Newcomer Jordan Gregg throws down this break-a-way dunk in his first game as a Mountie. The Spokane Community College transfer finished with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds.
Mountaineer Men Come Home with Big Win
Tim Mollerstrom
LA GRANDE, Ore. - The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team got off to a hot start in their opening season game, which was played at Hermiston high school in Hermiston, Ore. The team dominated down low by outscoring their opponents, the Multnomah University Lions, 86-4 in the paint and cruised to a 111-55 win.
The Mountaineers were able to get a big advantage on the glass due to a great team effort. "Our ability to rebound on the offensive end was as good as we could hope for in an opening night," said head coach Ryan Looney. "It's nice to see the newcomers have mixed well with our returners."
The team was balanced with four players hitting double digit points and three players earning double digit rebound numbers. Junior transfer Jordan Gregg (Lewiston, Ida.) came off the bench to lead the Mountaineers with a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds. Returning starter and senior Neil Fryer (Bremerton, Wash.) had 22 points of his own along with 6 rebounds, while senior transfer Kris Groce (Pasco, Wash.) had 16 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in his debut.
The Lions would live and die by the three point shot, and went just 13 of 49 from beyond the arc, with many of those shots coming from well behind the new, longer three-point line. Multnomah struggled from the field all night, shooting just 26.9% on the night while the Mounties shot 66.7% for the game. The poor shooting of the Lions resulted in the Mountaineers out rebounding their opponent 59-20 on the night.
The team will now travel to Walla Walla, Wash. to play the Wolves of Walla Walla University. The game will be held at Walla Walla Community College and is scheduled for Tuesday, November, 4th. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. PST.