COMING UP: vs. Southern Oregon, Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.; vs. Warner Pacific, Friday, 5:30 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: All OIT women's basketball games for the remainder of the season will be carried live on 104.3-FM & 960-AM 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 three OIT women's basketball senior student-athletes. Olivia Sprague, Chelsea Ching and Ebony McMillan will be honored in a special ceremony at halftime of that night's men's game.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – SOUTHERN OREGON: Tech returns home Tuesday night, welcoming long-time rival Southern Oregon to Danny Miles Court, as the Owls look for their first season sweep of the Raiders (18-6, 13-3 CCC) in 12 seasons. SOU sits atop the league standings with Eastern Oregon, riding a 7-game win streak with each of the victories by 7-or-more points. Defense is the Raiders calling card, allowing just 53.5 points a game (No. 10 in the NAIA) and forcing 22 turnovers a game – with no team scoring over 70 points against Southern this season. Bridgette McIntyre (15.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has connected on 73 3-pointers this season, while the front-court trio of Eliza DiGiulio (12.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Sage Winslow (9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 54 steals) and Lydia Traore (7.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 30 blocks) are key to SOU's success. The Raiders hold a 46-40 series lead and have posted 5-straight wins in Klamath.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – WARNER PACIFIC: The home schedule ends Friday night, as Tech looks for the season sweep of Warner Pacific. The Knights (10-13, 6-10) had lost 6-of-7 before a Saturday night win at Walla Walla, but the Portland school is firmly in the postseason picture – sitting in seventh-place in the CCC standings. WPU converts seven 3-pointers a game and averages 62 points a night, but opponents are making 44% of their field goal chances and averaging 71 points a night. Guards Skylar Groesbeck (10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and Shieteal Watah (10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg), along with forwards KJ Custer (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and Riley Layton (8.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) lead the offense. OIT holds a 47-22 series lead over WPU, including 7-straight wins.
 
METRICS: The Lady Owls surged five spots to No. 4 in the Western ARC rating – the key NAIA metric to determine seeding for the NAIA Championships – trailing only Dakota State, LC State and Eastern Oregon (ahead of No. 5 Carroll, No. 7 Southern Oregon, No. 9 Corban and No. 10 C of I). Tech is 4-8 in Quad 1 games, with the Owls No. 21 in NAIA strength of schedule and No. 32 in RPI.
 
PLAYOFF SPOT CLINCHED: With the Jan. 30 win over LCSC, the Lady Owls clinched their 14th-straight playoff appearance and the 29th in program history. OIT is searching for their third-straight NAIA Tournament appearance and ninth overall trip to Nationals.
 
HOME SUCCESS: Danny Miles Court has been a difficult place for opponents since Tech brought women's basketball back as a varsity sport in 2002. Over the past 24 seasons, the Lady Owls have won 76-percent of their home dates – posting a stellar 266-84 overall record – including an 6-3 mark this season. The 2012-13 squad finished the year with a 15-1 mark, while a season later, the Owls had a 16-2 record – at one point winning 19-consecutive home games. Every season since women's basketball returned to Tech in 2002-03, the Owls have had a winning record every season on their home floor.
 
UPS AND DOWNS: Tech saw a 7-game road win streak snapped Friday at Corban, as the Warriors posted the highest field goal percentage (51%) against the Lady Owls this season and outrebounded OIT by nine. One night later, the Owls turned the tide on Bushnell, converting 68% of their second half field goals and tied a season-high with 15 steals in a 13-point victory.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Lady Owls are 13-0 this season when scoring 70-or-more points, are 11-0 when allowing 65 points or less and 8-0 when converting at least 50% of their field goal attempts. Conversely, Tech is 0-7 this season when opponents outrebound the club.
 
SCHMERBACH LEADS THE WAY: A dominant season for Tatum Schmerbach continued on the recent road trip, recording back-to-back 21-point games, while connecting on 15-of-24 field goal attempts. The junior has scored 20-or-more points 11 times this season and added 10 games with 9-or-more rebounds (moving past 600 rebounds for her career) – entering weekend play among the Top-5 in the CCC in scoring (18.4) and rebounding (7.6), while leading the league in assists (5.0). Schmerbach has recorded 30-straight games with 10-or-more points – the longest stretch of double-digit scoring games since the program returned in 2002, trailing only the marks of Shelly Isaac (41 from 1985-87) and Carmen Arroquero (36 from 1983-85).
 
SPRAGUE CLOSING IN ON MORE MARKS: Olivia Sprague continued her steady play in the Valley, scoring 11 points and Corban and 17 points at Bushnell – with the guard scoring in double figures in 20-of-22 games play this season. Sprague added two steals in each game – the 11th and 12th time this season she has recorded multiple steals in a game. Sprague heads into the weekend nearing two career milestones – needing 10 rebounds to reach the 600-rebound mark and 15 assists to reach the 400-assist plateau.
 
THE FEALEY FACTOR: Guard Kendall Fealey continued her strong play this season, recording six steals in Saturday's win – the fourth time in her career she has posted 5-or-more steals in a game (second time this season). The junior, who leads the Lady Owls with 43 steals on the year, added seven rebounds at Corban and tied a season-high with six assists against Bushnell. Fealey is averaging nine points per game over the Owls last seven contests.
 
AROUND THE CCC: Four teams recorded perfect 2-0 records last week – as Southern Oregon, LC State, College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon improved their standing in the CCC – as SOU and EOU enter the week with a 13-3 record, one game clear of a logjam (OIT, Corban, LC and C of I). The picture will become clearer sooner-than-later, as Corban and Bushnell host EOU and C of I, SOU goes to Tech before both host Warner Pacific, with LC and Walla Walla heading to Northwest and Evergreen.  
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Tech currently leads the CCC in field goal percentage (.464), ranking No. 2 in both rebound margin (+6.8) and assists per game (17.2), while sitting at No. 3 in scoring average (74.2). Individually, Tatum Schmerbach tops the league in assists per game (5.0), is No. 3 in scoring average (18.4), No. 5 in rebounds per game (7.6), No. 8 in field goal percentage (.523) and No. 10 in free throw percentage (.744), with Olivia Sprague No. 4 in assists per game (3.6), No. 8 in rebounds per game (6.0), steals per game (1.9) and free throw percentage (.821), ranking No. 9 in scoring average (13.3) and blocks per game (0.9). Kendall Fealey is No. 5 in field goal percentage (.529) and No. 9 in steals per game (1.8); Avery Andrews is No. 4 in field goal percentage (.537); with Jozie Ramos No. 6 in rebounds per game (6.9), No. 7 in blocks per game (1.0) and No. 9 in field goal percentage (.781).
 
RECORD BOOK: Seven Lady Owls are currently ranked among the Top-50 in the OIT record book, led by Olivia Sprague, who is No. 2 in points scored (1,638), field goals made (581), field goal attempts (1,403) and steals (220), No. 3 in free throws made (278), No. 4 in 3-pointers made (196) and 3-point attempts (544), No. 5 in assists (385), No. 7 in free throw attempts (341), No. 12 in rebounds (590), No. 14 in blocked shots (59), ranking No. 23 in games played (112). Jozie Ramos is No. 5 in blocked shots (97), No. 8 in free throw attempts (318), No. 9 in free throws made (233), No. 15 in field goals made (350), No. 16 in points scored (947), No. 18 in rebounds (491), No. 25 in field goal attempts (698), No. 36 in games played (87), No. 47 in steals (64) and No. 48 in assists (114); Tatum Schmerbach is No. 5 in field goals made (468), No. 8 in assists (339), No. 10 in points scored (1,110) and rebounds (607), No. 11 in field goal attempts (995), No. 16 in blocked shots (48), No. 28 in 3-point attempts (159), No. 32 in 3-pointers made (43) and steals (78), No. 35 in free throws made (131), No. 36 in games played (87), ranking No. 37 in free throw attempts (186); Gabbie Gascon is No. 10 in free throws made (233) and steals (146), No. 12 in assists (274), No. 16 in free throw attempts (280), No. 17 in 3-pointers made (83), No. 19 in 3-point attempts (260), No. 23 in points scored (806), No. 37 in field goal attempts (601), No. 39 in field goals made (245), No. 41 in rebounds (315) and No. 45 in games played (79); Kendall Fealey is No. 15 in steals (125), No. 20 in blocked shots (41), No. 30 in assists (154) and No. 36 in games played (87); Chelsea Ching is No. 36 in games played (87), No. 39 in 3-pointers made (28) and No. 41 in 3-point attempts (82); with Brooke Anderson No. 38 in 3-point attempts (90) and No. 43 in 3-pointers made (25).
 
TOPS AT THE GATE: The Lady Owls continue to lead the NAIA in attendance, averaging 972 fans per game. OIT ranks ahead of Carroll (891), Midland (775), LC State (590) and Montana Tech (581) among NAIA teams.  
 
SCORING 90, ALLOWING UNDER 50 EQUAL WINS: OIT has scored 90-or-more points in a game 46 times, posting a 43-3 record in the high-scoring contests. The Lady Owls are riding a 104-game win streak when allowing fewer than 50 points in a game, recording a 178-8 record in such games (last loss occurred in 2012, a 42-40 setback at Eastern Oregon).
 
UP NEXT: Tech closes the regular-season on the road, traveling to College of Idaho (Feb. 20) and Eastern Oregon (Feb. 21). The CCC regular-season champ will host the 8-team conference tournament, beginning Feb. 27.