via Oregon Tech Athletics
SALEM, Ore. – Olivia Sprague banked in a runner with five seconds remaining to put the game out of reach, as Oregon Tech ran their season-opening win streak to eight, stopping Willamette University, 66-60, at Cone Fieldhouse.
The Lady Owls (8-0) equaled the second-best start to a season and their best start in a decade with the victory over the Division III Bearcats.
OIT opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run – two buckets from Gabbie Gascon and jumpers from Sprague and Kennedy Tull – to take a 40-31 lead. The margin grew to 58-46 inside the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Bearcats (4-5) connected on four consecutive 3-pointers, including two from Emily Ho – with a Ho lay-up inside the final 40 seconds, cutting the deficit to 62-60.
Tech turned to Sprague on their final possession, as the junior drove down the right side of the lane and banked home a runner to extend the lead to 64-60. Tatum Schmerbach sealed the victory, intercepting the ensuing inbound pass.
Sprague led OIT with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists, with Gascon adding 12 points and a career-high seven boards and both Schmerbach and Tull each tallying 10. The Lady Owls finished with a 43-31 edge on the glass – their seventh-straight game with a plus-10 or better rebound margin – while forcing 20 turnovers.
Elyse Waldal scored a game-high 20 points to lead WU, with Ho adding 15. The Bearcats converted 12-of-26 3-point baskets in the loss, while making just 8-of-25 attempts from inside the arc.
The Owls close out the Willamette Valley road swing tomorrow, meeting Western Oregon in an exhibition game at 2 p.m.