NANAIMO, B.C. – The Eastern Oregon men’s basketball team was put to the test against the defending champions of the Pacific West Athletic Association in Vancouver Island University, and the Navy and Gold came away with a split in its two-game road swing this weekend in Canada.
“These games were great openers for the season,” said head men’s basketball coach Jared Barrett. “VIU plays a really physical style of basketball, and the officials let both teams play. It took us a little bit to adjust.”
Game One – Friday, Oct. 16
Vancouver Island 107, EOU 105
On Friday, the Mountaineers nearly overcame a 14-point halftime deficit in the final seconds, but ultimately fell short to the Mariners 107-105.
Junior guard Kentrell Washington led the way with a double-double, as he scored 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
A transfer out of Northern Arizona, sophomore guard Tate de Laveaga shot 7-for-13 from the floor en route to a 20-point effort.
Three other players scored in double figures for EOU, as junior forward Michael Hillman (17), senior guard Case Rada (15), and sophomore forward Brandon Hoston (10) each provided solid efforts.
Although EOU had to adjust to a 24-second shot clock and four 12-minute quarters, the Mountaineers utilized their depth, getting 36 points from the bench.
Neither team shot particularly well, but Vancover Island managed to connect on 41.5 percent (34-for-82) of its shots compared to a 38.5 percent (37-for-96) clip by the Navy and Gold.
EOU recorded 15 steals in the losing effort.
Game Two – Saturday, Oct. 17
EOU 96, Vancouver Island 84
The second matchup on Saturday afternoon saw EOU lead by as many as 17 points (93-76), as the Mountaineers forced 20+ turnovers for the second-straight game to pull off the 12-point victory.
“In today’s game, we were a lot more prepared for what was going to come,” said Barrett.
Washington paced EOU once agian with 24 points and 16 rebounds, while Rada recorded 20 points and dished out a game-high six assists. Two more players added double figures for the Mountaineers, as de Laveaga and freshman guard Caulin Bakalarski netted 12 and 10 points, respectively.
EOU shot a blistering 48.6 percent (36-for-74) from the floor while holding Vancouver Island to a 37.7 percent (26-for-69) clip.
“It’s a quick-paced game with the 24-second shot clock and a 14-second shot clock reset on the offensive rebounds,” said Barrett. “We could and should have come away with two wins this weekend, but we learned a lot about ourselves. Traveling to Canada was a lot of fun, and the guys came really came together and bonded on the trip.”
Up Next
EOU (1-1) returns to the hardwood on Oct. 23-24 for a pair of games against Simpson. The matchup on Oct. 23 is set for a 7 p.m.