COMING UP: vs. College of Idaho, Friday, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Eastern Oregon, Saturday, 3 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
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 through the Owls Sports Network. Live Stats for both games are available through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
SELLOUT WEEKEND AND PINK OUT: It has been 13 years since OIT has sold out a basketball game (2,093 fans), but the two head coaches are hopeful fans in the Basin will head to Danny Miles Court for the two huge weekend doubleheaders. Following the big matchup with C of I, Saturday vs. Eastern is the 15th-annual Pink Out, supporting Sky Lakes Breast Health Services. The first 1,000 fans will receive a commemorative Pink Out t-shirt.
 
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2024-25 season are posted online via the OIT Women's Basketball Flickr Page - while highlight clips – including the weekend win vs. Lewis-Clark State, have been posted online via the OIT Women's Basketball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – COLLEGE OF IDAHO: The second half of the season opens vs. College of Idaho, as the Yotes (10-7, 8-4 CCC) are off to their best start in league play in a decade – winning eight of their last 10. The C of I offense averages 62 points a game and makes seven 3-pointers a night, with the defense leading the CCC in defensive 3-point percentage (.264) and holding foes to just 57 points a contest. Six players average 7-or-more points a game, led by Anna Mooney (9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg) – the CCC's leader in 3-point percentage (.509). Guards Taryn Riley (8.9 ppg, 2.5 apg) and Kylie Waltermeyer (8.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg), along with post Brooke Beresford (9.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg) have played well in league play. In the first meeting, Tatum Schmerbach scored 20 points and OIT held C of I to 33% shooting in a 67-58 road win – evening the all-time series at 25-25.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – EASTERN OREGON: The weekend ends against longtime rival, Eastern Oregon, one of the hottest teams in the CCC. The Mountaineers (12-5, 8-4) have battled back from a 0-3 start to league play by winning 8-of-9, fueled by an offensive that averages nearly nine made 3-pointers per game and posting 71 points a night. The tandem of Kelsie Siegner (14.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Brie Holecek (13.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg) pace the EOU attack, with Kaiea Waiwaiole (7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Maggie Smith (6.6 pg, 3.4 rpg) each key contributors. OIT won the first meeting, 69-50 – getting 28 points from Gabbie Gascon and holding Eastern to 6-of-34 shooting from 3-point range. A win would give Tech their first sweep of the Mounties since 2005, as EOU holds a 53-22 series edge.
 
HUGE WEEKEND SWEEP: Tech used two dominating performances to extend their win streak to eight – claiming lopsided wins over Walla Walla and No. 19-ranked Lewis-Clark State. On Friday, the Owls held WWU to 44 points – the fifth time in 2024-25 the club has limited an opponent to 50 points or less in a game. One night later, against one of the premier offenses in the NAIA, OIT clamped down defensively, limiting LC to 6-of-25 shooting from 3-point range. In the two wins, the Lady Owls had a combined plus-52 rebound margin, including a 60-25 edge vs. WWU.
 
TOP-25 WIN: Saturday's win improved the Owls to 2-3 this season against Top-25 opponents – wins against LC State and Arizona Christian, with losses to Dordt, Northwestern and Southern Oregon – with the tough schedule helping OIT have the No. 22 strength of schedule in the NAIA.
 
RECORD-SETTING OFFENSE: The Lady Owls offense set a new school record by recording their seventh-straight game scoring 78-or-more points and their fourth-straight game scoring at least 80 points. During league play, OIT is averaging 77.9 points per game, while converting 46.9% of their field goals.
 
STREAKING: The wins over WWU and LC extended the Lady Owls win streak to eight – with all of the wins by 13 points or more. It is the 13th time OIT has recorded a win streak of 8-or-more – recording six 8-game win streaks, two 9-game streaks, one 10 and 13-game win streak, a pair of 14-game runs (including last year) and a school-record 16-game win streak in 2004-25.
 
SCHMERBACH KEY: Anchoring the attack was point-forward Tatum Schmerbach, as the sophomore averaged 17 points per game in the victories. The second-year player made 6-of-9 field goals vs. WWU, while recording an impressive double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) vs. LC. Schmerbach ranks among the CCC Top-20 in each of the three major categories (points-rebounds-assists).
 
GASCON FILLS STAT SHEET: The impressive junior season from Gabbie Gascon continued, posting two big games in helping Tech extend their win streak. The guard narrowly missed a triple-double on back-to-back nights, finishing with nine points, six rebounds, nine assists (tying a career high) and four steals vs. WWU, followed by 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists vs. LC. It was the 14th time this season Gascon has logged 2-or-more steals and the eighth game with 5-or-more assists.
 
POSTS DOMINATE THE PAINT: Inside play was key in the two weekend wins, as posts Jozie Ramos, Alexis Elquist and Maddyson Tull were instrumental. Ramos picked up her fourth career double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds) vs. Walla Walla, adding 15 points vs. LC – converting 12-of-19 field goals in the two games. The sophomore is averaging 13.5 points over the last seven contests. Elquist combined for 21 rebounds in the two games – including 13 vs. Walla Walla, the fifth time this year she has posted 13-or-more boards. Tull became the seventh OIT player to score 1,200 points for a career – combining for 10 points and 11 rebounds on 4-of-8 shooting in the victories.
 
TULL HAS BIG SATURDAY: Tech got a big boost from shooting guard Kennedy Tull in Saturday's win, as the senior scored a season-high 17 points in the victory. Tull tied a career-high by connecting on four 3-pointers, while moving past the 700-point mark for her OIT career.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: At the halfway point of the conference season, the Lady Owls sit one game back of first-place Southern Oregon, as the Raiders head into the weekend on a 17-game win streak. OIT holds a 3-game lead over a trio of teams in third-place – Lewis-Clark State, Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho. The second half of the schedule starts with Corban and Bushnell heading to Multnomah and Warner Pacific, Northwest and Evergreen State off to LC State and Walla Walla, with C of I and EOU meeting OIT and Southern.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: As a team, OIT leads the CCC in rebound margin (+12.8) and assists per game (18.4), No. 2 in scoring offense (76.5), defensive 3-point percentage (.361) and steals per game (10.3), No. 3 in scoring margin (+18.5), field goal percentage (.443), blocked shots per game (3.6) and turnover margin (+4.4), No. 4 in scoring defense (57.9), No. 6 in 3-point percentage (.313) and No. 11 in free throw percentage (.634). Individually, Gabbie Gascon leads the CCC in assists per game (4.9) and steals per game (2.9), ranking No. 4 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and No. 8 in free throw percentage (.750). Tatum Schmerbach is No. 2 in assists per game (4.1) and No. 3 in offensive rebounds per game (2.6); Alexis Elquist is No. 2 in offensive rebounds per game (3.1) and No. 5 in rebounds per game (8.3); Jozie Ramos is No. 4 in offensive rebounds per game (2.4), No. 6 in blocks per game (0.9) and No. 7 in field goal percentage (.531); Kennedy Tull is No. 4 in free throw percentage (.814); with Kendall Fealey No. 10 in steals per game (1.7).
 
NATIONAL LEADER IN ATTENDANCE:  The Lady Owls continue to dominate the NAIA in attendance – averaging 1,017 fans for the six home dates this season – well ahead of Carroll (655), Lewis-Clark State (565), Southern Oregon (539) and Evangel (534). Tech ranks No. 8 among all Northwest basketball playing schools in attendance (Oregon – 5,275, Gonzaga – 5,210, Oregon State – 4,396, Washington – 2,759, Boise State – 1,658, Idaho – 1,424, Washington State – 1,023, Oregon Tech – 1,017, Idaho State – 856, Portland – 780) and No. 3 among all Oregon schools (UO – 5,275, OSU – 4,596, OIT – 1,017, UP – 780, Southern Oregon – 564, Portland State – 412, George Fox – 223, Linfield – 164, Willamette – 161, Corban – 160.
 
POLL POSITION: Tech found themselves ranked No. 2 in the first NAIA West ARC rating, which determines seeding and at-large bids to the NAIA Championships – trailing only Southern Oregon – and polling ahead of Arizona Christian, Carroll and LC State. OIT sits at No. 14 in the fifth NAIA RPI rating of the season, with the club holding the No. 22 strength of schedule in the association – tops among Cascade Conference teams. Last week, the Lady Owls remained as the second team in the "others receiving votes" category in latest Top-25 poll. Tech received 85 voter points from the 20 conference raters – one of three CCC teams in the poll – No. 4-ranked SOU and No. 19 LC State. as are two preseason opponents – No. 1 Dordt and No. 13 Arizona Christian. The next Top-25 poll will be released on Jan. 29.
 
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 254-79 overall record – including a 6-1 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 2002-03, the Owls have had a winning record every season on their home floor.
 
RECORD BOOK: Eight Lady Owls are currently 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 steals (179), No. 4 in points scored (1,344), field goals made (478) and 3-pointers made (165), No. 5 in 3-point attempts (427), No. 8 in free throws made (223) and assists (306), No. 13 in free throw attempts (274), No. 18 in games started (76), No. 19 in blocked shots (40), No. 20 in rebounds (459) and ranking No. 33 in games played (90). Maddyson Tull is No. 3 in field goals made (497), No. 6 in free throw attempts (324), No. 7 in points scored (1,202), No. 10 in rebounds (588) and field goal attempts (943), No. 14 in free throws made (200), No. 16 in blocks (43), No. 21 in games played (114), No. 47 in assists (107) and No. 49 in steals (61); Kennedy Tull ranks No. 13 in free throws made (203), No. 16 in free throws attempts (264), No. 23 in 3-pointers made (59), No. 25 in 3-point attempts (182), No. 27 in games played (101), No. 31 in points scored (714), No. 39 in assists (127), ranking No. 41 in field goals made (225) and No. 42 in field goal attempts (519); Gabbie Gascon is No. 7 in free throws made (225), No. 11 in assists (270), No. 12 in steals (143), No. 14 in free throw attempts (271), No. 19 in 3-pointers made (80) and 3-point attempts (255), No. 23 in points scored (785), No. 35 in field goals made (240), No. 36 in field goal attempts (587), ranking No. 43 in rebounds (304); Alexis Elquist is No. 14 in blocked shots (45), No. 19 in rebounds (466), No. 43 in 3-point attempts (72), No. 44 in field goals made (196), No. 45 in 3-pointers made (19), ranking No. 46 in field goal attempts (478); Jozie Ramos is No. 13 in blocked shots (49), No. 42 in free throws made (106) and No. 47 in free throw attempts (151); Tatum Schmerbach is No. 29 in assists (155), No. 35 in blocked shots (23), No. 39 in rebounds (330), No. 40 in 3-point attempts (77) and No. 43 in 3-pointers made (20); with Kendall Fealey No. 36 in steals (72). Elquist is just outside the Top-50 in points (460), Ramos is just outside the Top-50 in rebounds (236) and points (446), with Schmerbach just outside the Top-50 in points (463).
 
SCORING 90, ALLOWING UNDER 50 EQUAL WINS: OIT has scored 90-or-more points in a game 41 times, posting a 38-3 record in the high-scoring contests – including four 90-point games this season. The Lady Owls are riding a 98-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game (including Friday's win vs. Walla Walla), recording a 172-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
 
UP NEXT: The Lady Owls head to the Puget Sound region for a pair of games – at Evergreen State (Jan. 31) and at Northwest (Feb. 1) – followed by a Tuesday night match-up at No. 4-ranked Southern Oregon (Feb. 4).