PORTLAND, Ore. – Five Oregon Tech players scored in double-figures, as the Hustlin’ Owls connected on 11-of-21 3-point attempts in an 87-80 road win at Multnomah University.
OIT (16-4, 11-3 CCC) withstood a hot-shooting night from the hosts to clinch their 30th-straight postseason berth, dating back to 1993.
The No. 23-ranked Owls started fast – getting a pair of triples from Erik Fraser, a trey from Kam Osborn and seven Keegan Shivers points – part of a 20-6 run over the first six minutes.
The lead did not last, as the Lions (8-13, 3-12) rallied behind Taylor Pomeroy, who canned a pair of triples in a 12-2 run that got the hosts within 26-24 – with the teams playing to a 44-44 stalemate at the break.
Both teams traded small second half leads – as a Javier Turner 3-point play giving MU a 57-56 lead. Jackson Cooper answered for Tech with an inside bucket, Jay Elmore splashed a long triple and Cooper and Kody Bauman converted on the block – with the 9-0 run giving the Owls the lead for good.
MU would cut the deficit to two on a pair of occasions and were within 80-77 inside the final two minutes, but a contested baseline jumper from Osborn and two Shivers free throws paved the way for the OIT win.
Tech finished the night making 52-percent of their field goals – scoring 20 points off fast break opportunities.
Osborn led OIT with 18 points, Shivers scored 16, Fraser added 14 on 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range, Jamison Guerra scored 11 and Cooper had 10 of the bench.
The Lions lost despite shooting 53-percent, as Pomeroy scored 16 points and Miles Macadory scored 15. OIT limited MU’s leading scorer, Tyrese Taylor to five points and six rebounds.
OIT closes out the road swing tomorrow, traveling to Warner Pacific for a 5 p.m. contest.