via Oregon Tech Athletic Communications
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Oregon Tech heads to the desert in search of their first trip to Kansas City since 1987, as the Hustlin’ Owls will compete in the first two rounds of the NAIA Championships in a 4-team pod hosted by Arizona Christian.
No. 9 seed OIT (22-7) will meet No. 8 seed Indiana Tech next Friday at 2:30 p.m. (PDT) in a first-round match-up inside the ACU Event Center, with the winner to meet either No. 1 seed Arizona Christian or No. 16 seed Westcliff on Saturday with a trip to Kansas City and the tournament final site on the line.
It marks the 24th-trip to the NAIA Tournament for Tech and the third trip in the past four seasons – with the Owls advancing to the tournament’s second-round in each of their past two appearances.
IIT (23-7), from Fort Wayne, reached the tournament final in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference – with the club allowing just 69 points a game and holding a plus-seven rebound margin. The Warriors are paced by a pair of All-WHAC performers – Crew Gibson (14.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg) and Blake Davison (12.6 ppg, 4.3). It is the first meeting between the teams in 20 years, as the Owls topped their Indiana foes at the 2005 national tourney.
Tech looks for a potential rematch with top-seed ACU (26-4) – who defeated the Owls in November, 97-83. The Firestorm head into the tournament on a 12-game win streak, riding an offense that makes 51% of their field goals and a defense holding teams to 67 points a night. Both Ese Onakpoma (13.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Anthony Howell (10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) earned All-Great Southwest Athletic Conference honors.
Westcliff (14-8), from Irvine, Calif., earned a spot in the tournament by upsetting UC Merced in the California Pacific Conference title game. The Warriors average 72 points per game and are led by All-Cal Pac performers in Rayven Turner (13.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg) and Micaiah Hankns (13.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg).
All games from Glendale will be streamed for free on the GSAC Sports Network, with OIT games carried live in the Basin on 92.5 KLAD-FM with Mike Safford on the call.
NAIA Tournament – First/Second Rounds, March 14-15 (Glendale, Ariz.)
Game 1 (March 14) – No. 8 seed Indiana Tech vs. No. 9 seed Oregon Tech, 2:30 p.m.
Game 2 (March 14) – No. 1 seed Arizona Christian vs. No. 16 seed Westcliff, 5 p.m.
Game 3 (March 15) – Winner 1 vs Winner 2, 5 p.m.
The Lady Owls (23-7) earned the No. 6 seed in the Naismith Quadrant and will meet the No. 11-seed Buffs (24-7) in the Marian University Physical Education Center. Tip-off of the first-round game is set for 7:15 p.m. (EDT) / 4:15 p.m. (PDT)
The winner of the OIT-Milligan game will face the winner of the No. 3-seed Marian (Ind.) vs. No. 14-seed St. Xavier (Ill.) on Saturday at 6 p.m. (EDT) / 3 p.m. (PDT) – with the winner advancing to the tournament final site in Sioux City, Iowa.
Milligan, from Milligan, Tenn., is the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament champion – averaging 86 points per game. A trio of All-AAC picks – forwards Jaycie Jenkins (20.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, .482 3FG%) and Lauren Longmire (13.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg), along with guard Semaj Clark (15.5 ppg, 3.7 apg).
Host Marian (23-7) is coming off a trip to the national quarterfinals and advanced to the Crossroads League tournament final. The Knights are 14-2 at home this season, paced by CL Player of the Year Abbey McNally (19.3 ppg, 12.6 rpg, .593 FG%), along with All-CL picks Taylor Double (12.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Kenna Kirby (9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Tech is 1-1 all-time vs. MU, including a win at the 2019 NAIA Championships.
St. X (18-11), from Chicago, earned an at-large bid after finishing as the regular-season runner-up in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Cougars dropped their final two games heading into the tournament, but are led by the tandem of Ryann Ogarek (13.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Jaida Green (12.9 ppg). OIT met SXU in the 2015 national tournament.
All games will be streamed on the ISC Sports Network (pay-per-view), with OIT games carried live in the Basin on 104.3 and 960 Sports with Josh Eldredge on the call.
It marks the second-straight year and the eighth overall trip to the NAIA Championships for the Lady Owls.
Naismith Quadrant – Indianapolis, Ind. (March 14-15)
Game 1 (March 14) – No. 3 Marian vs. No. 14 St. Xavier, 5 p.m. (EDT)
Game 2 (March 14) – No. 6 Oregon Tech vs. No. 11 Milligan, 7:15 p.m. (EDT)
Game 3 (March 15 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 6 p.m. (EDT)
