Oregon Tech's Kyle Gomez Tied a Career High as the Hustlin' Owls Down the Yotes (Photo by Kelly Caleb)
No. 3 Oregon Tech Too Much for Yotes
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The No. 3 ranked Hustlin’ Owls connected on 10 first half 3-point field goals and did not look back from an 18 point half time lead to take care of visiting College of Idaho by a 91-76 final.
The Owls move to 20-3 on the year and 9-2 in the conference standings. College of Idaho drops to 7-11 overall and 3-8 in CCC play.
Five Owls finished in double-figures with Justin Parnell leading the way with a team-high 20 points. Mike Nieraeth followed with 17 points, 14 of which came in the first half on 5-of-5 from the field, including four baskets from the 3-point line. Joseph Foster and Kyle Gomez came away with 14 points each with Andy Siverly adding 13 in the win. Myles Daley grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, while Parnell and Gomez handed out five assists.
Craig McGee led the Yotes with a double-double 23 points, including 13-for-19 from the free throw line, and 11 rebounds. Brian Bergerson added 20 points, while Kelly McCarty and Calen Blessinger combined for 12 points in the loss.
A 21-9 Oregon Tech run broke a 13-13 tie to give the Owls their first double-digit lead of the game at 34-24. Back-to-back treys by David Clarke and Kyle Gomez, two of the Owls 10 buckets from long range in the first period, helped the Owls to a 40-26 advantage. Joseph Foster and Justin Parnell then connected for a pair, and when Gomez hit is second trey of the period, the Owls were sitting comfortably with a 47-28 lead. Oregon Tech would eventually take a 53-35 lead into the half.
College of Idaho looked to have found confidence to begin the second period, cutting into the Owl lead, 58-45, with just over 17 minutes remaining.
It would take nearly two minutes for either team to notch a point, but it was the Owls that answered first, as the basket spurred a 13-2 run that put Tech up by 24 points, 71-47. Oregon Tech would lead by as many as 28 points, 88-60, with 4:04 to play. College of Idaho would outscore Tech 16-3 during the remainder of the game, as the Owls would settle for the 91-76 final.
Niearaeth and Gomez tied career-highs in points, while Head Coach Danny Miles moved to within four wins for 900 in his career.