Senior Kris Groce netting two of his game-high 27 points in a Mountie win.
LA GRANDE, Ore. - The No. 18 Eastern Oregon University Mountaineer men's basketball team (16-5, 9-4 CCC) defeated the No. 5 Oregon Institute of Technology Hustlin' Owls (19-4, 9-4 CCC) 74-63 in a game that featured some tremendous defense and outstanding plays from two of the most talented teams in the NAIA. The Mountaineers came out from the tip-off with a game plan on defense, and executed it well.
The Mounties held the Owls, who have been averaging over 85 points per game, to just nineteen points in the first half on 25% shooting from the field and a dismal 0-for-10 from beyond the three-point line. However, the Mounties had their struggles against a hardnosed OIT defense and led just 29-19 at the halftime intermission.
The Owls came out firing in the second half, erasing their ten point deficit in just six minutes of action. The two teams would exchange baskets for the next few minutes, but the Mounties were able to jump out and extend there lead back to double digits and would never look back. The lead forced OIT to foul down the stretch and Eastern made the Owls pay, hitting 17-of-20 free throws to seal the game.
EOU was led by senior Kris Groce, who scored a game-high 27 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Fellow senior Paul Carollo notched yet another double-double with ten points and fifteen rebounds, while reserve junior Jordan Gregg was an incredible spark for the Mounties with thirteen points and nine rebounds off the bench. The Mounties bench outscored the reserves from OIT 24-12 on the night.
For the Owls, junior Justin Parnell had a team-high 21 points, but shot just 5-for-20 from the field. Senior Jguwon Hogges was the only other OIT player to hit double figures with fifteen points. The Owls did manage to outscore the Mounties in the paint 32-26, but in the end shot just 32% from the field on the evening.
Eastern Oregon will now look to get another shot at the Raiders of Southern Oregon University. The Raiders started off the Cascade Conference season by knocking off the then #5 ranked Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers in Ashland, Ore. by a score of 82-77. The game will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. PST.