No. 10 Eastern Oregon Downs Oregon Tech in Defensive Battle
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –Eastern Oregon’s Dominique Johnson scored the winning basket with just under a second to play, as Oregon Tech fell to the Mountaineers in this afternoons Cascade Conference grind-it-out affair by a 42-40 final.
Oregon Tech falls to 18-5 overall and 7-4 in CCC play. The win moves Eastern Oregon to 17-4 on the year and 9-2 in conference play.
Oregon Tech struck on its first possession when Karissa Dixon pulled up from long range to give the Owls a 3-0 lead. Eastern Oregon eventually tied the contest at 3-3 after Korrie Bourn netted Eastern first field goal with 14:39 to play in the first period.
With four more ties over the next 12 minutes, the last at 13-13, Eastern escaped to the locker room with a 17-16 lead.
Back-to-back Morgan Hofman free throws, along with a Dixon driving layup put the Owls up four, 22-18, to begin the second stanza.
EOU’s Nicole Redd, however, hit from long range to pull the Mountaineers back to 22-21. The team’s continued to go back-and-forth before an 8-3 EOU run put the visitors up 35-30 with 7:35 on the clock.
Tech answered with an 8-0 run, capped by a pair of Hofman free throws, that put the Owls in control, 38-35, with 2:04 to play. EOU, however, answered with layup and free throw to tie it at 38-38.
A pair of Kelsea Hurliman free throws with 45 second to play put EOU up, but Tech’s Dixon was fouled driving to the basket with 13 seconds and calmly sank her two attempts to tie it up at 40-40 with EOU in possession.
With six seconds remaining EOU’s Dominique Johnson received the ball at the top of the key and worked her way to the basket, scoring with 0.7 seconds on the clock.
Tech set up a last desperation attempt but failed to get a shot before the buzzer sounded.
Oregon Tech’s Karissa Dixon, in foul trouble most of the game, led all scorers with 15 points in just 20 minutes. Colleen Hunt followed with six points and Morgan Hofman five in the loss for the Owls.
Korrie Bourn led EOU with 13 points to go with game-highs in rebounds with six, along with four assists. Dominique Johnson added seven points with four other Mountaineers coming up with four points each.
In a defensive battle from start to finish Oregon Tech was held to just 30% from the floor, while holding Eastern to 34% for the game. EOU held a 38-to-30 advantage in rebounds, while EOU was true on 12-of-18 from the free throw line and Oregon Tech just 8-of-14.
Oregon Tech next travels to Portland to face Concordia University this Friday and Warner Pacific Saturday in Cascade Conference action.