LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 22 Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team slid past Corban College Saturday, 78-71.
The Mountaineers (14-5) (7-2) held off the Warriors for its fourth straight victory. Corban fell for the tenth consecutive time.
Thomas McCarthy led EOU with 16 points. The junior was 5 for 7 from the field and 4 for 6 from behind the perimeter. The Prineville, Ore., native added six rebounds and three assists.
Eastern’s Jacques Wilson finished with 14 points, Josh Landsverk added 12, and Dan Stafford chipped in 10. Jordan Gregg had a game-high 10 rebounds. The Mountaineers were 47 percent from the field and had a 44 percent three-point percentage.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 16-4 lead in the first six minutes of regulation. Corban closed the gap to four points, 34-30, with 2:35 remaining in the first half. EOU responded with an 8-0 run before halftime.
Eastern Oregon held a double-digit lead for much of the second half. Corban (6-14) (1-8) would get within eight points with just under nine minutes to play. The Mountaineers took back a double digit lead before the Warriors got within seven with 27 seconds remaining in regulation.
Corban’s Nash Keene scored a game-high 18 points. The junior was 7 for 9 from the field and 4 for 4 from behind the arc. Ben Potloff added 16 points. The Warriors shot 49 percent from the field, and 57 percent from three-point range.
Corban has not beaten Eastern since it changed its name from Western Baptist College to Corban College. The last Warriors’ victory in the series came on Feb. 18, 2005, in Salem. EOU has now won nine straight over Corban. The Warriors hold a 26-20 advantage over Eastern in the all-time series.
The Mountaineers now sit in a four-way tie for first place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference with Evergreen State, Oregon Tech, and Warner Pacific. No. 7 Oregon Tech held off Southern Oregon Saturday night, 72-71. No. 6 Warner Pacific fell at home to Evergreen State, 73-72.
Friday, Eastern Oregon will travel to Oregon Tech for a 7:30 p.m. showdown. The Mountaineers have not won in Klamath Falls since 1979. Corban’s next opponent is at Northwest on Friday.