COMING UP: at Walla Walla, Friday, 12 p.m.; at No. 15 Lewis-Clark State, Saturday, 4 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All OIT women's basketball games for the remainder of the season will be carried live on 104.3-FM & 960-AM 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 Cascade Conference games, home and away, will have Live Video via the Urban Edge Network, while Live Stats will be available via OIT's SIDEARM Sports Portal.
 
PINK OUT SET FOR JANUARY 9: Tech returns home on Jan. 9 for the 16th Annual Pink Out, presented by Sky Lakes Cancer Treatment Center, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a free commemorative Pink Out t-shirt.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – WALLA WALLA: The first road trip of the league season starts midday Friday at Walla Walla, as the Wolves (2-8, 0-4 CCC) look to snap a 0-23 mark against the Lady Owls. WWU has struggled offensively this season, posting a 2-0 record when scoring 60-or-more, but are 0-8 when failing to score 60. The Washington school makes just 29% of their field goal attempts and average 47 points a game, with the team allowing 80-or-more points seven times. Jaylo Bello (17.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) is the top option, with Brooklyn Coe (12.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg), Allison Haslam (5.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Sidney Folkenberg (3.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) top starters. The last four meetings in College Place have been tight, decided by an average of eight points – including last season's 72-70 overtime win by the Lady Owls.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – LEWIS-CLARK STATE: Saturday afternoon, Tech heads to the Lewis-Clark Valley, searching for their first-ever road win at Lewis-Clark State. The No. 15-ranked Warriors (9-3, 3-1) are 4-0 all-time vs. OIT in the P1FCU Activity Center – all by 7-or-more points – and have back-to-back wins over the Lady Owls in the CCC Tournament semifinals. LC is 4-0 at home and head into 2026 averaging 79 points a game, making 46% of field goals and canning eight 3-pointers per game, while forcing 20 turnovers a night. Point-guard Payton Hymas (14.1 ppg, 5.0 apg) leads the club in scoring, with All-CCC guard Sitara Byrd (13.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and All-CCC forward Darian Herring (12.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.6 bpg) giving the squad three key offensive options. It is the 15th all-time meeting, with LC holding a 10-4 series lead.
 
SEVENTH TOP-25 MATCH-UP: Saturday's game at LC State marks the seventh Top-25 match-up for the Lady Owls this season (through 14 games). OIT has a win over Carroll, but have dropped games to Freed-Hardeman, Cumberlands, Rocky Mountain, Corban and Lindsey Wilson.
 
AMONG ATTENDANCE LEADERS: OIT heads into 2026 ranked No. 3 in the NAIA attendance race, with the Lady Owls averaging 809 fans per game. Midland (Neb.) leads the way, averaging 1,040 fans a game, followed by Carroll (962), with Montana Tech (513) and LC State (487) rounding out the Top-5.  Tech ranks No. 3 among all teams in th state – trailing only Oregon (4,862) and Oregon State (3,895), but ahead of Portland (736) and Portland State (385), along with all Division II, Division III and NAIA teams.
 
70 EQUALS WINS: So far during the 2025-26, the Lady Owls are a perfect 7-0 when scoring 70-or-more points in a game, however, are 0-5 when failing to hit the 70-point benchmark.
 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WEEKEND WIN AND LOSS: Obvious numbers point towards Tech's win over Bushnell and loss to Corban – as in the Friday victory, the Lady Owls held BU to 25% shooting (20% from 3-point range) and finished with a plus-18 rebound margin. One night later, Corban made 44% of their field goal chances and canned 12 3-point baskets, while forcing 21 turnovers – a season-high for OIT.
 
SCHMERBACH CONTINUES RUN: The dominant start to the season for Tatum Schmerbach continued before Christmas, as the guard logged back-to-back double-doubles (17 points, 10 rebounds vs. Bushnell, 12 points, 12 rebounds vs. Corban) – running a streak of double-doubles to three – the longest by an OIT player since Nohea Waiwaiole had 4-straight double-doubles in 2017-18. The junior surpassed the 500-rebound mark for her career during her 13th career double-double vs. Corban, while running her string of double-digit scoring games to 18. Only Shelly Isaacs (41 from 1985-87), Carmen Arroquero (36 from 1983-85), Olivia Sprague (27 in 2022-23 and 21 in 2023-24), Alison Bernhardt (25 in 1983-84) and Nikki McElligott (20 in both 2003-04 and 2004-05) have had longer strings of double-figure scoring games.
 
RAMOS DOUBLES UP: Post Jozie Ramos recorded the eighth double-double of her collegiate career vs. Corban, scoring 17 points with 10 rebounds – the 41st game the forward has scored in double-figures. Ramos added three blocks over the weekend – pushing her career total to 86 – one of only six OIT players in program history with 80-or-more blocks.
 
FEALEY KEY AT BOTH ENDS: Kendall Fealey had a strong weekend on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor – tying a season high with 10 points vs. Bushnell, combining to make 6-of-9 field goals in the two games. The guard added a combined three steals and five blocks – including a career-high four blocks in the Saturday loss to Corban. Fealey currently leads the Lady Owls through 12 games with 22 steals and 15 blocks.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Olivia Sprague scored in double-figures in both games, averaging 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. The senior played in her 100th career game vs. Corban and moved 23 points from 1,500 for her career and one steal away from the 200 mark in an OIT uniform. Avery Andrews converted 7-of-10 field goals in the two home dates, averaging nine points and five rebounds in the pre-Christmas contests. Ayla Marston had strong play, recording six rebounds vs. Bushnell, followed by six points and five rebounds vs. Corban.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Heading into 2026, two teams remain unbeaten at 4-0 in the Cascade Conference standings – as Eastern Oregon won road dates at Evergreen and Northwest, running their win streak to 12, while Southern Oregon ran their home league win streak to 40 by topping Corban and Bushnell. This week, EOU and C of I meet in a midweek game in Caldwell before both teams host Warner Pacific; Evergreen and Northwest travel to Corban and Bushnell; with OIT and SOU off to LC State and Walla Walla.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS:  As a team, the Lady Owls lead the CCC in blocks per game (4.0), ranking No. 2 in the league in assists per game (17.3). Individually, Tatum Schmerbach tops the CCC in assists per game (5.2), ranking No. 3 in scoring average (17.8) and No. 4 in rebounds per game (7.8), with Olivia Sprague ranking No. 3 in free throw percentage (.909), No. 5 in steals per game (2.0), No. 6 in assists per game (3.3), No. 8 in blocks per game (1.1) and No. 10 in scoring average (13.3). Kendall Fealey is No. 5 in blocks per game (1.3) and No. 7 in steals per game (1.8); Jozie Ramos is No. 6 in blocks per game (1.2) and No. 9 in free throw percentage (.771); with Avery Andrews No. 8 in field goal percentage (.522).
 
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% of their home dates – posting a stellar 264-82 overall record – including a 4-1 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.
 
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 points scored (1,477) and field goal attempts (1,258), No. 3 in steals (199), No. 4 in field goals made (521), 3-pointers made (182) and 3-point attempts (484), No. 5 in free throws made (253), No. 7 in assists (339), No. 8 in free throw attempts (307), No. 15 in rebounds (518) and blocked shots (51), ranking No. 27 in games played (100). Jozie Ramos is No. 7 in blocked shots (86), No. 15 in free throws made (203) and free throw attempts (280), No. 22 in points scored (808), No. 23 in field goals made (297), No. 32 in rebounds (397), No. 39 in field goal attempts (584), No. 43 in games played (75), ranking just outside the Top-50 in steals (58); Gabbie Gascon is No. 9 in free throws made (233), No. 10 in steals (146), No. 12 in assists (274), No. 16 in free throw attempts (280), No. 17 in 3-pointers made (83), No. 19 in 3-point attempts (260), No. 23 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. 11 in assists (281), No. 13 in field goals made (373), No. 15 in rebounds (518), No. 16 in field goal attempts (832), No. 19 in points scored (881), No. 20 in blocked shots (38), No. 34 in 3-point attempts (135), No. 37 in 3-pointers made (33), No. 43 in games played (75), No. 45 in free throws made (102), No. 49 in free throw attempts (147), ranking just outside the Top-50 in steals (60); Kendall Fealey is No. 21 in blocked shots (36), No. 22 in steals (105) and No. 43 in games played (75); Chelsea Ching is No. 43 in games played (75) and just outside the Top-50 in 3-pointers made (15) and attempted (57); with Brooke Anderson No. 38 in 3-point attempts (90) and No. 42 in 3-pointers made (25).
 
SCORING 90, ALLOWING UNDER 50 EQUAL WINS: OIT has scored 90-or-more points in a game 44 times, posting a 41-3 record in the high-scoring contests. The Lady Owls are riding a 101-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game, recording a 175-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
 
UP NEXT: The Lady Owls return home for a pair of weekend games – meeting Eastern Oregon on Jan. 9 and College of Idaho on Jan. 10 – before heading out on a 4-game CCC road trip.