COMING UP: vs. Southern Oregon, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; vs. Warner Pacific, Friday, 7:30 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.
 
BLACK OUT FOR HUNGER SET FOR TUESDAY: Tuesday's game vs. Southern Oregon is the 13th-annual Black Out for Hunger game, benefiting the Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank. The first 1,000 fans who make any cash or non-perishable food item donation will receive a Black Out t-shirt. Last year, the event raised 586 pounds of food for the Klamath-Lake Counties Food Bank.
 
SENIOR NIGHT: Friday's game vs. Warner Pacific is Senior Night – the final home regular-season game for the two OIT men's basketball senior student-athletes. Grant Tull and Dakota Reber will be honored in a special ceremony prior to the start of the contest.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – SOUTHERN OREGON: The week starts with a huge rivalry match-up, as the Owls and Southern Oregon meet for the third time this season, looking to break a season stalemate (OIT won 75-62 in October, SOU won 68-67 in January). The Raiders (15-9, 12-4 CCC) won 6-of-7 before a Saturday loss at Corban, with the team playing tight game after tight game (last nine games decided by 10-points or less), averaging 76 points a game and leading the CCC in offensive rebounding (13 per game). Guard Elijah Jackson (15.3 ppg, 3.0 apg) leads the team in scoring, Gio Evanson (13.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg) hit the game-winner to beat Tech last month, while forwards Bryce Dyer (8.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Joe Juhala (7.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg) are great inside-out players. It is the 256th all-time meeting, with OIT holding a 167-68 series lead.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – WARNER PACIFIC: The home schedule closes on Friday against Warner Pacific, as the Knights (5-19, 1-15) are in the midst of a 13-game losing streak. WPU has played teams tough, but are averaging just 69 points per game and making 41% of their field goals, while opponents have a plus-7 rebound edge and average 83 points a night. Four players average in double-figures – Tyson Parker (13.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg), Jurrien Sparks (12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Chad Napoleon (10.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Josh Lincoln (10.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg). It is the 100th all-time meeting between the schools, with Tech holding a 73-26 all-time series lead.
 
METRICS: The Owls remained at No. 7 in the second West ARC rating of the year – the top metric the NAIA Tournament selection committee uses to determine at-large bids to Nationals. Rocky Mountain of the Frontier Conference holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Hope International, Arizona Christian and LC State, with Benedictine Mesa and Montana Tech just ahead of Tech, with The Master's in eighth, Eastern Oregon at No. 11, Southern Oregon at No. 13 and C of I at No. 14. OIT's metrics took a big dive with the loss to Corban, falling to No. 36 in both the RPI and strength of schedule.
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE WITH TWO WEEKS LEFT: Five teams are separated by one game in the CCC standings with two weekends left in the regular-season. Lewis-Clark State and Eastern Oregon sit on top with 13-3 records – with LC not facing one of the Top-5 teams in their final four games. Southern Oregon, College of Idaho and OIT are each 12-4 – with SOU and Tech meeting each other, followed by a season-ending trip to EOU and C of I. The regular-season champ earns an automatic bid to Nationals, while the Top-4 teams in the final standings hosting CCC Tournament quarterfinal games.
 
TECH CLINCHES 32ND-STRAIGHT PLAYOFF BID: The Owls are one of seven teams to clinch 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.
 
TALE OF TWO GAMES: The two games in the Willamette Valley were on complete opposite ends of the defensive spectrum for the Hustlin' Owls – a loss at Corban and a win at Bushnell. Against Corban, Tech committed a season-high 24 turnovers and watched as the Warriors made 62% of their field goals – the highest percentage allowed by the Owls this season. Just 24 hours later, OIT had a complete defensive effort, holding Bushnell to 24% shooting (lowest mark since a 2018 win over Northwest Indian) and a 2-for-20 3-point percentage (lowest since Park Gilbert went 0-for-7 vs. Tech in 2019).
 
FEWEST POINTS IN ROAD CCC GAMES: The defensive effort by the Hustlin' Owls was among the top road conference marks in program history – as the 48 points was the fewest surrendered by an OIT team in a road league game since 2016.  It was the third lowest scoring total by the Tech defense since the CCC started in 1992 – with the Owls defeating Walla Walla, 79-37, in 2016 and defeating Southern Oregon, 55-45, in 2004.
 
SUCHER STAYS HOT: The Owls got key production from guard Jared Sucher, who continued his strong play in the two Valley games. The sophomore scored 12 points at Corban and added 16 more at Bushnell, making 10-of-17 field goals and all five of his free throw chances. Over the last five games, Sucher is averaging 14.4 points, making 27-of-43 shot attempts.
 
TULL EARNS FIRST CAREER START: Tech switched up their starting line-up for the first time in 16 games at Bushnell, with senior Grant Tull earning the first start of his career. Tull, playing in his 61st game in a Hustlin' Owl uniform, scored a game-high 18 points with seven rebounds, converting 7-of-9 field goal attempts.
 
PAYNE HAS BLOCK PARTY: Freshman Gylan Payne was dominant on the defensive end of the court, recording four blocks at Corban and three blocks at Bushnell – pushing his season total to 26. The freshman is the 16th player in OIT history to record 26-or-more blocks in a season.
 
COOPER DOES WHAT COOPER DOES: Jackson Cooper continued his quality season, making 9-of-18 field goals on the trip – converting 50% or more of his field goals for the sixth and seventh straight game. The junior added 11 assists in the two games and now has 18 games with 5-or-more assists and 14 games with 7-or-more rebounds. Cooper heads into the weekend 79 points away from 1,000 points in his career and 39 rebounds away from 500 career boards.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Corban pulled into a sixth-place tie with Bushnell with a weekend sweep, joining LC State, College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon with 2-0 records on the week, with Walla Walla logging their first win of the year. This week, along with Southern and Tech hosting Warner Pacific, LC and WWU are off to Northwest and Evergreen, with Bushnell and Corban set to meet EOU and C of I in the Willamette Valley.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Tech currently leads the CCC in field goal percentage (.495), rebound margin (+7.3) and assists per game (15.4), while ranking No. 2 in scoring average (82.8), defensive field goal percentage (.423) and defensive 3-point percentage (.307). Individually, Jackson Cooper leads the league in assists per game (6.0) and is No. 3 in both scoring average (18.0) and field goal percentage (.563) and is No. 4 in rebounds per game (7.2), Dakota Reber is No. 5 in scoring average (17.3) and No. 8 in both rebounds per game (6.5) and field goal percentage (.543), with Gylan Payne No. 5 in blocks per game (1.1), No. 9 in steals per game (1.3) and field goal percentage (.522), ranking No. 10 in rebounds per game (6.0). Jared Sucher is No. 2 in free throw percentage (.828), Owen Nathan is No. 9 in steals per game (1.3) and Grant Tull is No. 9 in 3-point percentage (.410).
 
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 807-185 overall record in the building – including an 120-25 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 9-3 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: Four Hustlin' Owls have cracked the Top-75 in the OIT career record book, as Jackson Cooper ranks No. 35 in free throw attempts (276), No. 38 in assists (222), No. 39 in rebounds (461), No. 40 in free throws made (189), No. 42 in field goals made (366), No. 47 in blocks (24), No. 49 in points scored (921) and No. 56 in field goal attempts (674). Dakota Reber is No. 37 in blocks (29), No. 66 in 3-pointers made (53) and No. 69 in 3-point attempts (148), Gylan Payne is No. 45 in blocks (26) and Grant Tull is No. 73 in 3-pointers made (42). Tull is just outside the Top-75 in 3-point attempts (104), with Jared Sucher closing in on the list for 3-pointers made (37) and 3-point attempts (101).
 
TOPS AT THE GATE: OIT continues to lead the NAIA in attendance average, averaging 1,361 fans over the 12 home dates this season – ranking ahead of College of Idaho (1,218), Carroll (1,072), Midland (830) and Taylor (742) – and ahead of all Oregon small college teams. Tech continues to rank No. 3 among all Oregon college teams – trailing Oregon (6,008) and Oregon State (2,627), but ahead of Portland (1,303) and Portland State (928).
 
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 1,065. 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 (including last Friday). Duke (1,287) and UNLV (1,282) hold the current 3-point streak record, just ahead of CCC rivals Corban (1,250) and College of Idaho (1,225), along with East Tennessee State (1,214).
 
UP NEXT: Tech closes the regular-season on the road, traveling to College of Idaho (Feb. 20) and Eastern Oregon (Feb. 21). The Top-4 teams in the final standings will host CCC Tournament quarterfinal games on Feb. 25.