PRESCOTT, Ariz. – Gylan Payne and Jared Sucher hit 3-pointers in an 11-0 run late in the contest, as Oregon Tech opened the 2026-27 season with an 84-59 victory over Ottawa (Ariz.) in Game 1 of the Embry-Riddle Halloween Classic inside Eagle Gym.
Payne led the Hustlin' Owls (1-0) with 18 points and eight rebounds and Owen Nathan added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists – as Tech converted 56% of their second half shots, outscoring the Spirit, 49-27.
Leading 35-32 at the break, Tech opened the second half on a 10-2 run over the first five minutes, getting buckets from Mason Bierbrauer and Caleb Bowden, with Nathan capping the run with a transition lay-up.
The lead was 66-53 at the final media timeout before the Owls blitz. Sucher started the run with a corner triple and after a defensive stop, OIT got an offensive rebound an Payne canned a 3-pointer, followed by a Bowden driving lay-up and a 3-point play from Payne to push the margin to 24 points.
The two teams traded five ties in the first half, with OUAZ (2-1) holding a 30-27 lead late in the opening half, before an 8-point Tech run gave them the lead for good.
Bowden scored all 11 of his points in the second half, with Sucher recording eight points and seven rebounds. Tedh held a 40-30 edge in rebounds and forced 14 turnovers.
Trevor Thompson scored 13 of his 14 points in the opening half for OUAZ.
The Owls close out the road swing tomorrow at 4 p.m., meeting host Embry-Riddle – live on 92.5 KLAD.