CALDWELL, Idaho – The Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team suffered its first loss of the season with a 73-66 loss to Westminster College on Saturday evening. Tony Eackles Jr. led the way with 29 points for the Mountaineers.
Kyllian Wood followed with 12 points and collected a game-high 14 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
The Mountaineers and Griffins came out and struggled shooting from the floor to start the contest and after the first seven and a half minutes the game was tied at 7-7. Westminster’s offense started to heat up and to build a lead over Eastern Oregon. The Griffins extended its lead to 13 points, 30-17, after a Blake Skidmore jumper.
The lead stayed around 15 points for the rest of the first half and Westminster took a 37-22 lead into halftime. The Mountaineers struggled getting the offense going in the first half as they shot 18 percent from the floor, only making five field goals.
The Griffins built the lead to 18 points, 47-29, in the second half after a pair of free throws by Tallon Robertson. The Mountaineers started a comeback at this point led by Eackles and Deonta Edwards. Eackles scored eight and and Edwards six on the Mountaineers' 13-2 run trimming the lead to seven points, 49-42.
Eastern Oregon continued to battle but Westminster grew its lead back to double digits, 62-52, with 5:08 left in the game after a pair of free throws by Jordan Pryor. However, EOU answered right back by scoring the next five points to cut the Griffins' lead down, 62-57, with four minutes remaining in the contest.
The Mountaineers would not get any closer for the remainder of the game and fell to Westminster, 73-66.
Eastern Oregon returns to action on Friday Nov. 22 when they travel to Lewiston, Idaho to face Lewis-Clark State College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.