LA GRANDE, Ore. – De'Sean Mattox's 3-pointer, with 51 seconds remaining in the game, gave the Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team a three point lead, 64-61, over Oregon Tech. The 3-pointer ended up being the game-sealer as EOU came away with a 66-61 victory.
Mattox lead the Mountaineers (12-8, 4-6 CCC) with 17 points, as he shot 5-for-13, including 4-of-9 from behind the arc.
Deonta Edwards came off the bench to add 14 points, on 5-of-6 shooting, as the Mountaineers now have won two straight.
Kalvin Johanson led EOU with 10 rebounds.
The Mountaineers held the Cascade Collegiate Conference's leading scorer Lavar Moore to 10 points under his average. Moore led the Owls with 14 points on the evening. Kyle Waits added 13 points as the Owls have dropped their second-straight contest.
Over the first five minutes of the contest, the Mountaineers and Owls found themselves in a back-and-forth affair. Eastern Oregon increased their lead to four points, 12-8, after a jumper by McGriff. After the Mountaineers took the four point lead, the Owls responded tied the game at 14-14.
After the game was tied at 14-14, both teams continued to trade leads and buckets as neither team took control in a 10 minute stretch that saw four ties. After the stretch, EOU and the Owls found themselves tied at 24-24 with 4:13 left in the half.
Oregon Tech scored the next six points, and a jumper by Waits put the Owls ahead, 30-24. The Mountaineers responded as
Case Rada hit a 3-pointer, and a pair of free throws by Mattox put EOU down three, 32-29.
Michael Crane tied the game as he hit a half-court shot as time expired. EOU and Oregon Tech went into halftime tied at 32-32.
Coming out of halftime, the Owls jumped all over the Mountaineers as they scored the first seven points, growing their lead to 39-32 over EOU, after a Brandon Bautista 3-pointer. Eastern Oregon answered back as Mattox, Rada and
Austin Strock hit 3-pointers, putting EOU down 44-41.
The Owls continued to hold the lead over EOU and with 6:17 left in the half, Oregon Tech held a five point lead, 54-49. EOU proceeded to hold Oregon Tech without a point for a three minute span that saw EOU take a two point lead, 56-54, after a McGriff 3-pointer.
During the final three minutes of the game, EOU and Oregon Tech saw three ties but Eastern Oregon never fell behind. EOU held a three point lead, 61-58, and Moore answered for Oregon Tech by hitting a three pointer, tying the game at 61-61.
Mattox returned the favor and hit his fourth 3-pointer, putting EOU on top, 64-61, with 51 seconds remaining in the game. Edwards sealed the win for the Mountaineers as he hit two free throws for EOU putting head ahead by five, 66-61, which was the final score.
The Mountaineers return to action tomorrow when they host No. 10 Southern Oregon at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Owls travel to Caldwell, Idaho to face the Yotes of College of Idaho at 7:30 p.m. MT.