KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Against all odds, in enemy territory, and with no plans of closing out their farewell season early, the Multnomah men's basketball team pulled off the incredible with an upset against the No. 24 ranked and No. 2-seeded Oregon Tech Owls, powering their way to a convincing 84-75 win on Danny Miles Court in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank.

Head coach Tayo Gem had this to say following tonight's historic win. "We continue to accomplish a lot of 'firsts' this season, with the first playoff win in program history. What better place to have it at then probably the toughest gym in the country!" The second-year head coach, while ecstatic over the win and how his squad performed, knows that their job still isn't finished. "Coach Curry and I continue to be so proud of this group! We will enjoy this historic win tonight, get back home with a quick turnaround and then back on the road Thursday as we prepare for another big game against LC State!"

After having matched up against the Owls (22-7) just four days ago, which resulted in a narrow five-point loss for Multnomah (17-11), expectations of an exciting back-and-forth battle were high. Tonight's game was tightly-contested straight from the tip off, with neither team leading by more than six through the first 10 minutes of play. The Lions began to assert their dominance on the game as the first half continued, jumping out to a nine-point lead on the back of a 10-5 run with just over six minutes until the halftime break.

The nationally-ranked Owls weren't going to go down without a fight, fighting their way back to trail by just six at halftime after senior guard Kadeem Nelson drained a pair of free throws to close out an impressive first half from Multnomah.

From then on, the Lions didn't look back for one second, as they continued to dominate the contest. The defining moment came about halfway through the second half, when Mutnomah went on a 9-1 run to extend their lead to 13 over OIT thanks to the offensive efforts of Marje Windfield and Braedon Edison. The hosts continued to fight their way back into the contest, pulling within three of the Lions thanks to a pair of made free throws from Kam Osborn, but that was the closest they would come to reclaiming the lead.

Multnomah, unfazed by their opponents efforts to remain in the game, confidently responded with a 6-0 run of their own to extend their lead to nine with just 46 seconds left to play. OIT managed to come within five, after Jamison Guerra drained three free throws after being fouled by Noah Madsen, only for Madsen and Keilan Torkornoo to respond with a pair of buckets to close out the game, securing Multnomah's first-ever CCC postseason win.

The Lions were led by sophomore guard Madsen, who scored 22 points after shooting 75.0% from the field, while also tallying a team-high five assists. Tonight's win was also a historic night for junior guard/forward Edison, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his collegiate career, scoring 21 on the night while also pulling in five rebounds. Fellow guard Nelson was the only other scorer for Multnomah who ended the night in double-figures, adding 15 points, three steals and a pair of rebounds.

Noah McCord came up big for the Lions tonight, just as he has all season. The junior forward recorded a team-high six rebounds, dished out five assists, and shot 100.0% from the free throw line. Torkornoo also pulled in six rebounds on the night, while Windfield added nine points and three assists off the bench for the Lions. 

The Owls were paced by senior guard Osborn, who scored a game-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting and five three-pointers on the night.

The Lions will hope to keep their season alive in their first ever CCC Tournament Semifinal appearance on Friday, as they head to Lewiston, Idaho to take on the No. 3-seeded Lewis Clark State College Warriors.