COMING UP: Cascade Conference Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank – Final at No. 3 College of Idaho, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. (PST)
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All 28 regular-season men's basketball games and all postseason contests will be broadcast live on 92.5 KLAD-FM with Mike Safford on the call - broadcasts will begin 30 minutes prior to tip-off with the Justin Parnell Coaches Show. Tuesday's game will be stream through C of I's Team 1 Sports Channel (PPV - $10.00); Live Stats will be available through C of I's HTML Stats Portal, with in-game updates for each game provided on "X" by following @OITMBB.
 
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2023-24 season are posted online via the OIT Men's Basketball Flickr Page, while highlight clips – including both playoff wins, are posted online via the new OIT Men's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION – COLLEGE OF IDAHO: For Tech to win the league tournament title, they must end a 5-year run of CCC Tournament titles by College of Idaho – the defending NAIA champions. The Yotes (28-2) head into the showdown on a 23-game win streak – including 15-straight victories by double-digit margins. C of I averages 88 points a game, having scored 100-or-more points 11 times – averaging over 10 made 3-pointers per game. The club is better defensively, leading the league in defensive field goal percentage (.393) and defensive scoring average (63.9), while recording nearly 13 more rebounds per game than the opposition (though OIT is the only team this season to outrebound the Yotes). Guards Samaje Morgan (14.2 ppg, 4.1 apg) and Johnny Radford (12.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg) anchor the backcourt, with forwards Drew Wyman (11.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Jake O'Neil (10.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Tyler Robinett (8.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg) key match-ups.
 
HISTORY VS. THE COYOTES: The battles between the Hustlin' Owls and Yotes over the years are epic – as 21 of the 104 all-time meetings have occurred in the postseason. In 2019, OIT topped C of I in the semifinals of the NAIA Championships, while a year later, the Coyotes returned the favor in the title game of the CCC Tournament. The Owls are 9-12 all-time against C of I in playoff games – including a 5-6 record in Caldwell – but the Coyotes are 6-0 all-time in conference/district title games (winning games in 1986, 1988, 1989, 2001, 2004, 2020). C of I swept the 2023-24 regular-season series – as Samaje Morgan scored 27 points in a 78-75 win in Klamath Falls (Jamison Guerra's game-tying 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer), while Drew Wyman scored 23 points and the Yotes held Tech to 37-percent shooting in an 83-59 win in Caldwell – OIT's sixth straight loss in the Activities Center.
 
BLUE BLOODS OF THE WEST COAST: Over the last 40 years, OIT and C of I have built programs with unparalleled success among Northwest small colleges – dominating the men's basketball landscape thanks to the tutelage of NAIA Hall of Fame coaches Danny Miles and Marty Holly. The Owls have made 22 trips to the NAIA Championships – winning national titles in 2004, 2008 and 2012, while playing for the title in 1998 and 2019. The Coyotes have traveled to nationals 25 times – winning the title in both 1996 and 2023.
 
IN THE TITLE GAME: Playing in a conference or district championship game is nothing new for the Hustlin' Owls, as Tuesday's game is the 19th title game since 1974 – with OIT 9-9 in championship contests. The Owls earned District II titles in 1974 (against George Fox), 1979 (against Hawaii-Hilo) and 1987 (against George Fox) – while winning CCC titles in 2000, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
 
OIT ENDS REGULAR SEASON RANKED 17TH: Tech closed the regular-season ranked No. 17 in the final NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll, released last Wednesday. It is the fifth-straight poll that the Hustlin' Owls found themselves in the Top-25 – joined by fellow 2023-24 opponents Grace (No. 1), College of Idaho (No. 3), Lewis-Clark State (RV) and OUAZ (RV). OIT currently is ranked No. 11 in the latest Massey computer rating and No. 4 in the NAIA Western ARC rating.
 
NATIONAL TOURNAMENT: A total of 36 teams will receive automatic bids to the 64-team NAIA Championship, with 28 teams earning at-large bids based on the final NAIA ARC rating. College of Idaho has claimed the CCC's first automatic bid, by virtue of their regular-season champion, with the winner of the CCC Tournament earning the second bid. If C of I defeats Tech on Tuesday, LC State would earn the second auto bid from the CCC as the regular-season runner-up. The NAIA will announce the 64-team field on Thursday afternoon, with first-round games set for March 15.
 
PLAYOFF WIN #100 (AND 101): OIT is making their 30th-straight postseason appearance and the 49th all-time playoff appearance in the 76 years of Tech basketball. The Owls have a combined 101-59 postseason record (picking up win No. 100 Wednesday vs. Bushnell).
 
20-WIN SEASONS: 2023-24 marks the 38th time in 76 years of men's basketball that OIT has recorded 20-or-more wins in a season and the sixth time in Justin Parnell's eight years as head coach. With Saturday's win, the Owls have now recorded 24 seasons with at least 25-wins and 10 seasons with 30-or-more wins, including a record-setting 34-4 mark in 2011-12.
 
ROAD WARRIORS: The win at LC State helped OIT set a new school record for road wins in a season, as the Owls improved to 13-2 away from home this season. The current team surpassed the 1986-87 Tech team which recorded a 12-4 mark, while no other team in program history has won more than 10 road games in a season.
 
TIGHT GAMES: The Owls have had success in close games this season, posting a 6-1 record in games decided by five points or less and a 12-1 mark in games decided by 10 points or less. A year ago, OIT struggled in similar games – going 4-10 in games decided by 10 points or less and 2-6 two-possession games.
 
FREE THROW FEST: Tech opened the postseason with a tight 96-93 win over Bushnell – a game that featured 52 fouls and 76 free throw attempts. The Hustlin' Owls converted 35-of-44 free throws in the victory – the most free throws converted and attempted since a 2014 win over Simpson (both totals are tied for sixth on the all-time OIT list). Blake Jensen lived at the stripe, converting 13-of-16 free throws – the 13 makes tied for No. 12 on the all-time list, with the 16 attempts ranking seventh (the most free throw attempts and makes by a single player in 10 seasons).
 
FIRST EVER WIN IN LEWISTON: OIT built a 21-point lead in Lewiston on Saturday night, holding off a ferocious LC State rally to stop the Warriors, 82-80. Not only did the win avenge two regular-season losses to LC, but was Tech's first-ever victory in the LC Valley – having lost previous games in 2004, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
 
LEADING THE LEAGUE IN SHOOTING: The Owls continue to lead the CCC in field goal percentage – converting .515 percent of their overall field goal chances (No. 6 in the NAIA), with that number climbing to .522 percent in league only games – while averaging 87.6 points per game. OIT has logged 18 games with a 50-percent or better field goal percentage, with the squad on pace to become the sixth Hustlin' Owls team to finish a season making more than half their shots.
 
LATE GAME HEROICS FOR GUERRA: When Tech needs a play late in a game, Jamison Guerra has been the go-to guy – scoring the go-ahead 3-point play with six seconds remaining to break a 93-93 tie against Bushnell, while banking home the game-winning 5-footer with less than a second left to top LC, 82-80. The point-guard hit game-clinching free throws in wins at Bushnell and Corban, hit a game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime at OUAZ and converting a game-tying lay-up to force overtime at Southern. Guerra had 15 points and seven rebounds vs. BU, adding 14 points at LC – moving within 27 points of the 1,000-point mark for his career – while pushing his assist total to 205, the eight player to surpass 200 assists in a season in OIT history.

BAUMAN IN A ZONE: The lone senior on the OIT team has had a banner month – as Kody Bauman is averaging 13 points and five rebounds per game, while converting 65-percent of his field goals, since the start of February. Bauman had 12 points and a season-high nine rebounds in the win over Bushnell, adding 19 big points at LC State – combining to make 13-of-19 field goals in the postseason games.
 
NOT PLAYING LIKE A FRESHMAN: Jackson Cooper saved the best games of his freshman season for the playoffs, as the forward recorded a career-high 17 points in Wednesday's win over Bushnell, adding 15 points in Saturday's win over LC. Cooper converted 11-of-14 field goal attempts in the two victories – having averaged nearly 10 points and six rebounds over the last 11 games.
 
SHIVERS RESPONDS: After a tough final weekend of the regular-season, guard Keegan Shivers made noise in both postseason wins. The junior converted 9-of-14 field goals in the victories, including 4-of-6 attempts from 3-point range, scoring 10 vs. Bushnell and 14 at LC. For the season, Shivers leads the Owls with 69 made 3-pointers on the season – No. 5 in the CCC.
 
ATTENDANCE NUMBERS: Two Cascade Conference teams sit atop the NAIA attendance rankings, as College of Idaho (1,409) claimed the top spot, ahead of the Hustlin' Owls (1,275) – both well ahead of Carroll (1,077) and Concordia-Nebraska (1,033). OIT's attendance average would rank No. 6 in the NCAA Division III, No. 14 in the Division II and No. 282 out of 361 Division I teams.
 
SUCCESS IN DANNY'S HOUSE: Since OIT moved to their current campus in 1964, the Hustlin' Owls have had a decisive home floor advantage inside the Athletic Center – winning over 81-percent of their home games. Over the last 60 seasons Tech has played on what is now known as Danny Miles Court, the Owls hold a 786-179 overall record in the building – including an 99-19 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell. OIT has recorded a winning record in 57-of-59 seasons (going 5-7 in 1965-66 and 1-8 in 1970-71), including undefeated records four times (1986-87, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11). The Owls ended the season 12-3 at home, their 53rd-straight winning season on their home floor.
 
OVER 1,000-STRAIGHT GAMES WITH A 3-POINTER: The 3-point shot has been key to the Hustlin' Owls success over the years, with Tech hitting a milestone by extending their string of games with a made 3-pointer to 1,011. OIT last failed to make a 3-pointer on Dec. 4, 1992, at Humboldt State, going 0-for-7 from outside the arch. During the current streak, the Owls made one 3-pointer in a game on five occasions. UNLV holds the current 3-point streak record (1,218), just ahead of CCC rival Corban (1,209), Duke (1,178) and College of Idaho (1,152).
 
CAREER RECORD BOOK: Seven members of the Hustlin' Owls are among the Top-75 in the OIT Men's Basketball Career Record Book. Keegan Shivers leads the group, ranking No. 5 in 3-pointers made (216), No. 8 in 3-point attempts (522), No. 15 in rebounds (597), No. 22 in field goal attempts (928), No. 23 in points scored (1,175), No. 31 in field goals made (402), No. 36 in assists (230), No. 46 in steals (74), No. 59 in free throws made (155) and No. 68 in free throw attempts (195). Jamison Guerra is No. 8 in assists (458), No. 24 in free throws made (223), No. 29 in free throw attempts (284), No. 31 in steals (92), No. 39 in points scored (973) and in 3-point attempts (247), No. 49 in field goal attempts (707), No. 50 in field goals made (340), ranking No. 58 in 3-pointers made (70); Kam Osborn is No. 41 in 3-pointers made (90), No. 42 in 3-point attempts (242), No. 63 in assists (155), No. 67 in points scored (800) and free throws made (141), No. 70 in free throw attempts (190), No. 73 in field goal attempts (588), ranking just outside the Top-75 in field goals made (266); Jay Elmore is No. 33 in 3-pointers made (99) and No. 45 in 3-point attempts (234); Erik Fraser is No. 43 in 3-point attempts (238) and No. 47 in 3-pointers made (84); Kody Bauman is No. 30 in blocked shots (36), with Blake Jensen No. 36 in blocked shots (29), No. 59 in free throw attempts (207), No. 68 in free throws made (140) and No. 73 in rebounds (337).
 
UP NEXT: The Owls will learn who and where they will play in the first-round of the NAIA National Championships on Thursday at 4 p.m., as the selection show will be streamed on the NAIA YouTube Channel.