COMING UP: Host Lithia Classic – Southern Oregon vs. Our Lady of the Lake, Friday, 5:30 p.m.; No. 19 Oregon Tech vs. No. 23 Hope International, Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Southern Oregon vs. No. 23 Hope International, 5:30 p.m.; No. 19 Oregon Tech vs. Our Lady of the Lake, 7:30 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All OIT men's basketball games will be carried live on 92.5 KLAD-FM in the Klamath Basin and streamed online at MyBasin.com, with Mike Safford on the call – beginning 30-minutes prior to the scheduled tip off. All four tournament games will be streamed on the Urban Edge Network, while Live Stats will be available via OIT's SIDEARM Sports Portal.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – HOPE INTERNATIONAL: The Royals (3-0), from Fullerton, Calif., are one of the original members of the now-named Great Southwest Athletic Conference and a perennial NAIA power, advancing to 11 of the last 13 national tournaments. The 2025 team opened with two wins against NCCAA Bethesda and a win over new NAIA member, Stanton, combining to convert 53% of field goal attempts, post a +27 rebound margin and hold opponents to 36% shooting. Returning starters Nick Hopkins  (14.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and C.J. Fisher (13.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) have been key, along with transfer Addy G'Bye (16.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg). The teams have met once, an OIT 87-85 win in the 2022 NAIA Tournament.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – OUR LADY OF THE LAKE: The Saints (2-1), from San Antonio, Texas and the Red River Athletic Conference, make their first-ever trip to the Northwest, as the team is searching for their first NAIA Tournament appearance since 2018. OLLU opened the year in California, winning at The Master's, before dropping a game at Westcliff, before opening their home schedule with a 106-42 win over Westgate Christian. The Saints average 84 points a game, but average 22.7 turnovers a night. Three players average in double-figures - Wahkil Lopez (13.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg), Mike Aiken (12.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) and Jaydin Morin-Bishop (11.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg).
 
AGAINST TEXAS TEAMS: OLLU will be the third team the Hustlin' Owls have played from Texas and first in 35 years. In 1979, OIT traveled to Dallas and played Division I Texas Christian (losing 86-79), while in 1990, faced Division II Texas A&I (now Texas A&M Commerce) in a tournament in Chico, losing 94-87.
 
THE FOURTH TEAM: Southern Oregon is the fourth team in the Classic, with the Raiders (0-3) in the midst of a 7-game road swing to open the season and searching for their first win after dropping games at OIT and Montana Western and a neutral site loss to Montana Tech. Offense has been the issue for SOU, as the Raiders are averaging 64 points a game and converting just 35% of their field goal attempts, while opponents are converting at a 51% clip. Six different players have scored in double-figures this season, with led by All-CCC guard Elijah Jackson (14.7 ppg, 2.7 apg), post Joe Juhala (9.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg) and All-CCC forward Bryce Dyer (5.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg).
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Hustlin' Owls have hosted a sponsored tournament every year since 2003, as the event was known as the Midland Empire Classic from 2003-16, with Lithia becoming the title sponsor in 2017. OIT did not host a preseason tournament in 2022 (nor in 2020, due to COVID), while the 2023 tournament was held in conjunction with the Cascade-Crossroads Classic. Southern Oregon is a mainstay in the tourney, participating in every tournament except in 2004 and 2023 – with the Owls recording a 34-7 tournament record and the Raiders posting a 30-6 mark. Jessup has been the most common opponent – making nine tournament appearances, with the now defunct Bethany College making four trips and UC Merced playing in the event three times.
 
HUSTLIN' OWLS BACK IN THE TOP-25: A 2-1 record to open the season, including two Top-25 wins, helped the Hustlin' Owls jump into the Top-25, as the NAIA released its first national rankings of the 2025-26 season. Tech climbed to No. 19 in the poll – marking the 11th-straight season (and 30-of-31 seasons) that the Owls have earned a Top-25 ranking. OIT will open the season playing four-straight Top-25 teams – including Friday's date vs. No. 23 Hope International. Two Cascade Conference teams are in the poll – No. 16 College of Idaho and LC State, who is receiving votes.
 
A 1-1 TRIP TO THE DESERT: Playing two Top-10 opponents in Arizona, Tech posted a 1-1 mark at the Fultz Memorial Classic – stopping No. 9-ranked The Master's in overtime, 94-90, while dropping a 77-63 decision to No. 2-ranked Arizona Christian, a game much closer than the score indicates. The win vs. TMU marked the Owls first Top-10 victory since defeating No. 3-ranked C of I in the 2024 CCC title game.
 
OVERTIME GAMES: Friday's win over The Master's marked the 75th all-time overtime game in OIT history, with the Owls improving to 38-37 in overtime contests. Of the overtime games, 64 ended in one overtime, seven were two overtime games, while four stretched to three overtime sessions.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The Owls held a rebound edge in both Arizona games – posting 10 more rebounds than The Master's and four more rebounds than Arizona Christian – while holding the teams to a combined 8-of-26 shooting from 3-point range. Tech got to the foul line against TMU, with the 40 free throw attempts marking the 23rd time an OIT took 40-or-more free throws in a contest. The Owls struggled at times with possession, combining for 40 turnovers in the two games.
 
SUCHER LEADS THE ATTACK: Anchoring the Hustlin' Owls attack was guard Jared Sucher, who is the lone Tech player to post double-digit scoring numbers in each of the games in 2025-26. The sophomore scored a game and career-high 19 points in the win over TMU – converting 8-of-9 free throw chances – while adding 16 points vs. ACU, draining 3-of-6 3-pointers. For the year, Sucher leads the Owls in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game.
 
COOPER FILLS THE STAT SHEET: It was a big weekend for forward Jackson Cooper, who nearly posted a pair of triple-doubles at the Fultz Classic. The junior opened the weekend with 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the win over The Master's, followed by 12 points, eight rebounds and a career-high seven assists vs. Arizona Christian. Cooper is averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game, while cracking the OIT all-time Top-100 – ranking No. 66 in blocks (16), No. 78 in free throw attempts (179), No. 80 in rebounds (315) and No. 92 in free throws made (111).
 
HUGE TRIP FROM PAYNE: True freshman Gylan Payne made an immediate impact for the Hustlin' Owls on the road trip on both ends of the floor – averaging 13 points and nine rebounds a game. The forward scored a career-high 15 points against TMU, while logging a double-double against ACU with 11 points and 10 rebounds – finishing the trip converting 8-of-14 field goal attempts, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Payne leads the team and ranks second in the CCC in rebounds per game (8.3).
 
NEWCOMERS KEY: The Owls got a huge boost off the bench in Arizona from transfer Colby Whicker and freshman Owen Nathan – with both players averaging 19 minutes a night. Whicker converted 5-of-10 field goal chances in the two games, while scoring 10 points in Saturday's match-up with ACU, with Nathan recording two points, four rebounds and two assists in the win over TMU.
 
REBER CONTINUES STRONG START: Senior Dakota Reber was key in Tech's win over TMU, scoring 16 points in the victory, converting 7-of-8 free throws in the contest. Reber is averaging 11.7 points per game on the year, with his 14 career blocked shots ranked No. 80 in OIT history.
 
PARNELL CLOSES IN ON 200: With the win last Friday against The Master's, head coach Justin Parnell picked up his 195th career win – just five victories away from 200 in his 10-year tenure at OIT. Parnell ranks second in all-time victories behind Danny Miles, who had 1,040 wins in 45 years at Tech – ranking No. 2 all-time in NAIA history.
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Tech wasn't the only team to split in Arizona, as Corban also earned a win over The Master's at the Fultz Classic. Both C of I and Northwest split games at the Yotes Taco Bell Shoot-Out, each defeating Park Gilbert, but both losing to Rocky Mountain. LC State split games in Montana, topping Montana Western and losing to Montana Tech; Warner Pacific split games, losing to Embry-Riddle but defeating D-III Willamette; Bushnell defeated Linfield, while Walla Walla lost games to Whitworth and MSU-Northern. This week, along with OIT and SOU playing in the Lithia Classic, Eastern Oregon and LC State will play Dickinson State and Embry-Riddle in Lewiston, Bushnell is at Park Gilbert and Arizona Christian, Northwest heads to Montana Tech and Providence, Corban plays at The Master's and Life Pacific, with Walla Walla at Willamette.
 
799 WINS 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 61 seasons Tech has played on what is now known as Danny Miles Court, the Owls hold a 799-182 overall record in the building – including an 112-22 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell – one win away from 800 home victories. 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 finished the 2024-25 season 12-3 at home, clinching their 54th-straight winning season on their home floor – the longest streak in NAIA history.
 
TECH PICKED FOURTH IN CCC POLL: The Hustlin' Owls were picked fourth by the 11 Cascade Conference coaches in the 2025-26 preseason poll, released in mid-October.  Defending CCC and NAIA champ, College of Idaho earned eight first-place votes and 117 voter points to top the ranking, followed by Southern Oregon (103), Lewis-Clark State (93) and OIT (88). Eastern Oregon (80) was fifth, with Bushnell (67), Corban (51) and Northwest (47) rounding out the Top-8. The league schedule will feature 20 games, 10 home-and-home matchups – with the Top-8 teams in the final standings advancing to the CCC Championships.
 
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 extending their string of games with a made 3-pointer to 1,046. 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. Duke (1,267) and UNLV (1,264) hold the current 3-point streak record, just ahead of CCC rivals Corban (1,228) and College of Idaho (1,205), along with East Tennessee State (1,193).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Owls will play a Wednesday match-up at home against Simpson, the final home non-conference game of the preseason.