KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Olivia Sprague scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in an Oregon Tech 23-10 run to close the night, as the Lady Owls rallied for a 67-62 victory over Bushnell University in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, at Danny Miles Court.
 
OIT (21-8) avenged a postseason loss to BU from a season ago and improved to 13-1 all-time in home quarterfinal games. The Owls advance to meet No. 12-ranked and top-seeded Eastern Oregon on Saturday in La Grande, with a berth in the CCC title game on the line.
 
"This team has the biggest heart," said OIT head coach Paul Poetsch. "What an unbelievable fourth quarter – we've talked about it all year that we are going to wear an opponent down and in the fourth quarter it will be our ball game – and that is exactly what we did.
 
The Beacons (17-11) built a 52-44 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Tech answered with 10-straight points. Sprague started the rally with a 3-pointer, Melissa Lee scored on a fast break, while consecutive put-backs from Maddyson Tull and Alexis Elquist gave the hosts the first lead since early in the contest.
 
Kalina Rojas responded for the Beacons with back-to-back lay-ups and Aly Mirabile scored on a tough driving basket, regaining the lead at 58-54. OIT rode a loud home crowd to a 9-2 run, as Sprague canned a triple and two free throws, Elli Kent converted a pair of freebies, with Kaitlyn Wright scoring in the paint, giving the Owls a 63-60 cushion. The Tech defense did the rest, forcing turnovers on consecutive possessions inside the final 40 seconds to clinch the win.
 
"Melissa Lee and Maddy Tull willed us to win this game – they refused to lose," Poetsch said. "Olivia had a great game. Those three have carried us all season – for us to get 21 wins in a shorter season – in truly unbelievable."
 
Tull scored 14 points with seven rebounds – needing two rebounds on Saturday to becoming the sixth member of the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club. Lee had 14 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals – becoming the eighth member of the 600-rebound club. Elquist had 10 points and eight rebounds, with Kayley Elliott scoring eight points of the bench.
 
Rojas led the Beacons with 14 points and six rebounds, with Kaylen Kamelamela scoring 10.
 
Saturday's CCC semifinal in La Grande is set for a 5:30 p.m. start.