Eastern Survives Scare vs. Walla Walla
LA GRANDE- Call it top ten jitters, as the Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team outlasted feisty Walla Walla University (3-10) Thursday night in La Grande, 80-62.
The Mountaineers (9-1) (2-0) came into the game ranked sixth in the NAIA, the highest in school history, but looked all but that ranking for much of the game. This was Eastern's first game since cracking into the top ten on December 5.
EOU shot 47.6 percent from the field and committed 10 turnovers. Mark Carollo and Neil Fryer led Eastern in scoring with 16 points each. The Mountaineers once again had multiple scorers in double figures. Kyle Janke added 15 points.
Eastern only led by six at the half, 31-25, before Walla Walla made a 8-2 run to start the second half to cut the lead to only three; the closest the Wolves would come in the second half. The lead changed seven times in the first half and was tied only once. EOU then used a 20-6 run to separate to a comfortable margin with 9:15 remaining, 53-36.
EOU made 46.7 percent of their shots in the first half, compared to the Wolves 47.6 percent. WWU also made 75 percent of their three-point shots in the first half making three of four.
The Wolves were led by Brett Weisner, who finished with a game-high 17 points. Gerard Dauphin chipped in 14 points for WWU, along with six rebounds. Walla Walla finished shooting 47.8 percent from the field, and 72.7 from the perimeter.
This was a rematch of the opening season game in which Eastern cruised to a 108-78 victory in Hermiston. EOU will have almost no break as the Mountaineers travel to Northwest Nazarene (7-0) Friday evening for an exhibition game.