OLYMPIA, Wash. --
Sydney VanNess (Sr., G/F) scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds for The Evergreen State College, but #23-ranked Oregon Tech defeated the Geoducks, 73-61, in a Cascade Collegiate Conference game on Friday, Jan. 31. Jozie Ramos topped Oregon Tech with 21 points.
The win for OIT at the Costantino Recreation Center improved the Owls to 16-4 overall, including 12-2 in the CCC. Evergreen slipped to 3-13 on the season, 3-11 in the CCC.
VanNess and Ramos each hit 7 of 14 field goals for their respective teams. Van Ness was 3 fo 4 at the free throw line, while Ramos hit 7 of 9 free throws for OIT.
Joining VanNess in double figures for the Geoducks were
Jalyn Sackrider (Sr., F/C),
Mikail Montez (Sr., F/C), and
Allison DeBerry (Sr., G). Sackrider tallied 13 points to go along with seven rebounds. Montez finished with 12 points, while DeBerry scored 11 points and provided a game-high eight assists.
Ramos was one of two Owls with double-digit scoring. Tatum Schmerbach hit the nets for 15 points and hauled down 10 rebounds, while recording five assists. Brooke Anderson registered nine points and four steals.
Oregon Tech zoomed out to a 7-2 lead, but Evergreen tied the score at 7-7 on an eight-foot jump shot by VanNess with 5:18 left in the opening quarter. The Geoducks led 11-9 just over two minutes later following a jumper by Sackrider. The Owls moved in front 14-11 with a 3-pointer by Schmerbach with 1:38 to go. Evergreen tied the score at the end of the quarter after Montez sank a 3-point shot with seven seconds left.
The Owls built a 22-16 lead in the second quarter. Sackrider countered with two fast-break layups to pull the Geoducks within 22-20 at the 4:39 mark. A bit later, OIT grabbed a 25-20 lead on a 3-pointer by Anderson. The Owls outscored Evergreen 19-11 during the quarter and held a 33-25 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Oregon Tech grabbed a 37-25 lead and stayed in front. Evergreen reduced the margin to 41-33 on a driving layup by
Abby Mundy (Sr., G) with 3:47 on the clock. The Geoducks pulled as close as 47-40 when Mundy converted 1 of 2 free throws with 44 seconds to play. Kendall Fealey of OIT hit a layup just before the buzzer to give the Owls a 51-41 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Montez started the final quarter with a layup for TESC, but Oregon Tech scored the next five points for a 56-43 edge. The Owls led 60-45 with 5:20 remaining after a basket by Schmerbach. DeBerry hit a 3-pointer for Evergreen for the next score by either team as the clock reached 4:16. The Geoducks pulled within 62-51 on a 3-pointer by Sackrider from the left corner with 3:28 left but couldn't get closer.
Evergreen shot 40.4% on field goals (23 of 57), while Oregon Tech shot 40.6% (26 of 64). The Geoducks made 6 of 21 three-pointers (28.6%) and the Owls hit 3 of 10 long-range shots (30.0%). OIT was 18 for 23 on free throws (78.3%). Evergreen sank 9 of 14 free throws (64.3%).
The Geoducks will remain at home to take on Southern Oregon University in CCC action on Saturday, Feb. 1. Game time at the Costantino Recreation Center is set for 3 p.m. PST.
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