COMING UP: at College of Idaho, Friday, 5:30 p.m. (MST); at Eastern Oregon, Saturday, 3 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All OIT men's basketball games will be carried live on 92.5 KLAD-FM 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.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – COLLEGE OF IDAHO: The final weekend of the regular-season starts with a huge match-up at College of Idaho, as the Hustlin' Owls look for their first sweep of the Yotes (18-8, 13-5 CCC) since the 2011-12 season. C of I has responded after losing both games on the OIT-SOU road swing, winning 8-of-10 and sit one game back of first in the league standings. The Idaho squad allows just 71 points a game – with the team 18-0 when allowing under 74 points a night, but 0-8 when opponents score at least 75. Guards Dougie Peoples (15.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and Utrillo Morris (11.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) are key for C of I, as are forwards Rey Johnston (12.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Alex Germer (10.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg). C of I holds a 62-46 all-time series lead, including 6-straight regular-season wins over OIT in Caldwell.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – EASTERN OREGON: The regular-season ends at Quinn Coliseum, as CCC co-leader Eastern Oregon looks for a season sweep of Tech, having defeated the Owls, 87-74, in January. The Mountaineers (19-7, 14-4) have won 7-of-9, behind a prolific offense that averages 86 points per game and ranks No. 3 in the NAIA in 3-point percentage (.408) – averaging over 10 made 3-pointers per game. EOU is led by transfer guard Eamon Monahan (17.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg), guard Trent Rogers (12.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg) and forward Keilan Torkornoo (11.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg), with forward James Bodily (13.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg) a dynamic shooter off the bench. OIT holds a 118-76 all-time series lead with the Mounties, including back-to-back wins on EOU's home floor.
 
TOUGH, TOUGH TRIP: The C of I-EOU road trip is one of the toughest in the CCC, as OIT has swept the weekend just two times in the last 14 years – winning both games during the 2011-12 and 2017-18 seasons.
 
TIED ATOP THE STANDINGS: OIT sits in a 3-way tie at the top of the Cascade Conference standings at 14-4 – thanks to road losses by each of the top teams (LC State at Northwest, C of I at Corban, EOU at Bushnell, SOU at OIT). The Owls, LC and EOU hold a one-game lead on C of I and Southern with two games remaining – with Tech earning a share of the league title with victories over Eastern and C of I. LC State has the top tiebreaker amongst the five teams – having the most wins vs. a .500-or-better opponent in CCC play. 2026 will be the first time since 2014 that the champ will have at least four losses.
 
METRICS: The Owls enter the week No. 33 in the latest NAIA RPI, one of the key metrics to determine at-large bids to the NAIA Tournament. The second West ARC rating is set to be released Tuesday, with Tech expected to contend for a Top-5 spot – battling with Rocky Mountain, Arizona Christian, Hope International, LC State and Carroll for positioning. The final week of the season will be key for the CCC, as the Top-5 teams in the league sit between 33 and 58 in the RPI.
 
TECH CLINCHES 32ND-STRAIGHT PLAYOFF BID: The Owls have clinched a spot in the 8-team CCC Tournament – the 32nd-straight postseason appearance for OIT. Tech last missed out on the postseason in 1993 and since that time, have won 10 CCC regular-season titles, six CCC Tournament titles, won three NAIA national championships and earned two NAIA runner-up finishes.
 
HUGE HOME SWEEP: Tech earned a share of the CCC lead with a key home sweep – defeating both Southern Oregon and Warner Pacific. Against SOU, the Owls converted 7-of-13 3-pointers in the first half, jumping to a 19-point halftime lead and finished with a plus-19 rebound edge. Against WPU, OIT used three big runs to build a big lead, finishing the night making 54% of field goals.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The Owls have converted over 50% of their field goals in each of their last eight wins, improving to 12-0 this season when making 50% of their shots and 14-0 when scoring 80-or-more points. In their last three wins, OIT has limited their opponents to a combined 33% shooting and combining for a plus-30 rebound margin. Friday's win over WPU was Tech's sixth win by 30-or-more points.
 
REBER NEAR PERFECT: It was a memorable Senior Week for Dakota Reber, as the third-year Owl recorded consecutive double-doubles, along with his team-leading 12th 20-point game. Reber led Tech with 25 points and 12 rebounds against SOU, followed with 15 points and 12 boards vs. WPU – making 13-of-18 field goals, 5-of-7 3's and all nine of his free throws. Reber enters the weekend averaging 17.5 points and seven rebounds a game, making 55% of his field goals.
 
FLU DOESN'T STOP COOPER: The flu-bug that has hit the Klamath Basin hit Tech all-star Jackson Cooper early last week. The junior, however, didn't let illness stop him – powering to 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists vs. Southern – his ninth 20-point game of the year, followed by his fifth double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) vs. Warner Pacific. Cooper made 16-of-19 field goals for the week – moving 43 points away from 1,000 for his career and 20 rebounds from the 500-rebound mark.
 
COOPER NAMED TO BEVO FRANCIS WATCH LIST: Jackson Cooper earned a huge honor on Sunday, as he was one of 50 small-college players named to the Bevo Francis Award watch list – an award given to the best small-college player in America. Cooper is one of 10 NAIA players – joined by Caedmon Bontrager (Indiana Wesleyan), Bradley Bunch (Pikeville), Micah Clark (Nelson), Hayden Diekhans (Montana Tech), Kyle Duke (Cumberlands), Derek Fairley (Lourdes), Camerin James (Keiser), Jalen Langsy (Northwestern) and Jesse Van Kalsbeek (Northwestern). The list will be pair to 25 players on March 15, with the award announced April 6.
 
MORE FROM THE STARTERS: Tech got solid production from the rest of their starting five in the two victories – as Gylan Payne, Jared Sucher and Grant Tull were key for the Owls. Payne had eight points and six rebounds vs. Southern, adding 15 points vs. WPU – combining to make 10-of-17 field goals – while pushing his team-high blocked shots mark to 28, the No. 17 mark on the OIT single-season list. Sucher recorded his third 20-or-more point game, scoring 23 points vs. WPU, with Tull scoring 13 points in the rivalry win over Southern.
 
AROUND THE CCC: The final weekend of the regular-season has marquee match-ups, as front-running LC State hosts Corban and Bushnell, who are tied for the No. 6 and No. 7 spots in the standings, while No. 8 seed Northwest travels to Evergreen before both teams end the year at Warner Pacific. Southern Oregon and OIT travel to C of I and Eastern – which will determine the final seeding in the CCC Tournament.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: As a team, the Hustlin' Owls lead the CCC in field goal percentage (.498) and rebound margin (+7.8), ranking No. 2 in scoring offense (83.2), assists per game (15.3), defensive field goal percentage (.420) and defensive 3-point percentage (.306). Individually, Jackson Cooper ranks in the Top-4 in the CCC in four categories – leading the league in assists per game (6.0), No. 2 in field goal percentage (.580), No. 3 in scoring average (18.0) and No. 4 in rebounds per game (7.4). Four others rank among the CCC's Top-10 – as Dakota Reber is No. 4 in scoring average (17.5), No. 5 in rebounds per game (7.0), No. 6 in field goal percentage (.554) and No. 9 in free throw percentage (.778); Gylan Payne is No. 5 in blocks per game (1.1), No. 9 in field goal percentage (.529) and steals per game (1.3), ranking No. 10 in rebounds per game (6.0); Jared Sucher is No. 4 in free throw percentage (.821); with Owen Nathan No. 6 in steals per game (1.4).
 
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 809-185 overall record in the building – including an 122-25 mark under current head coach Justin Parnell. Including this year, 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 are 11-3 at home this season, extending the longest home season win streak in NAIA history to 55-straight seasons with an above .500 record at home.
 
RECORD BOOK: Five Hustlin' Owls have cracked the Top-75 in the OIT career record book, as Jackson Cooper ranks No. 34 in rebounds (480), No. 35 in free throw attempts (280), No. 36 in assists (234), No. 39 in free throws made (193) and field goals made (382), No. 42 in points scored (957), No. 47 in blocks (25) and No. 53 in field goal attempts (693). Dakota Reber is No. 35 in blocks (31), No. 65 in 3-pointers made (58) and No. 68 in 3-point attempts (155), Gylan Payne is No. 40 in blocks (28), Grant Tull is No. 71 in 3-pointers made (47) and No. 74 in 3-point attempts (121), with Jared Sucher No. 75 in 3-pointers made and just outside the Top-75 in 3-point attempts (111).
 
TOPS AT THE GATE: OIT continues to lead the NAIA in attendance average, averaging 1,351 fans over the 14 home dates this season – ranking ahead of College of Idaho (1,218), Carroll (1,062), Midland (830) and Georgia Gwinnett (729) – and ahead of all Oregon small college teams.
 
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 1,067. 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 (1,289) and UNLV (1,284) hold the current 3-point streak record, just ahead of CCC rivals Corban (1,252) and College of Idaho (1,227), along with East Tennessee State (1,216).
 
UP NEXT: The Hustlin' Owls will play a CCC Tournament quarterfinal game next Wednesday – hosting the game in Klamath Falls if they are one of the Top-4 seeds. The tourney semifinals are set for next Saturday.