EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell rallied back from a 13-point deficit but couldn't hang on Saturday night, falling to No. 16 Oregon Tech, 95-88 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action.
 
The Owls (22-4, 17-3 CCC) shot 57% in the contest and leaned on a 60-38 advantage on points in the paint. Bushnell shot 51% from the field and for just the third time in school history the Beacons were perfect at the free-throw line, shooting 17-for-17.
 
With four minutes remaining in the first half, Tech had established a 42-29 lead and looked to be in control. A Spencer Hoffman layup and Cory Johnson triple on the next two Bushnell possessions sparked a 15-7 run to close the half trailing 49-44.
 
OIT settled down early in the second half and were ahead 64-55 after a three-point play from Keegan Shivers and Alexander called a time out to settle the troops. The pause proved fruitful as the Beacons scored eight straight points to climb within one with 12:29 remaining on the clock.
 
Bushnell eventually grabbed their first lead 69-68 on a Kaden Sand layup with under ten minutes to play and for the next three minutes the teams would trade the lead five times. Jamison Guerra gave the Owls the lead for good with a layup at the seven-minute mark, and the Owls went on to hit eight straight free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory.
 
The Beacons were led on senior night by Stevie Schlabach, adding another 26 points to his illustrious total as he shot 8-for-13 from the field and went 9-for-9 at the charity stripe. Schlabach's march to 2000 continues as he now has 1,977 points in his career.
 
Cory Johnson scored 15 points off the bench, hitting a game-high three three-pointers. Kaden Sand added 14 while Spencer Hoffman shot 6-for-9 for 13 points.
 
Oregon Tech was led by Kam Osborn, scoring 19 points, including a clutch bucket with 24 seconds remaining that gave the Owls a five-point lead. Jamison Guerra, the top assist-man in the NAIA, added 17 points and nine assists while Kody Bauman came off the bench to score 16. Keegan Shivers chipped in 15 while Blake Jensen and Jackson Cooper claimed 11 apiece, giving the Owls six players in double-figures.
 
Bushnell, who sits in sixth-place in the Cascade Conference, could still finish as high as fourth or as low as seventh after the final weekend of games coming up. The Beacons will be on the road, traveling to face No. 3 College of Idaho (24-2, 19-1) on Friday and Eastern Oregon (11-15, 10-10) on Saturday.
 

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

Saturday was the final home game for the Beacons and their chance to honor their five seniors, Alexis Angeles, Trevon Richmond, Spencer Hoffman, Kaden Sand, and Stevie Schlabach. 

Coach Alexander said, "Our five seniors have made an unforgettable impact on our program here at Bushnell. These young men have laid the groundwork for the type of team and program we want to be moving forward. Every player we recruit and sign will be measured against the character of these seniors and their commitment to be selfless and coachable. All of these young men will be missed very much!"

ALEXIS ANGELES: Alexis has been with the Beacons for two seasons and has played in 52 games. He has averaged 7.3 points per game and shot 47% from the field. He scored a career-high 22 points as a junior against Willamette and this season scored 14 against Northwest. He has been a member of the athletic directors honor roll and last season was named the teams Newcomer of the Year and Most Improved Player.

Coach Alexander said, "Alexis has been a consistent presence in our program these past two seasons as one of our team captains. Someone who leads by example in how hard he works each day and someone everyone listens to when he speaks. Alexis has improved in many areas of his game while moving into the PG role this season. He is very well respected and loved by his teammates. His calming presence on and off the court is extremely impactful and helps to keep our team focused."

TREVON RICHMOND: Trevon has been with the Beacons for two seasons and has played in 56 games. He has averaged 9.4 points per game and as a junior, led the team in assists and steals. Trevon scored a career-high 22 points against Northwest University last season and had a season high 19 against Warner Pacific this year.

Coach Alexander said, "Tre is best described as lightning in a bottle when he chooses to be aggressive. Moving off the ball this season, Tre has really worked on his shooting and changing his mindset. He has been a consistent presence on both ends of the court for us. His smile is infectious and something we will all miss. Trevon really opened up this season and because of that has gained a lot of trust from his teammates and coaches. He has become a very good student, takes his work seriously, and has left a big impact on his teammates and coaching staff."

SPENCER HOFFMAN: Spencer has been with the Bushnell men's basketball team for three years and has played two seasons. He has started all 56 games over the past two years while averaging 15.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game and shooting 60% from the field. As a junior he led the Beacons in scoring and was an All-Cascade Collegiate Conference selection. He was also named the CCC Newcomer of the Year and was Bushnell's Male Athlete of the Year. Spencer has also been named the NAIA National Player of the Week two times in his career.

Coach Alexander said, "Spencer has been a tremendous student-athlete within our program. He is a great student, a leader on and off the court, a team captain for two seasons, and a great player who has had a great impact on our program. I am proud of all his accomplishments during his time here and have no doubt he will remain a Beacon for Life! His humor and animated personality keeps our team upbeat, while his maturity always gets us refocused and locked-in to be our best."

KADEN SAND: Kaden Sand has had an historic five-year career for the Beacons, playing in 115 games. His 1348 points ranks fifth in school history and he is the second-highest scorer in the NAIA-era. Kaden is Bushnell's all-time leader for blocks and he ranks in the top-five all-time in nine statistical categories. During the CoVID season, Sand started all 12 games for the Beacons, averaging 16.8 points per game to earn All-Conference Honorable Mention. He has also been a member of the Athletic Directors Honor Roll and is an academic all-conference selection this year.

Coach Alexander said, "One of two cornerstones of my first full recruiting class. Watching Kaden grow into the person he is today on and off the court has simply become one of my favorite memories of coaching basketball. Kaden is a high-flying highlight reel on the court, but is also one of the best off two feet around the rim I've seen. His athleticism is second to none in our conference as he continues to amaze with chase down blocks and added rim protection. Kaden is a tremendous young man who changed his trajectory in basketball when he changed his relationship with God. His personal growth led him to be named one of our team captains and has grown into becoming our primary leader on the team. His impact on me as his coach has changed my life forever."

STEVIE SCHLABACH: Stevie Schlabach has had one of the best careers in Bushnell men's basketball history and has played in 121 games during his career. Stevie ranks third all-time in scoring with 1930 points, an NAIA-era record and the most by a Beacon in 33 years. Stevie is a three-time First-Team All-Conference selection and was the CCC Player of the Year in 2021, averaging 21.3 points per game. Stevie owns the Bushnell career records for field goals made and attempted, and he ranks in the top-five all-time in ten statistical categories.

Coach Alexander said, "The other cornerstone of that first full recruiting class, Stevie has been a tremendous asset to building our program the right way. Taking part in walking alongside Stevie as he matured as a young man and as a player has been a highlight of these past five seasons. He has consistently become a better student, a smarter player, a better shooter, and someone who has continued to make players around him better. His focus to improve defensively and do whatever he could to impact the game outside of scoring has been an example of his selflessness. He will truly be missed, as there is no replacement for a young man like Stevie "Buckets" who is a great teammate and one of the most efficient and consistent scorers in our conference.