EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell University women's basketball team came up short in a 60-55 loss to visiting Oregon Tech on Friday night, earning the Beacons the five-seed entering the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament next week.
 
Head Coach Chad Meadors said, 'That was a super physical college basketball game and we certainly matched their intensity. It was a playoff atmosphere and it didn't go our way. We didn't hit enough shots and we turned the ball over too many times. We fought until the end, made plays and had a chance but the third quarter really hurt us. For eight minutes we really struggled to put the ball in the basket."
 
Bushnell trailed by double-digits, 57-46, with just over three minutes to go before using a 9-1 run to pull within three with 1:08 on the clock. The Beacons made a stop and had a chance to tie the game, taking two attempts from beyond the arc, but neither fell and the Owls held on for the 60-55 victory.
 
The Owls used a balanced attack led by a trio of scorers in Maddyson Tull, Melissa Lee and Alexis Elquist, who tallied 14 points apiece. Lee added 16 rebounds to record a double-double. OIT shot 42.1% from the field on the game, going 3-for-14 from three-point range, and 9-for-13 at the free throw line.
 
The Beacons were led by Bella Pedrojetti, who finished with 16 points on the night to lead all scorers. Aly Mirabile added nine points and five steals, while Aspen Slifka posted eight points and four assists. Libby Mathis led the Beacons in rebounding with 10.
 
Bushnell shot 33.3% from the floor as a team, making 6-of-24 from three, and made just 9-of-20 at the free throw line. The Beacons committed 20 turnovers, while the Owls had 22. The Owls held a 45-34 advantage in rebounds.
 
With the win, Oregon Tech (19-8, 15-6 CCC) secures the four-seed in the CCC Tournament and will host fifth-seeded Bushnell (17-9, 14-7) on Wednesday.
 
"We have to bounce back and fight on senior night tomorrow," said Meadors. "We know that we've got OIT on Wednesday and it's going to be a couple play game one way or the other. We've got to get a little bit of momentum tomorrow night to go into the playoffs."
 
Bushnell hosts Southern Oregon on Saturday at 3 p.m. for Senior Night.