OIT ends the tournament with a meeting against Hope International, the defending Golden State Athletic Conference tournament champions. The Royals (2-0), coming off a 24-8 season and trip to the first-round of the NAIA Championships, opened the new season with 20-point wins over La Sierra and Lincoln – averaging 78 points per game, but making just 12-of-73 3-point attempts. All-GSAC pick Shaine Talley (18.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 8.5 apg) had a triple-double in her first game this season, with the combination of Casey Fust (13.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) and Kennedy Pucci (9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) each key to the Royals success.
HISTORY VS. THE ROYALS: Friday's match-up marks the first-ever meeting between OIT and the Fullerton, Calif., school. HIU becomes the ninth GSAC school that the Owls have played, with Tech a combined 10-14 all-time against the California-Arizona based league.
AT THE RAIDER CLASSIC: The 2023 season marks the sixth time OIT has played in a tournament hosted by Southern Oregon and the first time the Lady Owls have made the short drive to Ashland for non-conference match-ups since 2014. Tech dropped their first two tournament games (in 2008), but have rattled off 8-straight wins – sweeping games in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
BIG OPENING WIN: The Lady Owls opened the 2023-24 in convincing fashion, using a trio of big runs to roll past George Fox, 83-56. Five players scored in double-figures, with OIT finishing with a 35-28 rebound edge and limiting GFU to 29-percent shooting from 3-point range. The 27-point margin in an opening win marked the seventh time the Owls have opened a season with a 25-or-more point victory – including a 92-35 win over Pacific Union in 2005.
LEASE GETS NO. 1: The win over George Fox marked the first collegiate victory for new OIT head coach
Joy Lease – but not her first win. Lease previously coached a three Oregon high schools, amassing 337 victories before her Lady Owls debut.
FORCING TURNOVERS: The key to the opening victory was the OIT defense, as the Owls forced 25 turnovers – with 38 of the 83 points scored coming off of George Fox turnovers. The 25 forced turnovers and the 16 steals by Tech were the most since a January game vs. Bushnell where OIT forced 28 turnovers and had 16 steals.
GREAT SHOOTING NIGHT: The Lady Owls had a banner night from the floor, making 50-percent of their field goals – a feat they accomplished just three times in 2022-23 (and the first time since Dec. 3, 2022). OIT was even better inside the arc, converting 23-of-40 2-point attempts).
TULL HAS BIG OPENER: A season removed from serving as the first player to enter off the bench,
Kennedy Tull made the most of joining the starting line-up – leading all players with 21 points in the victory. Tull connected on 8-of-11 shots, including three 3-point baskets, while tying a career-high with six assists. It was the highest scoring game for Tull since the 2021-22 season when she scored 26 points in a win over Corban (a game Tech had just five players in uniform).
GASCON FILLS STAT SHEET: Point-guard
Gabbie Gascon had the best all-around game of her college career – tying single-game marks for scoring, rebounds and assists. Gascon scored 16 points, adding six rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes of action – one of four players to play 25-or-more minutes in the victory.
SPRAGUE REACHES DOUBLE-FIGURES AGAIN: Saturday was a typical night for All-America guard
Olivia Sprague – opening the season with 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. It was the 31st time in Sprague's last 32 games that she has tallied 10-or-more points and the 43rd time in her career she's reached double-digit points. The junior sits 215 points away from the coveted 1,000-point mark for her career.
KENT KEY OFF THE BENCH: Tech got a big boost from sophomore guard
Elli Kent – who posted her second career double-digit scoring game in Saturday's win. Kent scored 10 points (two off her career high), adding five rebounds – converting 4-of-5 field goal chances.
FRESHMEN HAVE FANTASTIC DEBUTS: Three true freshmen made their collegiate debuts against Fox – as
Tatum Schmerbach,
Kendall Fealey and
Jozie Ramos each were key in the Owls win. Schmerbach earned a start and backed it up with 11 points, four rebounds and four steals. Fealey scored two points, added two rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a team-high five steals, while Ramos scored four points and added three rebounds.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: It has been a rough start for the Cascade Conference, as two weeks into the season, the league is a combined 3-9 overall – with all three wins against Division III opponents. 11-of-12 teams will be in action this week (0-4 College of Idaho is idle), as OIT and Southern play Simpson and Hope International, Corban and Northwest meet Rocky Mountain and The Master's, Eastern Oregon and LC State face Montana Western and Montana Tech, Multnomah and Bushnell play Linfield, Warner Pacific hosts Pacific Lutheran, Northwest Indian travels to Walla Walla, with Evergreen State in Hawaii to play Chaminade.
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).
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 22 seasons, the Lady Owls have won 75-percent of their home dates – posting a stellar 237-76 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 the past 21 seasons, OIT had a winning record every season on their home floor.
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 are 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 head to the Bay Area for a pair of games, a Friday (Nov. 17) date at Menlo and a Saturday (Nov. 18) date at Cal Maritime.
