Mark Carollo and the Mountaineers advanced to the second round of the NAIA Division II men's basketball championships with a lopsided win over Edward Waters (Fla.).
Eastern Oregon Advances in NAIA Tourney, Ozarks Next
POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – Seventh-seeded Eastern Oregon University made its debut in the NAIA Division II men’s basketball tournament an impressive one Wednesday, roaring back from an early 7-0 deficit to hand unseeded Edward Waters (Fla.) College a 93-62 first-round setback in the 32-team, single-elimination tournament.
It marked the first national tournament postseason win in the history of the EOU men's basketball program. The Mountaineers' reward? A second-round matchup Friday at 5:30 p.m. PT against the tournament's host institution, College of the Ozarks, which defeated Indiana-Southeast 91-82 Wednesday night.
Eastern Oregon improved to 26-5 with the victory.
After falling behind 7-0, the Mountaineers reeled off the next 16 points to take a 16-7 lead. EOU led 38-16 at halftime and expanded its advantage to as much as 36 points in the second half. Four players scored in double figures for the Mounts, led by reserve Dan Blanchard’s 20 points in 22 minutes. Mark Carollo added 18, Neil Fryer 14 and Paul Carollo 12. EOU shot 43 percent for the game and held a decisive 59-36 advantage on the boards.
Edward Waters (20-12), which also was making its NAIA tournament debut, was led by Jeffrey Wimbush, who had a game-high 25 points.