DILLON, Mont. –
Tatum Schmerbach scored 22 points, tying an Oregon Tech school-record with her 41st-straight double-digit scoring game, as the Lady Owls won their fourth-straight game, a key 69-54 win at Montana Western inside Straugh Gymnasium.
The No. 23-ranked Lady Owls (4-1) held Western to 34% shooting on the night, with the hosts converting just 6-of-25 3-point chances on the night.
Schmerbach joins Shelly Isaacs, who had 41-straight games with 10-or-more points from 1987-89.
OIT erased an early Bulldogs (3-3) 13-9 lead with 10-straight first quarter points, as
Gabbie Gascon and
Gabbie Wilson canned triples in the spurt. Schmerbach added a 3-point play and a mid-range jumper in the second quarter to extend the margin to 35-27, with Tech leading 39-32 at the break.
The Owls held UMW to one made field goal over a seven minute stretch in the third quarter, as
Kendall Fealey and Schmerbach each hit 3's in a 10-2 run that extended Tech's lead to 51-38.
Western got within 56-48 in the fourth quarter, but
Ayla Marston scored inside,
Avery Andrews had a 3-point play and Schmerbach hit a jumper, ballooning the lead to 63-48 – as the Owls close out the win.
Gascon scored 12 points, finishing 4-of-7 from 3-point range, with Marston scoring six points with eight rebounds and three steals and Andrews posting six points and nine boards.
Kyle Pancost led Western with 12 points and 11 rebounds, with Bailee Sayler scoring 10.
The Lady Owls close out the road swing tomorrow afternoon with a key match-up at No. 6-ranked Montana Tech.
