KIRKLAND, Wash. – Olivia Sprague flirted with a triple-double, recording the most steals by an Oregon Tech player in two decades, helping the Lady Owls remain unbeaten on the year with a 65-39 victory over Northwest University at Brodin Pavilion.
Sprague finished the night with 23 points, nine rebounds, nine steals, five assists and two blocks, as the Lady Owls (9-0, 3-0 CCC) joined the 2013-14 squad as the only OIT clubs to win their first 9-in-a-row.
The junior jumpstarted the night for Tech, connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers, erasing an early 2-0 Eagles (1-8, 1-3) lead. A Kennedy Tull 3-point play pushed the lead to 17-6 late in the first quarter, with a turn-around jumper from Kayley Elliott extending the margin to 28-10 midway through the second frame.
NU would cut the gap to 32-23 on a Maya Duchesne jumper late in the quarter, but Tech would break the game wide open after halftime, using a 12-2 run to take a 20-point lead to the final period.
Defense was the key for OIT – limiting the Eagles to 28-percent shooting from the floor, including a 1-for-16 clip from 3-point range. The Lady Owls forced 22 turnovers and recorded a double-digit rebound margin (41-26) for the eighth-straight game.
The nine steals by Sprague ranks No. 2 on the OIT single-game list – trailing only the 10 steals by Samantha Gilbert against Concordia-Portland during the 2003-04 season.
Tull finished with 17 points in the victory, Gabbie Gascon added 10 points and five boards, with Elliott scoring seven off the bench.
Kylie Lunday led NU with 14 points and six rebounds off the bench.
OIT closes out the weekend on Saturday afternoon, traveling to Evergreen State for a 3 p.m. tip.
