COMING UP: at Embry-Riddle Halloween Classic (Prescott, Ariz.) – Friday vs. OUAZ, 1 p.m.; Saturday vs. Embry-Riddle, 4 p.m.
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All OIT men's basketball games during the 2026-27 season will be carried live on 92.5 KLAD-FM in the Klamath Basin with Mike Safford on the call – beginning 30-minutes prior to the scheduled tip off. Games in Arizona will be streamed (PPV) through the Overnght App, with stats available through the OIT SIDEARM stats portal. Links to the radio broadcast, video stream and stats are available at OregonTechOwls.com.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT – OUAZ: The trip to Arizona starts with a neutral site  game against OUAZ (Ottawa University of Arizona), as the Spirit (2-0) opened the new year with two home victories over Pacific Union (92-71 and 84-65) – making 48% of their field goals and converting 12 3-pointers per game. Division II transfer (Cal State Los Angeles) Trevor Thompson (22.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg) has been the top scorer, along with three returning starters – Carter Gittens (21.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg), Max Mkpa (12.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg) and Tyron Simpson (9.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg). OUAZ was picked sixth in the GSAC preseason poll, coming off a 13-14 season a year ago. The two teams have met once previously, a 91-90 overtime win by the Owls in Surprise.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT – EMBRY-RIDDLE: The Owls close out the weekend against host Embry-Riddle, as the Eagles (1-1) are coming off a 16-12 season and a split of their opening weekend. ERAU traveled to La Grande, dominating Walla Walla, before dropping a match-up with Eastern Oregon. The Prescott squad converted 45% of their field goals in Week 1, averaging 77 points a night, while holding a plus-nine rebound margin. All-GSAC performer, guard Noah Gifft (15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) paced the Eagles, coming off a season where he averaged 17.5 points per game. Two other starters return – 6-foot-6 forward Peter Dress (11.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and 5-foot-7 guard Jacey Canalin (11.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) – with 6-foot-7 Ethan Macken (8.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg) topping the team in rebounds. OIT is 3-0 all-time vs. ERAU, including a 90-68 win in Eagle Gym in 2023.
 
SEASON OPENERS: The Owls are 52-24 all-time in season openers, including four-straight victories (defeating Jessup in 2022, Simpson in 2023, Providence in 2024 and Southern Oregon last season). It is the first time Tech has opened the season on the road since 2024 – when they played in Helena, Mont., in a tournament hosted by Carroll College.
 
OCTOBER BASKETBALL: Tech will put a perfect 13-0 mark all-time in October games on the line this weekend – extended last season with a 75-62 win over Southern Oregon.
 
NEW NORM – A TRIP TO THE DESERT: For the third time in four regular-seasons (and fourth-straight year overall), the Hustlin' Owls head to Arizona for preseason games. With nearly all Northern California teams either moving to Division II or eliminating their programs (Simpson will move to the CCC next year, with Pacific Union the only remaining NorCal NAIA squad), preseason games are hard to find – with Arizona one of the easier trips to make. Tech played games at Park-Gilbert and Embry-Riddle in 2019, games at OUAZ and Embry-Riddle in 2023 and games last season at Arizona Christian (against ACU and The Master's), combining for a 5-1 mark. In 2024-25, the Owls traveled to ACU for the NAIA National Tournament, going 1-1 in games in Glendale.
 
RECAP OF EXHIBITION WIN: The Owls competed in their lone preseason exhibition, cruising to a 103-91 win over the semi-pro Seattle Mountaineers. Tech connected on 17 3-pointers in the wide-open game, making 52% of their first half field goals to bolt to a 67-47 halftime lead. OIT improved to 8-0 all-time against the travel team.
 
BIG NIGHTS: All 15 players in uniform were in action for Tech in the exhibition, with Mason Bierbrauer having a career-night, leading the Owls with 25 points and eight rebounds. Newcomers Caleb Bowden, Brody Rygh and Trayce Atkins each played well, Bowden posting 15 points and 10 rebounds, Rygh adding 11 and Atkins 10. Sophomore Gylan Payne joined the group in double figures with 11 points and nine boards.
 
POLLS: The Owls were picked to finish fourth in the Cascade Conference preseason poll, released last week – as College of Idaho (111), Eastern Oregon (105) and Lewis-Clark State (103) finished with more points than the 88 received by Tech. Corban (75) was fifth – with all five schools receiving at least one first-place vote (and no team receiving more than four). In the NAIA Top-25 poll, two CCC teams were in the Top-25 – No. 15 EOU and No. 16 C of I, with LC receiving votes. In addition, two preseason opponents were ranked – No. 17 The Master's and No. 20 Hope International.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Four CCC teams opened their season last weekend, with Eastern Oregon earning a dominant home win over Embry-Riddle, LC State won at Park-Gilbert and dropped a buzzer-beater at No. 3 Arizona Christian, Walla Walla lost a neutral site game vs. Embry-Riddle and Southern Oregon lost on the road at Simpson. This week, Bushnell, Walla Walla and College of Idaho head to Montana for games, Warner Pacific heads to California for games with Simpson and Lincoln, with LC State hosting Northwest Indian College.
 
SEASON PREVIEW: Click Here for the Full 2026-27 season preview
 
RECORD HOME STREAK EXTENDED: 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 an 809-186 overall record in the building – including an 122-26 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell. OIT has recorded a winning record in 58-of-60 seasons (going 5-7 in 1965-66 and 1-8 in 1970-71), including four undefeated seasons (1986-87, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11). The Owls finished 11-4 at home last season, extending the longest home season win streak in NAIA history to 55-straight seasons with an above .500 record at home.
 
RECORD BOOK: Two players open the 2026-27 season in the OIT Top-75 career record book – as Gylan Payne is No. 40 in blocked shots (28) and Jared Sucher ranks No. 67 in 3-pointers made (51) and No. 71 in 3-point attempts (131).
 
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 1,071. 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 six occasions. Duke (1,302) and UNLV (1,295) hold the current 3-point streak record, just ahead of CCC rivals Corban (1,258) and College of Idaho (1,233), along with East Tennessee State (1,223).
 
UP NEXT: The Hustlin' Owls return home for their only preseason games at Danny Miles Court – hosting the Lithia Classic as part of Hall of Fame Weekend. Tech will meet No. 17 The Master's on Friday (Nov. 6) and No. 20 Hope International on Saturday (Nov. 7). In addition, the 2003-04 men's basketball national championship team, along with All-America guard, Levell Hesia, will be inducted into the Howard Morris Oregon Tech Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 8 – with the group honored at halftime of the OIT-HIU game.