Red Wolves - IU East

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Indiana University East men's basketball team enjoyed a Halloween treat Oct. 31 in the form of a memorable visit to scenic Crater Lake National Park.

The Red Wolves couldn't pull off the difficult trick of winning at Oregon Institute of Technology.

The Red Wolves (0-2) had the lead in the last two minutes and had four possessions to tie or take the lead in the final 90 seconds, but OIT closed the game on a 10-3 run to hand IU East its second loss on its two-game trip to Oregon to tip off the season.

Justin Foster's basket with 1:45 remaining put the Owls ahead to stay.

"That was a good college basketball game right there," IU East coach Mark Hester said on the sidelines following the game. "A well-played game."

"I've never been more proud to be at IU East than I am right now because we grew up tonight as a team and a program. We came into the toughest place to play in the country and competed."

The only thing that could have made the Crater Lake excursion more memorable would have been ... well, to actually see the lake. Clouds and flurries shielded the actual lake from view, though the drive through the national park was well worth the trip.

And the only thing that could have made the game at Oregon Tech better for the Red Wolves would have been a win. IU East stood toe to toe with a program that has won two of the last six NAIA Division II national titles, but Oregon Tech got the last shots.

"With them being No. 11 in the country, it shows we can be there with the best teams," said senior forward Noah Douglas (Indianapolis, Ind./St. Joseph's College).

"We played really hard, but a couple of times our focus went away."

IU East rallied from an early 20-8 deficit and held a 34-32 lead in the waning moments of the first half. Oregon Tech closed the half with five unanswered points for a 37-34 lead.

The Owls opened the second half with a four-point play from Foster. Oregon Tech would rebuild a double-digit lead, but IU East methodically came back again.

A basket by sophomore forward Devon Niehoff (Rushville, Ind./Rushville High School) put the Red Wolves ahead 58-57 with 9:30 to go. There were three ties and eight lead changes the rest of the way.

Douglas and junior guard Tyler Rigby (Bryant, Ind./Jay County High School) led IU East with 17 points apiece. Senior forward Justin Hawkins (Evansville, Ind./Kentucky Wesleyan College) added 12 points. Junior forward Channing Coffey (Pulaski, Tenn./Motlow Community College) had 10.

Foster led Oregon Tech with 26 points, several of the circus-shot variety. Justin Parnell, the Owls' NAIA All-America candidate, scored 23 - most of them with an IU East defender in his face - and grabbed 11 rebounds.

IU East returns to action Nov. 6 at the Cincinnati Christian University tournament.

"What we can take from this (Oregon trip) is the effort we played with," Douglas said. "The effort and energy and communication can carry over to next week."

Hester concluded his Oregon stay with a long look at the life-size photo of an Oregon Tech NAIA national championship team that hangs in the Owls' gym.

"I want one of those," he said as he walked out of the gym.

Click here to read the game recap from the Klamath Falls Herald and News