MCKENZIE, Tenn. – Defense was the story inside Crisp Arena, as Oregon Tech and Huntington University locked down the opposing attack for 40 minutes – with the Foresters getting just enough offense to top the Lady Owls, 57-52, in the first-round of the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship, presented by Ballogy.
 
Neither team made more than 33% of their field goal chances, but HU (19-11) limited Tech to 3-for-19 shooting in the fourth quarter to erase a 46-44 deficit.
 
The Indiana school opened the game on a 10-0 run, Annaka Nelson and Addie Shank combined for all 10 points – holding the Lady Owls (19-12) without a made field goal for the first five minutes. OIT answered with a 14-3 run of their own, getting triples from seniors Olivia Sprague and Chelsea Ching to take the lead at the quarter break and grab a 23-21 lead into halftime.
 
HU held a 38-34 edge midway through the third quarter when the Lady Owls caught fire. Tatum Schmerbach scored on consecutive possessions and Ayla Marston hit four free throws, part of a 9-0 run that gave OIT their largest lead of the night at 43-38.
 
Tech led early in the fourth quarter – but made just one field goal over a seven-minute stretch. Shank gave the Foresters the lead at 49-48 and added another key inside basket to extend the margin to 54-50 with two minutes to play. OIT had three chances to tie – but were unable to convert on the offensive end.
 
Marston capped a tremendous freshman season with a game-high 16 points, with Schmerbach recording her 37th-straight double-digit scoring game with 12 points and nine rebounds. Sprague closed out her career with a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds), while Avery Andrews finished with seven points and 12 boards. Tech lost despite a commanding 49-34 rebound margin, but converted a season-low 28% of their field goal attempts.
 
Shank led HU with 14 points and Kyndell Jackson scored 12, as the Foresters will meet host Bethel in tomorrow's second-round.
 
NOTES: Schmerbach established a new single-season field goals made record with 238, surpassing the former mark of 235 set by Shelly Isaacs in 1987…Schmerbach also tied the most points scored in a season since women's basketball returned in 2002 with 572, equaling the set by Sprague in 2024…Tech fell to 3-9 all-time in NAIA Tournament games…the Cascade Conference was 2-4 on in the first-round, with LC State and College of Idaho picking up wins.