CCC Men’s Basketball Semifinal Report

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Cascade Collegiate Conference men’s basketball tournament has reached its final four teams that will play in the conference semifinals Saturday. The CCC Championships follow Tuesday.

#4 Eastern Oregon at #1 Oregon Tech

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The No. 3 Owls are looking for their fourth straight conference tournament title. Oregon Tech has won six straight games over the Mountaineers and 21 straight in Klamath Falls dating back to 1979. OIT won the season’s first meeting in La Grande, 81-71, and then took an 88-78 decision at home. Eastern owns the conference’s longest winning streak at five games. EOU is playing in the conference tournament semifinals for the sixth straight season.

 

Tech had its 65-game home win streak snapped this season, but is 16-1 at home in 2011-12. The Mountaineers have a 6-7 road win record. It’s only the second time EOU and the Owls have ever met in postseason play, but the second straight season after meeting in last year’s Cascade Conference tournament championship game. Tech was victorious at home, 88-83.

#3 Warner Pacific at #2 Northwest

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A pair of teams ranked inside the national top 15 meet in Kirkland. No. 15 Warner Pacific and No. 9 Northwest opened their seasons picked fifth and seventh in the conference preseason poll, and are now one win shy of the conference title game. The teams split the regular season meetings with each home team winning. The Eagles opened their season 15-0 before WPC handed Northwest their first loss of the season in Portland on Jan. 6, 69-56.

 

The teams met again on Feb. 4, in Kirkland, and NU pulled out an 86-74 win. Both of the teams are in the national top 10 statistically in assists per game and assist to turnover ratio. The Eagles boast a 13-1 record inside the NU Pavilion, while Warner Pacific has won nine of its 13 road games this season. Northwest is 9-1 in its last 10 games, and WPC is 7-3 in its last 10 contests.