via Oregon Tech Athletic Communications
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – All-American point-guard Trent Hudgens scored a game-high 25 points, leading an Arizona Christian offense that connected on 64-percent of their field goals in a 97-83 victory over Oregon Tech in the final game of the Lithia Classic at Danny Miles Court.
The No. 4-ranked Firestorm (8-0) remained unbeaten on the season with their best offensive output of the new year – making 9-of-16 3-pointers and scoring 44 points in the paint against the raucous home crowd.
OIT (3-2) got a Blake Jensen dunk in an opening 7-2 run, with the two teams playing to a 12-12 stalemate after a long Keegan Shivers 3-pointer. ACU responded with a 19-3 run of their own – getting long-range shots from Taevon Pierre-Louis, Lorenzo Wright, Jalik Dunkley and Dominic Gonzalez to take a 31-15 edge.
The Owls cut the gap to 37-27 on a pair of Jamison Guerra free throws, but the Firestorm ended the period on a 10-2 run.
ACU built a 20-point lead on six occasions in the second half, the last at 84-64 – before Tech made a fine run. Shivers canned a trio of 3’s and Erik Fraser added another, pulling the hosts within 85-76, with Guerra getting the Owls within 89-81 with 90 seconds left with two free throws – but OIT was unable to get closer.
Shivers had a season-high 24 points, making 6-of-11 3-pointers, with Guerra scoring 14. Dakota Reber had 12 off the bench, with both Fraser and Jensen each scoring 11. After a slow first half, the Owls made 52-percent of their second half field goals.
Hudgens added six rebounds and six assists in the victory, with Ese Onakpoma making 8-of-10 field goals, part of a 19-point night.
The Owls close out their four-game homestand next Saturday with an exhibition game vs. the Seattle Mountaineers at 7:30 p.m.
