OIT (30-4) then used a 21-0 run over the next eight minutes to stretch its lead to 35-14 with 3:12 remaining in the first half. Judson would make a run of its own and hold the Owls scoreless for the rest of the half, 12-0 leaving the Eagles trialing 35-26 at the break.

A Justin Parnell jumper gave Tech its largest lead of the second half, 43-31, with 13:53 remaining in regulation. The Eagles then made another run, this time a Jim Kuban basket capped off a 17-4 run that gave Judson the lead back with 8:15 remaining in the game.

The lead changed hands only twice over the next five minutes with the advantage never being larger than three points.

Joseph Foster led four OIT double-digit scorers with 17 points. Justin Parnell added 12, Myles Daley had 11 and Scott Riddle chipped in 10. Daley added a game-high 12 rebounds.

Judson held Tech to 1-for-13 shooting from behind the perimeter. The Hustlin' Owls entered the game shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.

The Eagles (17-13) were 4-for-19 from behind the arc and shot 31 percent from the field in the game. Oregon Tech finished shooting 33 percent from the field.

Kuban led JU with 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting from the field. Landon Skinner finished with 11 and Josh Edwards had 10. LeStan Hoskins had a team-high 10 rebounds.

The scoring margin was the closest for a first-round game featuring the two seed since Bethel College (Ind.) defeated Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho) in 1999, 96-90. Bethel went on to be the national runner-up that season. Only one second-seed has ever lost in the opening round when Grace fell to Northwest Nazarene in 1993, 86-75.

Oregon Tech advances to the second round and will play 15th-seeded St. Francis Friday at 4 p.m. The 32-team, single-elimination tournament concludes March 17.