By Graham Metzker

Eugene, OR – The Morse Center is set to present four games rife with Cascade Collegiate Conference playoff consequences, as the Bushnell men’s and women’s basketball teams face off against Oregon Tech on Friday and Southern Oregon on Saturday. The two-game homestand will serve as the conclusion to the regular season for both Beacons’ squads. For head coach Chad Meadors and the women, the weekend is a chance to lock down one more home game in the CCC playoffs by finishing in 4th place. On the flip side, if head coach Eddie Alexander and the men get a win or Multnomah loses once this weekend, they will clinch a postseason berth. For both squads Saturday will be Senior Night, where six Beacons will be honored before their games. Here is all the information you need ahead of a jam-packed weekend for Bushnell basketball.

Bushnell Women's Basketball

It’s been three weeks since Meadors’ squad has played in the Morse Center. In that time the Beacons traveled through three states, and amassed a 2-2 record over that time. The Beacons have already clinched a spot in the CCC playoffs, but they are tied for fourth place in the conference with Oregon Tech – who they face off against on Friday. Winning 4th place is vital because it guarantees home court in the CCC quarterfinals. The recipe for success for Meadors’ Beacons has been relying on the team’s depth and making constant changes to adapt to the flow of the game. In the previous four games, the Beacons have had a different leading scorer each time. Make sure to look out for junior guard Aspen Slifka, who averages 11.3 points and 2.1 steals per game and was the Beacons’ leading scorer the first time they played OIT and SOU. 

Oregon Tech

Bushnell vs. Oregon Tech has become something of a common fixture in late February. Last season, the Beacons and Hustlin’ Owls met in Eugene in the CCC quarterfinals as the four vs. five seed matchup. The postseason match was a barn burner that the Beacons eventually won 83-77 in overtime. Now, a year later, the same teams will meet again in the quarterfinals – the only question is who will have home court advantage? The Owls feature two of the CCC’s top-five scorers, including the player in first place, guard Olivia Sprague. As a freshman last season, Sprague put up 24 points on four three-pointers in the O.T. loss in the quarterfinals. As a sophomore, she stands atop the conference, scoring 17.5 points per game. Her teammate, center Maddyson Tull, is fifth with 14 points per game.

Southern Oregon

Southern Oregon was the most successful team in the CCC last season. The Raiders won the CCC tournament last season, and made it to the second round of the NAIA tournament before falling to The Master’s. This season, the Raiders have bounced on and off the NAIA top-25 list a few times and are currently unranked after losing to #10 Lewis-Clark State last weekend. But at 16-4 on the season and third in the CCC, the Raiders have one of the deadliest combinations of talent and experience in the conference. Junior forward and Sheldon High School alumni Kami Walk is the sixth-best scorer in the conference, putting up 13.8 points per game. Senior guard Brianna Phiakhamngon broke out this season, averaging 12.7 points per game on the season and 20 pointer per game on her past two outings.

Bushnell Men’s Basketball

Unlike the women’s team, the Bushnell men’s basketball team does not have a postseason guarantee yet. But one win out of the two games this weekend, or one loss by Multnomah, means Alexander’s team will be in the CCC tournament on the road. The Beacons are currently tied for 7th place with Lewis-Clark State, meaning should they qualify, they will be traveling to either the 1st or 2nd place team for the CCC quarterfinals. The Beacons are led by the one-two scoring punch of center Spencer Hoffman and guard Stevie Schlabach. Both are top-10 scorers in the conference, and it’s been seven games since either Hoffman or Schlabach led the Beacons in scoring in a game. Look for the Beacons to target their stars early and often.

Oregon Tech

As the team sitting directly above the Beacons in sixth place, Oregon Tech should be a good measuring stick for Alexander’s team ahead of the postseason. But that is not how it went the first time these teams met this season. When the Owls hosted the Beacons in Klamath Falls, they came out with a dominant 104-61 victory where six different Owls scored in double figures. That is the type of fire power that the Owls have, currently ranking second in the conference in scoring with 82.8 points per game. They also have the reigning CCC Men’s Basketball Player of the Week in guard Jamison Guerra, who scored 16 points in both games last weekend to help make it four wins in a row for the Owls ahead of their trip to Eugene.

Southern Oregon

If Friday’s game against Oregon Tech helps to show where Bushnell ranks within the CCC, then Saturday’s game against Southern Oregon will help to show if Bushnell stands a chance at making it out of the quarterfinals of the CCC tournament. Southern Oregon is one of three teams currently tied for 2nd, so there is definitely a possibility of a rematch of Saturday’s game in the CCC tournament. The Raiders have been on a tear since the turn of the year, only losing three games in 2023 – including a one-point loss to Bushnell thanks to eight straight points and a last-second winner from Bushnell’s Trevon Richmond. In that 67-66 loss, Raiders’ top-scorer and fourth-best scorer in the CCC Atmar Mundu had just 14 points. The Beacons will need another disciplined defensive performance against Mundu and the Raiders on Saturday.

Predictions

It’s shaping up to be an electric weekend in the Morse Center. In between four great matchups, the Bushnell women’s team will celebrate senior players Shawnie Spink, Olivia Bailon, Kalina Rojas, and Kaylen Kamelamela; the Bushnell men’s team will celebrate lone senior Isaac Girley. For Meadors and the women, I see a big win on Friday against OIT to lock down 4th place, and a loss to SOU on Saturday with some extra minutes for hard-working seniors. For Alexander in the men, I see a hard-fought win over OIT, followed by a close loss to SOU to set up a rematch in the quarterfinals down in Ashland.