CALDWELL, Idaho. – In its first of three meetings scheduled for this year, the EOU men’s basketball team (4-0) took care of Northwest Indian with ease, winning by 50, Saturday afternoon in its last game as part of the Taco Bell Shootout.
A pair of sophomore guards in Max McCullough and Brock Johnson led a quintet of Mountaineers who scored in double-figures Saturday evening as they both netted 15 points apiece. Freshman Jordan May added 13 points in 18 minutes, junior guard Paulo Hugo chipped in 12 points and three boards, and senior guard/forward Blake O’Donnell finished with 11 points and nine boards.
Sonny Sylvester and Jaloni Pepper recorded 11 points apiece for Northwest Indian. Kody Takushi added 10 points while Kacy Green chipped in with nine points.
It was a tight contest in the opening minutes of the first stanza as the Blue and Gold held a three-point lead, 13-10, at the 15:33 mark. Under 10 minutes, Pepper’s layup brought it to a five-point game, 25-20, but the Blue and Gold used a 26-10 run to cap off the first period. During the stretch, EOU shot 5-of-8 (63 percent) from beyond the arc, three triples alone from Hugo, to lead 51-30 at the intermission.
The rout continued in the second period with the Mountaineers outscoring NWIC 52-23. May netted the first seven of nine points in the first two minutes of the half to go up 28, 64-36, and cruised the rest of the way to the 50-point triumph.
On the night, EOU shot a scorching 57-percent clip (39-of-68) from the field, adding 16 assists on the 39 made field goals. The Blue and Gold also connected on 16-of-25 (64 percent) treys, marking the second time the squad has eclipsed the 50 percent-clip this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
42 – Points in the paint by EOU.
60 – Bench points netted by the Mounties.
14 – Turnovers created on defense by the Blue and Gold.
UP NEXT
EOU returns home for a scrimmage against Wenatchee Valley on Nov. 4, before heading up to Boise St. for an exhibition match set for Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. PST.
FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS
Facebook |
Twitter |
Instagram |
YouTube