COMING UP: at Carroll Thanksgiving Classic (Helena, Mont.) – vs. No. 15 Rocky Mountain, Friday, 4 p.m. (MT)/3 p.m. (PT); vs. No. 16 Carroll, Saturday, 5 p.m. (MT)/4 p.m. (PT)
COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Both games from Montana will feature Live Video through Carroll's
Hudl Streaming Page, with Live Stats via OIT's
SIDEARM Stats Portal.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – ROCKY MOUNTAIN: The trip to Big Sky country opens against a quality Rocky Mountain club that qualified for the 2025 NAIA Tournament, their seventh appearance in the last nine seasons. The Battlin' Bears (3-1) rely on a potent offensive attack, averaging 77 points a night – leading the Frontier Conference with a 51% field goal percentage and leading the NAIA in 3-point percentage (.473) – while averaging six rebounds a game more than their opponents. Guard Paige Wasson (24.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg), the reigning FC Freshman of the Year, is converting 55% of her 3-point attempts, with 6-foot-5 forward Isabelle Heggem (14.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and 6-foot-1 forward Brenn Linse (13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) tough to stop on the block. OIT faced RMC just once previously, a 72-64 loss in 2007, in Atherton, Calif.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – CARROLL: Tech closes out the trip against host Carroll College, as the Fighting Saints (3-2) are searching for their ninth-straight NAIA Tournament appearance and 11th in the last 12 seasons. Carroll has a quality win over Wayland Baptist – the team that eliminated the Saints from the 2025 NAIA Tourney – but have dropped games at MSU-Billings and Rocky Mountain. The Saints are converting just 38% of their field goals and 27% of their 3's but rely on a defense that has allowed opponents to score just 55 points a game. All-Frontier pick Willa Albrecht (17.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg) leads the squad, with Jillian Kanduch (8.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg), Meagan Karstetter (7.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Avery Kraft (7.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg) each key at both ends of the floor. The two teams have met once, a 61-46 Carroll win, in the second-round of the 2024 NAIA Tournament.
VS. THE FRONTIER: The Lady Owls have not squared off against Frontier Conference teams – as the FC was an NAIA Division I league up until the two divisions merged in 2021 – facing only LC State and Rocky Mountain in neutral site games, combining for a 1-5 all-time record against the league. The Frontier is now a mega-conference, merging with the defunct North Star Athletic Association, to form a 12-team league, stretching from Montana to the Dakotas.
TOUGH TRIP EAST: OIT knew the trip to Kentucky and Tennessee would be a difficult one, playing three perennial NAIA powers from the Mid-South Conference. The Lady Owls were unable to overcome a sizeable rebound deficit (minus-12 per game), while the three opponents averaging 75 points per game – as No. 6 Freed-Hardeman, No. 19 Cumberlands and No. 24 Lindsey Wilson each pinned double-digit losses on Tech.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Shooting woes plagued Tech in the Mid-South, as the Lady Owls combined to make 36% (63-of-171) field goals and 22% (9-of-40) 3-point attempts in the three losses – with the squad held to a season low 51 points at Freed-Hardeman. In addition, OIT committed 21 fouls a game, with the three opponents combining for 75 free throw attempts.
SCHMERBACH CONTINUES TORRID START: The go-to player on the road trip was
Tatum Schmerbach, who recorded her second double-double of the year (21 points, 11 rebounds) at Cumberlands, while extending a string of double-digit scoring games to 12. The junior added 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists at Lindsey Wilson and heads into the weekend leading the Lady Owls in scoring (19.5), rebounding (8.0) and assists (5.7).
SPRAGUE TIES FREE THROW MARK: Olivia Sprague tied her own school record last Wednesday, converting 13-of-13 free throws in the loss at Cumberlands – equaling the mark the senior first established at College of Idaho during the 2022-23 season. It marked the ninth time an OIT player has converted 10-or-more free throws in a game without a miss, with the 13 made free throws tied for the third-most makes in a game. Sprague also established a new career-high with five blocked shots at Lindsey Wilson – 97 games into her OIT career. The guard surpassed the 1,400-point mark with the Lady Owls – 41 points away from the most points scored by a player since women's basketball returned in 2002.
FEALEY CLAMPS DOWN: Kendall Fealey continued to be the defensive stopper for the Lady Owls, recording a career-high six steals against Freed-Hardeman – the third time in her three seasons at OIT that the junior has posted 5-or-more steals in a game. Fealey leads the team (and the Cascade Conference) with 15 steals (and a 2.5 steals per game average), while topping Tech with a .586 field goal percentage.
MORE FROM THE TRIP: During the trip to Kentucky and Tennessee,
Brooke Anderson continued her solid start to 2025-26 – with the sophomore having posted at least eight points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in all six games this season. Freshman
Maddie Eischen had the best game of her college career against Lindsey Wilson, scoring seven points with four rebounds and two blocks in 29 minutes of action. Post
Avery Andrews was key against Cumberlands, recording nine points with five rebounds – her third game with 9-or-more points and her fourth with 5-or-more rebounds.
TECH RANKED #21: Despite three consecutive losses – all to Top-25 teams – the Lady Owls remained in the NAIA Top-25 poll, sitting at No. 21 in the Nov. 26 ranking. Six OIT opponents are in the Top-25 – No. 7 Freed-Hardeman, No. 10 Lewis-Clark State, No. 15 Rocky Mountain, No. 16 Carroll, No. 18 Cumberlands and No. 22 Corban, while four other opponents – Lindsey Wilson, Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho – are receiving votes. In all, 15-of-28 games in 2025-26 are currently against teams in the rating.
AROUND THE CCC: LC State traveled to the Midwest for two tough games – defeating Shawnee State before dropping a game vs. Rio Grande, while both College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon swept Northern New Mexico and The Master's. Northwest earned road wins at Cal Pac foes Cal Maritime and Pacific Union, before losing to Whitworth, Corban improved to 7-0 with two wins over Division III teams, while Bushnell had an 0-3 week – all to NCAA competition. The final week of non-league play features LC State joining Tech in Montana, while EOU and C of I are in Caldwell for games vs. Arizona Christian and Embry-Riddle. Next week – CCC play begins with EOU and C of I hosting LC and Walla Walla, Corban meeting Bushnell before both teams travel to Warner Pacific, with Evergreen State and Northwest off to OIT and Southern.
LEAGUE LEADERS: Guard
Kendall Fealey currently leads the CCC in steals per game (2.5), with
Olivia Sprague No. 2 in the CCC in blocks per game (1.8), ranking No. 4 in free throw percentage (.909), No. 5 in steals per game (2.0), No. 7 in assists per game (3.8) and No. 8 in scoring average (15.0).
Tatum Schmerbach ranks in the Top-10 in four categories – No. 3 in scoring average (19.5) and assists per game (5.7), ranking No. 5 in rebounds per game (8.0) and No. 9 in field goal percentage (.505), while
Jozie Ramos ranks No. 4 in blocks per game (1.3).
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 24 seasons, the Lady Owls have won 76-percent of their home dates – posting a stellar 261-81 overall record – including a 1-0 mark this season. 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.
TECH PICKED SECOND IN CCC POLL: For the second-straight year, OIT was picked second in the 2025-26 Cascade Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, released on Oct. 17. The Lady Owls received three first-place votes and 102 points from the 11 league coaches – trailing only Lewis-Clark State (110), with Southern Oregon (101) and College of Idaho (100) right behind Tech.
RECORD BOOK: Seven 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 (1,178), No. 3 in point scored (1,404) and steals (187), No. 4 in field goals made (494) and 3-pointers made (173), No. 5 in free throws made (243) and 3-point attempts (449), No. 8 in assists (321), No. 9 in free throw attempts (296), No. 15 in blocked shots (47), No. 16 in rebounds (477) and ranking No. 32 in games played (94).
Jozie Ramos is No. 7 in blocked shots (80), No. 18 in free throws made (186) and free throw attempts (257), No. 29 in field goals made (272), No. 31 in points scored (737), No. 37 in rebounds (348), No. 43 in field goal attempts (516), No. 45 in games played (69), ranking just outside the Top-50 in steals (51);
Gabbie Gascon is No. 9 in free throws made (233), No. 10 in steals (146), No. 11 in assists (274), No. 14 in free throw attempts (280), No. 17 in 3-pointers made (83), No. 19 in 3-point attempts (260), No. 21 in points scored (806), No. 36 in field goal attempts (601), No. 39 in field goals made (245), ranking No. 41 in rebounds (315) and games played (79);
Tatum Schmerbach is No. 13 in assists (253), No. 17 in field goals made (333), No. 18 in rebounds (473), No. 20 in blocked shots (36), No. 25 in field goal attempts (741), No. 25 in points scored (785), No. 34 in 3-point attempts (130), No. 37 in 3-pointers made (32), No. 45 in games played (69) and just outside the Top-50 in steals (56), free throws made (87) and free throw attempts (132);
Kendall Fealey is No. 22 in steals (98), No. 34 in blocked shots (29) and No. 45 in games played (69);
Chelsea Ching is No. 45 in games played (69) and just outside the Top-50 in 3-pointers made (13) and attempted (54); with
Brooke Anderson No. 44 in 3-pointers made (21) and 3-point attempts (75).
SCORING 90, ALLOWING UNDER 50 EQUAL WINS: OIT has scored 90-or-more points in a game 43 times, posting a 40-3 record in the high-scoring contests. The Lady Owls are riding a 99-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game, recording a 173-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
UP NEXT: The Lady Owls open up the 20-game Cascade Conference schedule next weekend, hosting Evergreen State on Friday (Dec. 5 / 5:30 p.m.), followed by Beach Night vs. Northwest on Saturday (Dec. 6 / 3 p.m.).
