No. 17 Southern Oregon at Northwest Men's Basketball	No. 1 Oregon Tech at Northwest Men's Basketball
7:30 PM | Friday | Dec. 6 | Kristi Brodin Pavilion | Kirkland	7:30 PM | Saturday | Dec. 7 | Kristi Brodin Pavilion | Kirkland
Game Notes | Live Sats | Live Video | SOU MBB | Cascade Conference MBB	Game Notes | Live Sats | Live Video | OIT MBB | Cascade Conference MBB

KIRKLAND – The Cascade Collegiate Conference season opens for men's basketball this weekend with two of the best teams in the nation heading to Kirkland.
 
The Eagles take on No. 17 Southern Oregon Friday and top-ranked Oregon Tech Saturday. Both games begin at 7:30 p.m.
 
Northwest is coming off a 91-82 loss at Puget Sound. Hussayn Ford had 23 points, and Christian Hakilimali added 21 in that loss. 
 
Ford leads a group of five Eagles averaging in double-figure scoring. Ford, an honorable mention All-America last season, averages 16.9 points per game, followed by Hakilimali at 14.6, Cesar Sandoval at 11.3, Ryan Ricks at 11, and Dejwan Walker at 10.
 
Ford, who is averaging a double-double each game, leads the Eagles with 12.1 rebounds per game. Ford is fourth nationally with 9.25 defensive and 12.1 rebounds per game. He also is 34th in Division II with 2.9 offensive rebounds per game. The Eagles rank ninth in rebound margin (11.6), are 16th in rebound defense (31.6), and are 17th with 13 offensive rebounds per game. 
 
Hakilimali averages 5.6 assists per game, which is eighth in NAIA Division II. He also averages 14.6 points per game and is No. 25 nationally in field goal percentage at .582. The Eagles are ninth nationally with 19.12 assists per game and 10th in the country with their .505 field goal percentage.
 
Southern Oregon has won seven of the last 10 meetings with NU, including the last three meetings. The Raiders edged Northwest in overtime in Kirkland last season, 79-76. Ford had 23 points and nine rebounds in that game for NU, while Tate Hoffman collected 22 points and 11 rebounds for SOU. 
 
Southern Oregon is 5-2 this season after wins in its last two games over No. 15 Vanguard and Maine-Fort Kent. Tate Hoffman leads the Raiders with 15 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, with Jordan Hunt close behind at 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds. Tez Allen leads SOU with 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Aaron Borich is the top three-point threat with 14 makes and a .424 percentage.
 
Northwest snapped a four-game slide in the Oregon Tech series last year with a 78-75 win in Klamath Falls in the CCC Quarterfinals. OIT won 69-68 in Kirkland last season. Mitchell Fink had 14 points for the Owls. Ford countered with a 19-point, 13-rebound performance for NU.
 
Oregon Tech enters the weekend at 9-0 with the best defense (59.8) in the NAIA. The Owls are also top in the division in rebound defense (24.1) and scoring margin (30.8). All-American Mitchell Fink is fourth nationally with 69 assists and leads the Cascade Collegiate Conference with 2.2 steals. Seth Erickson leads the team with 15.1 points per game. He is the top three-point threat with 22 in 51 tries and has made all 14 of his free throws. Fink gets 14.3 points per game, and Matt Van Tassell averages 11.9 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds.