LA GRANDE, Ore. – After a crazy regular season that ended in a three-way tie for the regular season title, the 2015 Men’s Basketball Championship presented by U.S. Bank kicks off tonight with games at campus sites around the conference.
No. 8 Oregon Tech (13-15, 6-12 CCC) at No. 1 College of Idaho (25-5, 14-4 CCC)
7 p.m. MST – Caldwell, Idaho
After a loss in the last game of the regular season, the sixth-ranked College of Idaho basketball team settled for a share of the regular season title but earned the first-seed in the conference tournament off tiebreakers to take on eighth-seeded Oregon Tech.
The Yotes earned the top spot in the conference after finishing with the highest scoring average with 80.6 points per game. COI also leads the conference in rebounding margin (+10.4) and in assists with an average of 18.9. The Yotes are led by senior Demetrius Perkins who is scoring 14.3 points per contest.
Oregon Tech looks to shake things up after losing their last six consecutive games to end the season. The Owls are led by junior Lavar Moore who averages a conference high 22-points per game. Senior Kyle Waits adds 11.1 points on average along with 7 rebounds per game for the Owls.
No. 7 Eastern Oregon (14-14, 6-12 CCC) at No. 2 Concordia (24-5, 14-4 CCC)
7 p.m. PST – Portland, Ore.
A win on the road at Southern Oregon in the final game of the regular season earned the 10
th-ranked Concordia Cavaliers the second seed in the tournament and a piece of the regular season title. Concordia hosts seventh-seeded Eastern Oregon in the first round of the tournament.
Concordia averages the third best scoring margin in the conference (+8.6) and holds the fourth best scoring offense with 78.6 points a game. The Cavaliers are led by senior Tyler Velasquez (15.9) and the top rebounder in the conference, Esvan Middleton, with 11.2 boards per game.
With two of the top five scorers in the conference in junior Bryan McGriff (21.7) and senior De’Sean Mattox (19.1), the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon are tied for the second best scoring offense in the CCC with an average of 79.1 points per game. EOU ranks first in the conference in blocked shots averaging 5.5 a game and is second in rebounding with an average of 41.6.
No. 6 Corban (8-10, 15-12 CCC) at No. 3 Warner Pacific (24-6, 14-4 CCC)
7 p.m. PST – Portland, Ore.
Ending on a four game win streak, 15
th-ranked Warner Pacific was the third team to share a piece of the regular season championship. The Knights play at home against sixth-seeded Corban.
Warner Pacific boasts the best defense in the conference holding its opponents to 63.6 points per game and a shooting percentage of .387 on average. The Knights average the highest scoring margin at +13.6. WPC is led by senior Doug Thomas (16.1 points per game) and junior Earl Jones (15.9).
Corban, another defensively strong team, allows only 69 points per game, good enough for third in the CCC. The Warriors have been efficient from behind the arc, earning the best 3-point percentage at .412. Sophomore Cyrus Ward (15.4) and senior Jordan Carter (14.6) have been the top scorers for Corban. Ward also ranks third in the conference in rebounding with 9.0 a game.
No. 5 Northwest Christian (17-10, 10-8 CCC) at No. 4 Southern Oregon (22-8, 11-7 CCC)
7 p.m. PST – Ashland, Ore.
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rd-ranked Southern Oregon earned the final hosting spot and will face off against fifth-seeded Northwest Christian who completed the regular season sweep over the Raiders with a 66-64 win at home and an 80-69 win on the road.
Southern ties for the second best scoring offense, 79.1 points per game, and has the highest field goal percentage at .507. SOU is also second in the conference in assists with 18.6 per game. The Raiders are led by senior Eric Thompson (19.5), junior Jordan West (14.2) and senior Tim Weber who averages 12.2 points along with 8.3 assists and 6.7 boards a game.
The Beacons of Northwest Christian finish the regular season with the second best defense allowing only 67.4 points a game and holding their opponents to under 44 percent shooting. NCU is led by junior Austin Kuemper (15.0) and junior Javonte Byrd (11.8).
Wednesday's winners advance to the conference tournament semifinals on Saturday night at the campus sites of the top two remaining seeds.