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56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, May 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 21, 2004 Oregon Tech coach Dan Miles shows his approval during the NAIA Division II championship game on Tuesday. The Hustlin� Owls defeated Bellevue University (Neb.), 81-72, to deliever Miles his first title. Miles revels in OIT’s first national title Longtime Hustlin’ Owls coach and his squad are toast of Klamath Falls By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune To put it mildly, it’s been quite a week for Dan Miles and his Oregon Tech men’s basketball team. The Hustlin’ Owls capped a remarkable run at the NAIA Division II national championships on Tuesday with an 81-72 triumph over Bellevue University (Neb.), and they’ve had that feat trumpeted from Missouri to Klamath Falls ever since. "It’s just been super," a worn-out Miles said Friday afternoon. "After we won it, I woke up the next morning, opened my eyes and found out I wasn’t dreaming." He had to rub his eyes once again when he returned to Klamath Falls at 5 a.m. Thursday to 280 congratulatory e-mails. Miles, who grew up in Medford and starred from 1964-67 in football at Southern Oregon University — he still holds a handful of passing records — gladly answered them all. He finished up at 3 p.m., giving him enough time to prepare for a 5 p.m. parade Thursday and another ceremony after that in the OIT gym. Advertisement The parade drew approximately 4,000 people, the event in the gym about 2,000. "This is just an unbelievable community," Miles said. "It’s really been a special, special time." Mayor Todd Kellstrom went so far as to proclaim Thursday as "National Championship Day" in Klamath Falls. "The people in town really were close to these kids because of the kind of kids they are," added Miles. Oregon Tech (30-9) became the lowest seed in tournament history (No. 16) to claim the NAIA crown, mowing down the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in the process of claiming the Owls’ first men’s basketball title in school history. Senior forward Kevin Baker scored a game-high 24 points and added six rebounds and three assists in the championship final and was named most valuable player in the tournament. No Baker basket proved to be bigger than one in Oregon Tech’s first game of the tournament. The 6-foot-6 standout drained a 3-pointer with six seconds to play to rally the Owls to a 71-69 victory over Dominican University. Baker finished as the tournament’s fourth-leading scorer and rebounder with 80 points and 33 rebounds in five victories. He also ranked third in steals (9) and blocked shots (5). "They just couldn’t believe a 6-6 kid could shoot like that," Miles said of Baker, who was joined on the all-tournament team by OIT senior guards Todd Matthews and Florian Houguet. "He got on a roll and got some confidence, and he was just fantastic back there (at Point Lookout, Mo.)." The Owls also earned the tournament’s sportsmanship award, and Miles was named coach of the year after leading Oregon Tech to its sixth 30-win season in his 33 years. "This was my favorite group I’ve ever coached," said Miles, "and I told them that when we were 10-6." Oregon Tech received contributions from up and down the roster, with 6-4 junior Michael Nunes living up to Miles’ billing as "the best stopper in the Northwest," while senior forward David Michaelis came off the bench to nail 14 3-pointers in the tourney. "We kinda got into a groove where everyone knew how many minutes they were going to play and their role and everything just started working," said Miles. Despite trailing by nine points early against second-ranked Bellevue, which converted 63 percent of its shots in the first half, Oregon Tech kept its composure and rallied with a 13-4 run to tie the game at 40-all at halftime. "I actually felt pretty good at halftime because I couldn’t see them shooting that well for another half," said Miles. Nunes and crew made sure of that with more defensive intensity, and the Owls won going away in their sixth appearance in the NAIA Division II national tournament. Oregon Tech upped its record to 15-5 in the tournament, posting a runner-up finish in the 1997-98 season and quarterfinal runs in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Prior to the NAIA’s divisional split, Miles led the Owls to the championships three times but won only one game. "Since they went to a Division I and Division II, it’s been much better for us teams without as much money and scholarships," said Miles, whose Owls are a natural fit in the six scholarships-and-under division. It certainly doesn’t get any better than Oregon Tech experienced this past week. And who knows how long the celebration could have lasted had Miles, who is in his last season as the school’s softball coach, not had to start a 10-game road trip with that team Friday. "It’s probably good to get out of town for a while," he said. "This way I can get away and let this all soak in." 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