Jordan Gregg erases a layup attempt in EOU's 94-67 win over College of Idaho.
LA GRANDE, Ore. - It was raining three-point baskets in Quinn Coliseum as the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers reclaimed the elusive I-84 Cup from the College of Idaho 'Yotes, winning 94-67. The win pushes EOU to 22-5 in regular season play and to 15-4 in Cascade Conference play. With the loss the College of Idaho moves to 16-13 on the season and 12-7 in conference play.
In the first half Eastern Oregon jumped out to an early ten point lead. The 'Yotes battled back, tying the game at 39-39, but a 6-0 Mountaineer run in the last two minutes put Eastern ahead 45-39 at intermission. Eastern was an impressive 8-of-12 from the three-point line in the first half, but the 'Yotes outscored Eastern 20-8 in the paint to keep it close. Senior Kris Groce was hot from the field, scoring 23 points in the first half on just eleven shot attempts. It was the bench's turn in the second half.
In the second period the combination of junior reserves Dan Stafford, Jordan Gregg and sophomore Thomas McCarthy combined to shoot a remarkable 16-of-23 from the field and an astonishing 9-of-13 from beyond the arc. Groce finished with a game-high 26 points, while Stafford had nineteen, Gregg had thirteen and McCarthy had fourteen. Senior Jeremy Templeton chipped in with ten points and a game-high six assists.
The Mounties tightened up their defense and continued to shoot an improbable 7-of-12 from beyond the arc and shot 61% from the field as a team in the second half. The College of Idaho struggled to keep pace with the Mountaineers and shot just 39% in the second half and were 3-of-10 from the three-point line.
For the 'Yotes Jabari McIntosh was the high point man with thirteen, while reserve Kurt Nielson was the only other 'Yote in double figures with eleven points. Craig McGee was just short of yet another double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Overall the College of Idaho was plagued by their outside shooting, hitting just 6-of-22 attempts from deep.
The win gives Eastern Oregon University at least a share of the Cascade Conference Championship and is the second consecutive title for the Mountaineers. Eastern Oregon will now have a chance to not only win the title outright, but also claim an automatic bid to the NAIA Division-II National Tournament if they win at Northwest Christian College this Saturday, February 21st. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. PST.