BOX SCORE
HELENA, Mont. – The Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team held off Rocky Mountain College, 78-72, at the Carroll College Classic Friday.
The Mountaineers (6-0) are one-win from matching their best start in school history. Eastern shot 39 percent from the field, including 8 for 22 from behind the perimeter. Rocky Mountain shot 63 percent from the field and made 5 of its 19 three-point attempts.
"I thought our guys showed a lot of toughness tonight," EOU head coach Isaac Williams said. "We did not shoot the ball well, but to battle and pull out the win like that shows a lot."
Eastern finished with four players scoring in double digits led by Jamar Johnson’s 15 points. The junior was 4 for 7 from the field, including 2 of 2 from behind the arc. Thomas McCarthy and JC Cook each had 13 points. McCarthy hit 3 three-pointers and has now made 27 three-pointers in six games this year.
Josh Cottle added 10 points for the Mountaineers. Jeff Ranstrom finished with a team-high seven rebounds.
Kale Eike led the Battlin’ Bears with 12 points on 3 of 5 shooting from the field. He added a game-high eight rebounds. Anthony Carter and Orlandor Westbrooks each had 11 points for RMC (4-3). Daryl Poole also had eight rebounds.
Rocky Mountain entered the game receiving votes in the NAIA Div. 1 national poll, and EOU is No. 18 in the NAIA Div. 2 Top 25. The Bears outrebounded Eastern 35-33 in the game. It was the second meeting all-time between the teams, and the Mountaineers have now won both.
Eastern Oregon plays the host of the tournament, Carroll College Saturday at 6:30 p.m. PT. The Saints (4-2) knocked off San Diego Christian in the second game of the classic Friday. There will be a live video stream of the EOU and Carroll game on EOUSports.com.