COMING UP: vs. No. 4 Southern Oregon, Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All 22 Cascade Conference games will be broadcast live on radio in the Klamath Basin on 104.3-FM and 960-AM, beginning with the Joy Lease Coaches' Show 30-minutes prior to tip-off – simulcast online with audio through MyBasin.com and video via the Owls Sports Network. Live Stats for Saturday's game will be available through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT: Saturday is the annual Military Appreciation Night, presented by Winema Electric – as all active and retired military members and their families will be admitted for free to the OIT-SOU games with a valid ID.
 
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2024-25 season will posted online via the OIT Women's Basketball Flickr Page - while highlight clips, including the recent road trip, will be posted online via the OIT Women's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – SOUTHERN OREGON: The Lady Owls open up the home conference schedule against their closest rival in Southern Oregon – the defending Cascade Conference regular-season and tournament champions. The Raiders (8-0, 2-0 CCC) opened up the year with Top-10 wins over Dakota State and Concordia (Neb.), climbing to No. 4 in the latest NAIA poll. SOU averages a league-best 79 points per game and allows just 55 points a night, holding opponents to a 34-percent shooting clip – despite not playing a home game. CCC Newcomer of the Year, Meghan McIntyre (10.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3.4 spg) is the catalyst, with returning forward Emma Schmerbach (13.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg), the older sister of OIT's Tatum Schmerbach, having a breakout year. Newcomers Morgan Baird (14.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg) and Bridgette McIntyre (11.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) key an attack converting 46-percent of their field goal attempts.
 
ABOUT THE RIVALRY: Tech and Southern have played every year the Lady Owls have had women's basketball, with SOU holding a slim 44-39 series edge. The Raiders have had control of the series over the last decade, winning 14 of the last 18 match-ups, but the two teams split last season's series – including OIT's 68-59 win in Ashland. The Owls look to snap a 4-game home losing streak to SOU, dating back to 2019.
 
AGAINST THE TOP-5: Saturday's game features the highest-ranked team to play at Danny Miles Court since 2017 – when then No. 3-ranked SOU was toppled by Tech. It is the fourth time OIT has played a Top-5 team – the 2017 win over SOU, losing earlier this year at No. 1 Dordt and dropping a match-up in 2015 to No. 4-ranked St. Xavier at the NAIA Tournament.
 
WIN STREAKING: OIT takes a 6-game win streak into Saturday's contest – the sixth time in the last seven years Tech has had a win streak of 6-or-more games. Last year, the Lady Owls had two streaks longer than six games – a 14-game win streak to start the year and a 7-game win streak in February.
 
RARE SWEEP OF LONG TRIP: The Lady Owls dominated Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho to open conference play – sweeping the long road trip to the eastern reaches. It marked the first sweep of the EOU-C of I trip since 2016 and just the third time Tech has swept the road swing. The 69-50 win at Eastern was their largest victory margin in program history against the Mountaineers, surpassing 11-point wins in 1983 and 2002.
 
DEFENSE THE KEY: OIT is winning with defense – holding EOU to 28-percent shooting and C of I to a 33-percent clip – with the two squads combining for 12-of-57 3-point attempts. Since the season opening losses in Iowa, the Owls are holding opponents to a combined 53 points per game, a .319 field goal percentage, a .243 3-point percentage, while recording 19-more rebounds per game than their opponent.
 
GASCON NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Spearheading the Lady Owls attack was Gabbie Gascon, who was honored as Cascade Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The junior scored a career-high 28 points, adding eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in Friday's win at Eastern, followed by 14 points and a career-high tying nine rebounds at C of I. Gascon finished 5-of-12 from 3-point range and converted 17-of-22 free throws in the two games.
 
ELQUIST DOUBLES UP: Forward Alexis Elquist continued to have a breakout season – recording eight points and eight boards at EOU, while logging 10 points and 14 rebounds at C of I. It was the third time this season the senior has recorded 14-or-more rebounds in a game, with the Saturday double-double the fourth of her career.
 
SCHMERBACH HAS BIG NIGHT IN IDAHO: Leading Tech in Saturday's win at C of I was Tatum Schmerbach, who scored a game-high 20 points in the victory. It was the sophomore's 15th double-digit scoring game and her second game with 20-or-more points. Schmerbach converted 2-of-3 3-pointers in the win, while adding a team-best five assists.
 
MORE FROM THE TRIP: Kennedy Tull tied a career-high with her fourth-straight double-digit scoring game – scoring 11 points (including two 3-pointers) in the win at Eastern – following with eight points in the Saturday win at C of I. Kendall Fealey continued to lock down opponents defensively, recording two blocks and two steals on the trip, adding three assists. Kaitlyn Wright had her best weekend of the year, recording a career-high six rebounds at EOU, followed by three points and three rebounds at C of I.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: One week of league play is in the books, with five teams (OIT, Southern, LC State, Corban and Bushnell) sitting with unbeaten league marks, while four teams (Eastern, C of I, Walla Walla, Warner Pacific) have failed to earn a league win. This week features travel partner games, as LC heads to Walla Walla, C of I is at EOU, Bushnell is at Corban, with Northwest off to Evergreen State. In addition, teams will have non-conference dates with D-III foes, as both Warner Pacific and Northwest play George Fox, Warner Pacific and Bushnell face Linfield, with LC State meeting Whitman.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: As a team, the Lady Owls lead the CCC in rebound margin (+10.8), ranking No. 2 in steals per game (10.9), No. 3 in scoring offense (72.4), scoring margin (+12.5), blocked shots per game (3.9), assists per game (15.0) and turnover margin (+4.0), No. 4 in scoring defense (59.9) and field goal percentage (.394), No. 6 in free throw percentage (.645) and No. 12 in 3-point percentage (.252) and 3-pointers made per game (3.3). Individually, Alexis Elquist leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (3.8), ranking No. 3 in rebounds per game (9.1) and No. 4 in blocks per game (1.1); Tatum Schmerbach is No. 2 in offensive rebounds per game (3.4), No. 8 in rebounds per game (6.9) and No. 9 in assists per game (3.40; Gabbie Gascon is No. 3 in steals per game (3.3), No. 6 in points per game (13.9) and No. 8 in assists per game (3.5); with Kennedy Tull No. 6 in free throw percentage (.792) and Kendall Fealey No. 8 in steals per game (2.4).
 
RECORD BOOK: Seven Lady Owls open the season ranked among the Top-50 in the OIT record book, led by Olivia Sprague, who is No. 2 in field goal attempts (1,133), No. 3 in field goals made (478) and steals (179), No. 4 in points scored (1,344) and 3-pointers made (165). No. 5 in 3-point attempts (427), No. 7 in free throws made (223), No. 8 in assists (306), No. 13 in free throw attempts (274), No. 17 in blocked shots (40), No. 18 in games started (76), ranking No. 19 in rebounds (459) and No. 33 in games played (90). Maddyson Tull is No. 4 in field goals made (472), No. 7 in free throw attempts (307), No. 9 in points scored (1,141), No. 11 in rebounds (544) and in field goal attempts (894), No. 16 in free throws made (190), No. 17 in blocked shots (40), No. 24 in games played (105) and No. 49 in assists (96); Kennedy Tull ranks No. 17 in free throws made (187), No. 20 in free throws attempts (245), No. 29 in 3-pointers made (49), No. 31 in games played (92) and 3-point attempts (150), No. 39 in assists (121), No. 40 in points scored (633), ranking No. 44 in field goals made (199) and No. 49 in field goal attempts (459); Gabbie Gascon is No. 13 in free throws made (198), No. 16 in assists (215), No. 17 in steals (119), No. 22 in 3-point attempts (221), No. 23 in 3-pointers made (71), No. 24 in free throw attempts (238), No. 34 in points scored (683), No. 42 in field goal attempts (506), No. 43 in field goals made (207), ranking No. 47 in rebounds (260); Alexis Elquist is No. 15 in blocked shots (41), No. 30 in rebounds (398) and No. 45 in 3-pointers made (17) and 3-point attempts (65); with Jozie Ramos No. 19 in blocked shots (38) and Tatum Schmerbach No. 37 in blocked shots (19), No. 44 in assists (112) and No. 45 in rebounds (271).
 
TECH JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP-25: The Lady Owls remained as the third team in the "others receiving votes" category in latest Top-25 poll, released on Dec. 11. Tech received 65 voter points from the 20 conference raters – one of three CCC teams in the poll – No. 4-ranked Southern Oregon and No. 13 Lewis-Clark State. as are two preseason opponents – No. 1 Dordt and No. 19 Arizona Christian.
 
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 past 23 seasons, the Lady Owls have won 76-percent of their home dates – posting a stellar 250-78 overall record – including a 2-0 mark this year. 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. Every season since women's basketball returned to Tech in 2002-23, the Owls have 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 39 times, posting a 36-3 record in the high-scoring contests. The Lady Owls are riding a 95-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game, recording a 169-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
 
UP NEXT: The Lady Owls close out the 2024 portion of the schedule with a trip to the Valley for games at Bushnell (Dec. 20) and Corban (Dec. 21).