EUGENE, Ore. – NCU opened up Cascade Conference action with a win on Friday night, coming back from a 13-point deficit to defeat Oregon Tech in overtime, 67-64.
 
Head Coach Heath Alexander said, "We really battled back from a poor start tonight. Our defense kept us in the game until we were able to hit a few shots. Oregon Tech took us out of a lot of our stuff, but we made a few more plays down the stretch and pulled it out."
 
After scoring nine points in the first half and none in the third quarter, junior guard Monique Thompson exploded for nine of NCU's 14 points in the fourth quarter. She scored all of her points in a row during a two-and-a-half minute stretch as part of a 12-3 run that tied the game at 53-53 with 2:58 to play.
 
Both teams had multiple missed opportunities in the waning moments of regulation before OIT took back the lead, on a Morgan Roberts-Ili layup with 1:17 to play. Hanna Mack gave the Beacons a layup on the next possession and regulation ended in a 55-55 tie when the Owls missed a potential game winner in the paint.
 
NCU never led during regulation but led for the entire overtime period as a Hanna Mack jumper and Niki Duncan three-pointer gave NCU a five-point lead in the first minute and a half. The Owls got it to within two points a few times but the Beacons clung to the CCC win.
 
The Beacons (4-4, 1-0 CCC) shot 42% in the game and were 8-for-19 from three-point range. They survived a poor shooting night at the free-throw line where they hit on just 47% of their opportunities. NCU also won despite a monstrous disadvantage on the glass as Oregon Tech held a 53-29 rebounding advantage.
 
Thompson finished with 19 points and six assists for the Beacons while Duncan went 4-for-8 from downtown, scoring 16 points. Mack secured a double-double as she scored 13 points and ten rebounds, along with four blocked shots. "Hanna gave us some good play in the post down the stretch and Monique really battled all night on both ends of the floor," said Alexander. "I was very happy with the minutes Hannah Eddens gave us off the bench. Her defense and rebounding were really key."
 
Oregon Tech (7-4, 0-1), currently receiving votes in the NAIA national coaches poll, had four players in double-figures led by Ashleigh Vandenbrink with 15. Nohea Waiwaiole and Bailey Nelson scored 12 points each and Roberts-Ili completed a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
 
The Beacons will be back in action on Saturday night when they host No. 5 Southern Oregon University at 5:30 p.m. Oregon Tech will be on the road in Salem against Corban University. SOU defeated Corban on Friday night, 69-60.