LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 22 Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team picked up its 13th victory of the season Friday with a 77-57 win over Northwest Christian University.
The Mountaineers (13-5) (6-2) wearing retro jerseys on ‘70s night in Quinn Coliseum, shot an incredible 50 percent from behind the perimeter. EOU made 10 of its 20 three-point attempts.
Eastern improved to 9-0 when they hold opponents under 70 points this season. The Mountaineers won their 20th consecutive conference regular season home game.
Dan Stafford scored double digits for the 28th time in his career as he led EOU with 19 points. Thomas McCarthy added 15 points for the Mountaineers. Jordan Gregg grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.
Eastern outrebounded the Beacons 52-34, but turned the ball over 12 times compared to NCU's five. Northwest Christian shot 55 percent from the free throw line, and EOU shot 23 percent.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 12-point lead, but the Beacons closed to within four points with 4:19 remaining in the first half. Eastern closed the first half on a 15-3 run to take a 40-24 halftime lead.
A jumper from Stafford with 12:54 remaining in regulation gave EOU its largest lead of the game, 59-36. The Mountaineers maintained a double digit lead through the second half. NCU got within 10 points after Ben Voogd hit a jumper in the paint with 5:45 left in the game.
Voogd entered the game averaging 18 points per game, but was held to four points Friday. The senior transfer from the University of Oregon scored a season-low after making only two of his 17 shots from the field. The Beacons' Andrew Miller scored a game-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. The senior was 8 for 9 from the field. Erik Quick-Warner added 10 points.
The Mountaineers host Corban College Saturday night at 7:30. The Warriors (6-13) (1-7) dropped their ninth straight game Friday at The College of Idaho, 71-59. NCU travels down I-84 to face C of I Saturday.