KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Despite dominating in the first half, Multnomah was unable to maintain their momentum and secure the victory, dropping an 85-80 decision on the road against The Oregon Tech Hustlin' Owls.

"This is a tough loss to handle, as it had a playoff type of atmosphere," shared head coach Tayo Gem. "We stuck to the game plan and did everything we could to put ourselves in a position to solidify the victory. However, OIT is a championship program, and that atmosphere in their arena was the difference maker." Despite the narrow defeat, Gem and the rest of his squad already has their sights set on finishing the regular season on a high before their quarterfinal matchup in the 2024-25 CCC Men's Basketball Tournament Presented by U.S. Bank. "I continue to be proud of this group, and although we've already secured post-season play, we must take care of business against SOU."

The Lions jumped out to a 13 point lead thanks to a 17-1 scoring run anchored by guards Braedon Edison and Lareel Stewart with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Multnomah maintained their advantage throughout the duration of the half, with a pair of free throws from OIT's Jamison Guerra cutting the visitor's lead to 13 heading into the halftime break.

Despite their dominance on the contest up to that point, it was the Owls who made the most of their opportunities in the second half, shooting 64% from the field out of the halftime break while outscoring the Lions 51-33. Multnomah had an opportunity to tie things up at 83 in the final minute of the game, but a missed three-pointer from Keilan Torkornoo opened up the door for OIT to close out the win, securing the season sweep over the Lions.

Edison and Stewart were two of five Lions who finished the night in double-digit scoring, ending the night with 18 points and 16 points off the bench respectively. Kadeem Nelson added 14 points and a pair of steals, while forwards Torkornoo and Noah McCord each tallied seven rebounds and combined for 23 points.

The Lions will close out the regular season in Ashland, Oregon today, as they take on Southern Oregon University at 5:00 pm.