COMING UP: at Willamette, Friday, 6 p.m.; at Western Oregon (exhibition), Saturday, 2 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Friday's game at Willamette will be carried live on the Northwest Conference Network, with Live Stats through WU's PrestoStats Portal. Saturday's exhibition game at Western Oregon will be carried live on WOU's YouTube Channel, with Live Stats available through WOU's SIDEARM Stats Portal. In-game updates will be provided from the Willamette Valley on "X" by following @OITWBB. 
 
MULTIMEDIA: All photos from the 2023-24 season (including home games vs. Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho) have been posted online via the OIT Women's Basketball Flickr Page, while highlight clips and interviews posted online via the new OIT Women's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – WILLAMETTE: The road trip to the Willamette Valley starts Friday at Willamette, as the Bearcats (4-4) head into the game riding high after a road sweep of Whitworth and Whitman to open Northwest Conference play. Forward Elyse Waldal (13.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) headlines the WU squad, earning NWC Player of the Week honors on Monday, with guards Carolyn Ho (10.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg) and Kaitlin Imai (10.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg), along with forward Ava Kitchin (8.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg) key to the offense. The Bearcats were picked to finish fourth in the NWC Preseason Poll.
 
HISTORY VS. THE BEARCATS: The Lady Owls and Willamette will meet for the first time in 12 seasons – as OIT won the last meeting, 77-57 during the 2011-12 campaign. The Bearcats hold a 10-5 series edge – with Friday's contest the first inside Cone Fieldhouse since 1991.
 
AGAINST THE DIVISION III: OIT will play their 20th all-time match-up against an NCAA Division III opponent, putting an 11-8 record on the line. The Lady Owls have played eight of the nine current Northwest Conference schools (haven't played Whitman), with the bulk of the teams old rivals from the NAIA District 2 era.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – WESTERN OREGON: The final non-conference match-up of the year sends Tech to Monmouth to meet Western Oregon. The Division II Wolves (4-5) have a new head coach (Jessica Peatross), with the team averaging 66 points per game – earning early season wins against Westmont and Northwest Nazarene. All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference guard Cali McClave (16.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 22 steals) recently eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career, with former Bushnell standout Bella Pedrojetti (9.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg), along with Triniti Youngblook (10.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Ana McClave (6.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg) anchoring the WOU attack. The game will be a counter for Western and an exhibition for OIT.
 
HISTORY VS. THE WOLVES: Tech and Western have met four times since the Wolves made the transition from the NAIA to the Division II – the last meeting in 2017, an OIT 59-53 win. WOU has dominated the all-time series, winning 22-of-25 meetings, including all 12 games played in the New P.E. Building.
 
EXHIBITION GAMES: Unlike many teams in the CCC, OIT has played just nine exhibition games against NCAA competition since the NAIA began allowing the non-counting contests in 2004 – recording a combined 3-6 record. Tech has met three NCAA Division I squads – losing games in 2013 to Oregon and 2021 to Boise State, while in 2015, earned a 81-69 win over Portland State. The Lady Owls have competed five times against Division II teams – defeating Humboldt State in 2013, while dropping games to Sonoma State in 2018 and 2019, and games to San Francisco State (in 2014) and Chico State (in 2021). Last season, the Lady Owls earned a 69-48 exhibition win at Division III Linfield.
 
RATINGS: OIT made a big move in the computer poll, as the Owls jumped to No. 20 in the latest Massey Rating – trailing only LC State (No. 13) and Southern Oregon (No. 18). The next NAIA Top-25 poll will be released next Wednesday.
 
BEST STARTS: The 7-0 start by the Lady Owls is third time OIT has opened a season with seven-consecutive wins. The 2014 team started the season 8-0, with the 2013 team establishing a school record by winning their first 14 games. It was the ninth time Tech has swept the opening weekend of CCC play – with the Owls winning third first three league games twice, the first four games on two occasion and opening 5-0 in conference counters in 2019-20, 2006-07 and 2003-04.
 
TOP-25 WIN: Friday's win against No. 18-ranked Eastern Oregon was the first by the Lady Owls since a road win at Bushnell during the 2019-20 season
 
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK: Tech had an offensive explosion against C of I, scoring 101 points in the victory – the most points and largest victory margin (35) ever against the Yotes. It was the 15th 100-point game by the Lady Owls and the seventh time the squad has reached the century mark in a league counter. The 62 second half points were the most by an OIT team since 2016 (64 at Walla Walla), with the 40 field goals made and 28 assists in the game both Top-10 single-game efforts.
 
TOP SHOOTING TEAM IN THE LEAGUE: The Lady Owls connected on nearly 60-percent of their field goals (including 12-of-14 shooting in the fourth quarter) in Saturday's win over College of Idaho – the No. 8 single-game shooting percentage in program history (.597) and top mark in the last four seasons. OIT heads into weekend play tops in the CCC in field goal percentage (.480) and scoring average (80.4).
 
ON THE GLASS: Success on the glass has led to the early season success for the Lady Owls, as Tech dominated the boards in the two weekend victories. OIT outrebounded EOU (the top ranked rebound team in the CCC heading into the weekend) by 11, while grabbing 14 more rebounds than C of I – improving their season rebound margin to a league-best 12.4. The Owls have posted double-digit wins on the glass in 6-straight games – one off the school-record of seven, set during the 2012-13 season.
 
GASCON NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Headlining the weekend for Tech was point-guard Gabbie Gascon, who earned CCC Player of the Week honors. The sophomore tied a career-high with 16 points against EOU and scored all 14 points Saturday against C of I in the first half – converting 10-of-18 field goal chances and 4-of-8 shots from 3-point range. Gascon added four rebounds, three assists and two steals in both of the wins – ranking in the Top-10 in the CCC in both assists per game and steals per game.
 
SPRAGUE FILLS UP STAT SHEET: Guard Olivia Sprague showed her versatility during the home wins, posting big numbers throughout the stat columns. The junior scored 15 points, added seven steals, five assists, two blocks and two steals against Eastern, adding 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, along with a block and steal against C of I. Sprague leads the team in scoring average (18.9), rebound average (6.9), assist average (4.4) and is second in steals per game (2.0) – all in the Top-15 in the CCC.
 
SCHMERBACH POSTS DOUBLE-DIGIT REBOUND GAME: Freshman forward Tatum Schmerbach was instrumental in the win over EOU, scoring six points, with three assists and a pair of blocks – but grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds in the victory. Schmerbach added one steal, intercepting a last-second pass in the paint on the Mounties final possession. The first-year player is averaging seven points and six rebounds in 25 minutes of action per night.
 
BIG PRODUCTION: Tech received balanced numbers throughout their roster in the weekend sweep – as Alexis Elquist, Elli Kent, Kendall Fealey, Kayley Elliott, Kaitlyn Wright and Jozie Ramos provided big boosts. Elquist scored 11 against C of I – her third double-digit scoring game of the year and has posted at least six points and four rebounds in all seven games. Kent scored a career-high 13 points vs. C of I and finished the weekend converting 8-of-9 field goal attempts, upping her season average to .696 percent. Fealey scored a career-high nine points against C of I, adding her 11th steal of the year, with Elliott scoring eight points in six minutes of action. Wright had her best game of the year, scoring nine points with two steals, while Ramos scored 10 vs. Eastern and added six points vs. C of I – converting all four of her free throw chances.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Four teams are unbeaten after the first full week of CCC play, as Warner Pacific sits at 3-0, with OIT, LC State and Southern Oregon at 2-0. Three travel partner games take place this week – Evergreen State at Northwest, LC State at Walla Walla and Eastern Oregon at College of Idaho. Other match-ups include SOU heading to California for games at Menlo and Jessup, Multnomah facing three Division III teams (Puget Sound, Pacific Lutheran, Lewis & Clark), with WP meeting Linfield.
 
RECORD BOOK: Five Lady Owls currently rank among the Top-50 in the OIT record book, led by Olivia Sprague, who is No. 12 in 3-pointers made (117), No. 13 in assists (227), No. 14 in 3-point attempts (294), No. 15 in steals (120), No. 17 in points scored (901) and in field goals made (316), No. 19 in field goal attempts (774), No. 29 in free throws made (152), No. 32 in free throw attempts (191) and blocked shots (24) and No. 39 in rebounds (287). Kennedy Tull ranks No. 33 in free throws made (125), No. 36 in 3-pointers made (27), No 41 in 3-point attempts (76) and free throw attempts (161), ranking just outside the Top-50 in points scored (394); Gabbie Gascon is No. 35 in 3-point attempts (90), No. 40 in 3-pointers made (23), No. 44 in assists (106) and just outside the Top-50 in steals (52), free throws made (84) and free throw attempts (98); Kayley Elliott is No. 39 in blocked shots (16), No. 48 in 3-pointers made (15) and just outside the Top-50 in 3-point attempts (50); with Alexis Elquist No. 39 in blocked shots (16) and is just outside the Top-50 in 3-point attempts (51) and 3-pointers made (12).
 
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 76-percent of their home dates – posting a stellar 239-76 overall mark, including a 3-0 mark this season. 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. 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 36 times, posting a 33-3 record in the high-scoring contests – including Saturday's win over College of Idaho. The Lady Owls are riding an 88-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game, recording a 162-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Lady Owls return to Cascade Conference play next weekend, traveling to Washington for games at Northwest (Dec. 15) and Evergreen State (Dec. 16).