COMING UP: NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship (First/Second Rounds, Indianapolis, Ind.) – Friday vs. Milligan (Tenn.), 7:15 p.m. (EDT)/4:15 p.m. (PDT); Saturday (with win) vs. Marian (Ind.)-St. Xavier (Ill.) winner, 6 p.m. (EDT)/3 p.m. (PDT)
COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All NAIA Tournament games will be broadcast live on radio in the Klamath Basin on 104.3-FM and 960-AM with Josh Eldredge, beginning with the
Joy Lease Coaches' Show 30-minutes prior to tip-off – simulcast online with audio through
MyBasin.com. Live Stats will be available through
StatBroadcast, with a pay-per-view video stream available through the
ISC Sports Network.
TICKET INFORMATION: Tickets are available online through
Hometown Ticketing, with ticket prices set for $10 for all fans (general admission seating).
OPPONENT PREVIEW – MILLIGAN: The Lady Owls open up tournament play against Milligan, champions of the Appalachian Athletic Conference. The No. 11 seed Buffaloes (24-7), from Milligan, Tenn., are making their tenth tournament appearance and first since 2019 – as the team finished the regular-season a perfect 12-0 at home. Milligan is an offensive juggernaut, ranking among the NAIA's Top-10 in scoring offense (86.8), field goal percentage (.471) and 3-point percentage (.354). Though the Buffs do not have a player in their rotation taller than 5-foot-11, All-AAC forwards Jaycie Jenkins (20.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, .471 3FG%) and Lauren Longmire (13.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg) are tough match-ups, as is All-AAC guard Semaj Clark (15.5 ppg, 3.7 apg). It is the first meeting between the schools.
IF THE LADY OWLS WIN: With a victory, Tech would meet the winner of Friday's first-round match-up between No. 3 seed Marian and No. 14 seed Saint Xavier. The host Knights (23-7) advanced to the 2024 national quarterfinals, with first-year head coach Suntana Anderson leading the current club to the title game of the Crossroads League tournament. League Player of the Year Abby McNally (19.3 ppg, 12.6 rpg) paces an MU team that allows just 59 points a game, with guards Taylor Double (12.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Kenna Kirby (9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg) earning all-league honors. OIT and Marian have met twice at Nationals, with MU winning in the 2016 first-round and Tech returning the favor in 2019. The Cougars (18-11), from Chicago, were the regular-season runners up in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference – averaging 76.3 points per game. SXU is making their 21st trip to the tournament (including 20-straight trips from 2003-2022), with the 2024-25 team paced by the tandem of All-CCAC picks Ryann Ogarek (13.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Jaida Green (12.9 ppg). The teams met in the 2015 tournament, with the Cougars earning a first-round win.
TECH EARNS AT LARGE BID: The Lady Owls received one of 29 at-large bids to the NAIA Championships, their eighth all-time trip to Nationals. OIT earned the No. 6 seed in the Naismith Quadrant – one of four 16-team groupings. Tech claimed automatic bids to the tournament in 2014, 2015 and 2016, with the 2005, 2017, 2019 and 2024 teams earning at-large bids. It is the highest seed ever for the Owls – as the 2014 team earned a No. 5 seed (in an 8-team quadrant), while the 2024 team was seeded seventh (in a 16-team quadrant).
HISTORY AT NATIONALS: OIT has reached the postseason in each of the last 13 seasons, with the current club making the 28th all-time playoff appearance. The Lady Owls have reached the second-round of the tournament on three occasions – defeating Jamestown in the 2016 first-round, Marian in the 2019 first-round, while topping Jessup last season in a first-round game. OIT is 2-7 all-time in tournament play.
FURTHEST EAST?: Friday's game in Indianapolis marks the easternmost game the Lady Owls have ever played and the first game for the program east of the Mississippi River. Outside of six trips to the NAIA Division II Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa, the furthest to the east OIT had played were games in Helena, Mont., Nampa/Caldwell, Idaho, along with Reno, Nev.
AGAINST THE FIELD: The 64-team tournament includes five teams from the Cascade Conference – regular-season champ Southern Oregon, tournament runner-up Lewis-Clark State, along with at-large teams OIT, College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon. The Lady Owls have met four other tourney teams – Dordt, Northwestern, Arizona Christian and UC Merced – with Tech a combined 6-7 against tourney foes. In addition, the Owls have met six other tournament teams in the past – Jamestown, Marian, Saint Xavier, The Master's, Rocky Mountain and Carroll.
OIT RANKED NO. 23 IN FINAL POLL: The Lady Owls closed the season ranked No. 23 in the Top-25 poll – the seventh time OIT has ended a season in the Top-25 – with the 2016 team ending the year at No. 17. Four opponents – No. 1 Dordt, No. 2 Southern Oregon, No. 14 Arizona Christian and No. 25 LC State – all ended the year in the Top-25.
20-WIN SEASONS: With the win on Feb. 15 at Walla Walla, Tech recorded their 20th win of the season – their third-straight 20-win campaign. It marks the 16th time since 2002 that the Lady Owls have posted 20-or-more wins in a season and the tenth time OIT has posted 23-or-more wins in a season.
REBOUNDS THE KEY: Throughout the season, rebounding has been the key to OIT's success – leading the CCC and ranking No. 4 in the NAIA in rebound margin (+12.3). The Owls have posted 16 games with a double-digit rebound lead, with the club on pace to break the school record for rebound margin (+11.1).
70 POINTS = WINS: Offense has won games for the Lady Owls, with the team averaging 74 points per contest. Over the 30-game season, Tech is a perfect 18-0 this season when scoring 70-or-more points a game.
RAMOS CAPS REMARKABLE FEBRUARY: Forward
Jozie Ramos closed out a banner February with a career night in the CCC quarterfinals against Corban, scoring 32 points in the Owls win. The sophomore became the tenth player in program history to score 30-or-more points (and first since 2017), with her point total tied for the sixth-most in a single-game. Ramos averaged 19.8 points per game in February, converting 57% of field goal attempts – taking a 12-game streak of double-digit scoring games into the NAIA Tournament.
SCHMERBACH FILLS STAT SHEET: Sophomore guard
Tatum Schmerbach had a remarkable game in the conference quarterfinals – recording a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, adding seven assists and a career-high five blocked shots. The sophomore, who has posted 22 games with 10-or-more points this season, closed February averaging 14.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
ELQUIST A KEY: Tech's top rebounder,
Alexis Elquist, recorded 12 rebounds in the CCC semifinal loss to LC State – her tenth game this season with double-digit rebounds. Elquist upped her game over the past month, making 56% of field goal attempts, averaging nearly 11 points and nine rebounds over the Owls last 10 games.
ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES: Three players earned first-team All-CCC honors –
Gabbie Gascon,
Tatum Schmerbach and
Jozie Ramos, with
Alexis Elquist earning honorable mention plaudits. Gascon earned the for a second-straight year, despite missing the final 11 games due to injury – having led the circuit in assists (4.6) and steals (2.8) while she was in action. Schmerbach picks up first-team honors after being named an honorable mention pick, while both Ramos and Elquist earn the CCC awards for the first time.
LEAGUE LEADERS: As a team, the Lady Owls lead the CCC in rebound margin (+12.3), ranking No. 2 in scoring average (74.1), blocks per game (3.8) and assists per game (17.1), sitting at No. 3 in scoring margin (+13.0), field goal percentage (.438) and defensive field goal percentage (.373). Individually,
Tatum Schmerbach leads the CCC in assists per game (4.4),
Jozie Ramos is No. 3 in field goal percentage (.545) and No. 5 in both scoring average (14.1) and blocks per game (1.3),
Kennedy Tull is No. 4 in free throw percentage (.788), with
Alexis Elquist No. 5 in rebounds per game (8.4) and No. 9 in field goal percentage (.481).
NATIONAL LEADER IN ATTENDANCE: OIT closed out the regular-season as the NAIA's leader in women's basketball attendance, averaging 994 fans through the turnstiles at Danny Miles Court. Tech finished ahead of Carroll (858), Providence (694), LC State (637) and Southern Oregon (608) – all teams from the West. The Lady Owls rank third among all Oregon basketball playing schools (Oregon – 5,374, Oregon State – 4,287, OIT – 994, Portland – 886, Southern Oregon – 608, Portland State – 425, Lewis & Clark – 246, George Fox – 217, Pacific – 215, Willamette – 197), while ranking No. 8 among all women's basketball teams in the Northwest (Oregon – 5,374, Gonzaga – 5,347, Oregon State – 4,287, Washington – 3,157, Boise State – 1,672, Idaho – 1,413, Washington State – 1,062, OIT – 994, Portland – 886, Idaho State – 885.
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 260-81 overall record – including an 12-3 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 assists (306), No. 9 in free throws made (223) No. 15 in free throw attempts (274), No. 19 in blocked shots (40), No. 20 in rebounds (459) and ranking No. 33 in games played (90).
Maddyson Tull is No. 2 in field goals made (538), No. 5 in free throw attempts (353) and games played (127), No. 6 in rebounds (641) and points scored (1,306), No. 8 in field goal attempts (1,028), No. 11 in free throws made (222), No. 15 in blocks (47), ranking No. 43 in steals (66) and No. 45 in assists (116);
Kennedy Tull ranks No. 6 in free throws made (235), No. 8 in free throw attempts (306), No. 22 in games played (114), No. 23 in points scored (793), 3-pointers made (70) and 3-point attempts (230), No. 30 in assists (150), ranking No. 37 in field goals made (243) and field goal attempts (597);
Gabbie Gascon is No. 8 in free throws made (233), No. 10 in steals (146), No. 11 in assists (274), No. 13 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. 35 in field goal attempts (601), No. 36 in field goals made (245), ranking No. 40 in rebounds (315);
Alexis Elquist is No. 11 in rebounds (577), No. 14 in blocked shots (57), No. 35 in field goals made (250), No. 39 in field goal attempts (575) and 3-point attempts (88), No. 41 in 3-pointers made (26), ranking No. 46 in points scored (586);
Jozie Ramos is No. 8 in blocked shots (71), No. 22 in free throw attempts (245), No. 23 in free throws made (176), No. 36 in points scored (681), No. 38 in field goals made (240), No. 40 in rebounds (321) and No. 48 in field goal attempts (469);
Tatum Schmerbach is No. 17 in assists (216), No. 29 in field goals made (270), field goal attempts (650), rebounds (415) and blocks (30), No. 35 in 3-point attempts (118), No. 37 in 3-pointers made (30) and No. 42 in points scored (640); with
Kendall Fealey No. 28 in steals (81).
SCORING 90, ALLOWING UNDER 50 EQUAL WINS: OIT has scored 90-or-more points in a game 42 times, posting a 39-3 record in the high-scoring contests – including five 90-point games this season. 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: If the Lady Owls pick up two wins in Indianapolis, the squad will make the 650-mile drive to Sioux City, Iowa, the Final Site of the NAIA Championships. Third-round action is set for March 20-21, with the championship game set for March 25.
