No. 7 Mounties Win Home Opener Over No. 9 in DIII Whitman 11/15/2017 8:56:48 PM LA GRANDE, Ore. – In the regular season home opener, the No. 7 Eastern Oregon women’s basketball came away with a 73-64 victory over Division III opponent and No. 9-ranked Whitman on Wednesday night in Quinn Coliseum. The Mountaineers (5-1) used a second-half surge of 44 points to grab the comeback victory over the visiting Blues. EOU shot 51.9 percent for the game including a blistering 57.69 from the floor in the second half. The Mounties also hit 6-of-10 three pointers in the final 20 minutes. The Blue and Gold began to gain the momentum in the third quarter, going on a 15-5 run to open the quarter and give them a 44-39 lead. After Whitman bounced back with six-straight points to reclaim the lead, EOU went on a run of their own of seven points to take a 56-51 advantage. Midway through the fourth quarter, senior guards Payton Parrish and Maya Ah You-Dias both found their shots as the duo each trained a pair of threes that put the game away as EOU scored 15-straight points. Despite allowing the Blues to shoot 52 percent from the field, the Mounties were tough on defense with 17 steals and 28 total turnovers by Whitman. EOU also made good work of its free throws, hitting 10-of-12 in the game. The Mountaineers were quick off of turnovers, scoring 36 points off Whitman errors and 20 points on fast breaks. Four players scored in double digits, led by Ah-You Dias and senior guard Jessica Sexson with 16 points. Sexson helped keep the Mounties in the game early as she put up 13 of the teams 29 first-half points, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 in the opening 20 minutes. She also led the team in steals with five. Senior forward Stormee Van Belle put up 15 points, her sixth-straight game with double-digit points to start the season. Junior guard Maren Herrud also added 10 points while senior guard Reece Bauer put up eight points and three assists. Whitman, the No. 9-ranked team in Division III and a quarterfinalist in the national tournament a year ago, was playing in its first game of the season. They were led offensively by Maegen Martin and Kaelan Shamseldin, who each scored 12 points. EOU is off until Tuesday, Nov. 21 when the travel to Ellensburg, Washington to face Division II opponent Central Washington in a exhibition contest. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. For more information on Eastern Oregon women’s basketball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com. FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu