SALEM, Ore. – Taylor Anderson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with one minute remaining and a last second shot for Oregon Tech fell short, as Corban University outlasted the Hustlin' Owls, 64-61, inside the C.E. Jeffers Center.
 
OIT (14-14, 11-11 CCC) rallied from a 13-point second half deficit to take the lead with seven minutes remaining – but could not hold on for the road win. The Owls claimed the No. 7 seed in the Cascade Conference Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, and will travel to Eastern Oregon on Tuesday, for a 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal match-up.
 
"I told the guys after the game, everything that has happened up until now is over," said OIT head coach Justin Parnell. "It's a one-game season, win or go home. We are excited for the challenge ahead of us and will be ready to give Eastern our best effort."
 
Anderson hit a first half triple, part of a 13-2 run for the Warriors, as the hosts built a 20-10 lead nine minutes into the game and took a 35-25 lead to the break.
 
Mateo Escheik converted a 3-point play on the first possession of the second half to give Corban a 38-25 lead – but the Warriors went ice cold from the floor. Joey Potts had a pair of dunks and Keegan Shivers canned a triple, part of an 11-2 run for Tech, cutting the margin to 40-36. Kaison Faust pulled OIT within 49-48 with a put-back bucket and Jamison Guerra gave the Owls the lead at 50-49 on a pair of free throws with seven minutes remaining.
 
Tied at 56, Anderson curled off a screen and buried a 24-foot 3-pointer from the right angle to give Corban the lead for good. Tech cut the margin to 63-61 on a Faust lay-up with seven seconds left, with the Warriors pushing the lead to three as Darius Henderson split two free throws. Guerra got a clean game-tying look from 30-feet at the buzzer, but the shot came up short.
 
Potts and Faust had perfect nights from the field for OIT – Potts going 7-for-7 from the floor, scoring 15, with Faust converting all six shots, tallying 14 points and six rebounds. The Owls finished the game 18-of-21 from the foul line.
 
Anderson led Corban with 15 points and Escheik scored 13. The Warriors forced Tech into a season-high 25 turnovers, leading to 24 points.