PORTLAND, Ore. – Dakota Reber scored a season-high 27 points, fueling a big second half Oregon Tech run, as the No. 21-ranked Hustlin' Owls regained a share of first-place in the Cascade Conference with an 82-70 win at Warner Pacific.
 
Reber hit five 3-pointers on the night, returning to the floor he spent the entire 2022-23 season on, helping OIT (13-5, 8-2 CCC) pull into a 4-way tie with Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon and Lewis-Clark State atop the league standings.
 
The Knights (5-13, 1-9) led the majority of the first half, as Terrin Dickey opened the scoring with a 4-point play and Apollo Eugene canned a triple, giving the hosts a 13-3 lead. The margin was 37-31 late in the half, when Reber drained a corner 3-pointer, Grant Tull scored on the block and Reber hit two free throws to give Tech their first lead. An alley-oop dunk by Reber off a Jackson Cooper lob gave the visitors a 40-39 halftime lead.
 
OIT trailed 43-42 early in the second half, before a 23-3 run changed the complexion of the night. Gylan Payne scored on the baseline to start the rally, Reber buried a long 3-pointer and flushed home a transition dunk, with Tull stealing a pass and scoring in transition to force a timeout with the Owls ahead 51-43. Consecutive 3's from Colby Whicker and James Kefgen were followed by two Jared Sucher baskets, pushing the lead to 65-46.
 
The Owls finished the night making 58% of their field goals, including 11 3-pointers and had a 36-25 rebound margin.
 
Cooper scored 15 points with nine assists, Tull had eight points and seven rebounds and Owen Nathan scored seven points, adding six rebounds and six assists.
 
Tyson Parker led WPU with 19 points and Eugene scored 12, but the Knights were limited to 34% shooting after halftime.
 
Tech returns to action next weekend, playing road dates at Northwest and Evergreen State.