EOU and Jamar Johnson started the season on a high note Friday.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball opened the 2010-11 season with an easy 102-66 victory at Portland Bible College.
The No. 18 Mountaineers (1-0) won their fifth straight opening season game, and third straight scoring at least 100 points. It was also the 10th time Eastern has scored at least 100 points in the past five seasons.
Thomas McCarthy led Eastern with 22 points. The senior hit six of his 10 three point attempts, and was 8 for 13 from the field. Four other EOU players finished with double-digit scoring marks. JC Cook and Travares Peterson each had 19 points. Cook made five of his eight three-point attempts, and Peterson was 7 of 9 from the field.
Jamar Johnson added 11 points for the Mountaineers, and Jeff Ranstrom chipped in 10 points. Ranstrom finished with a game-high nine rebounds.
Portland Bible (1-3) had 17 total rebounds, while Eastern grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. EOU outrebounded the Wildcats 39-17. The Mountaineers forced 16 PBC turnovers. Eastern turned the ball over nine times.
Eastern Oregon made 13 of its 32 three-point attempts, and Portland Bible College was 10 of 21 from behind the perimeter. Both teams shot well from the field, EOU finished 58 percent from the floor and the Wildcats were 48 percent.
Portland Bible’s Cameron Guyton led all scorers with 33 points. He connected on six of his 10 three-pointers, and was 11 for 15 from the field. Guyton added a game-high six assists. Cody Thurmond and Josh Cottle led EOU with five assists each. Jeremee Tyler finished with 12 points.
The Mountaineers outscored PBC, 22-12, in points off of turnovers, 19-5 in second chance points, and 52-12 in points off of the bench. EOU was 11 for 13 from the free throw line (84.6 percent) and Portland Bible was 10 of 20 (50 percent).
Friday’s win gives Eastern a 2-0 all-time advantage over PBC. The teams met for the first time last season when EOU won 85-72 in La Grande.
Eastern will stay in Portland for a game at Multnomah University Saturday at 7 p.m. The Lions and the Mountaineers met in the 2008 season opener in Hermiston, Ore. Eastern eased to a 111-55 win. MU made only five two-point shots, but hit 13 of their 49 three-point attempts. EOU shot nine three-pointers in that game, and made three. Eastern Oregon is 2-0 all-time with Multnomah and has outscored them, 207-100 in the meetings.
Multnomah opened its season Friday as well. The Lions defeated Columbia Bible College (B.C.), 99-87. Multnomah’s Gian Cook had a team high 21 points. There will be live audio of Saturday’s EOU and MU game beginning at 6:50 p.m. on EOUSports.com.