LA GRANDE, Ore. – The 13th-ranked and second-seeded EOU men’s basketball team moved an inch closer to winning its first-ever conference tournament title on Wednesday night, as the Blue and Gold breezed past seventh-seeded Warner Pacific, 84-58, in the quarterfinals of the 2016-17 Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank.
With the win, the Mountaineers advanced to the semifinals and will host eighth-seeded Corban on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Warriors knocked off first-seeded Northwest Christian, 105-76, to advance.
Thanks to nine three’s in the opening 20 minutes, EOU was able to build a double-digit lead, and Warner Pacific’s one-on-one, halfcourt game resulted in a dismal four-assist, 2-for-25 mark from downtown.
Freshman sharpshooter Max McCullough recorded a game-high 19 points on a 7-for-10 effort from the field, while senior guard Kentrell Washington notched a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Bryan McGriff scored 16 points and pulled down nine boards, and junior wing Austin Winegar came off the bench to put in 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
EOU (23-7) came out of the gates on fire, nailing five early three’s, including two apiece from McCullough and junior guard Cole Ashby, to take a 19-9 lead at the 12:45 mark of the first frame. For the next four minutes, the Blue and Gold held the Knights to only two field goals, and then McCullough swooshed another trey to extend the margin to 12 (27-15) with 8:24 left to play. Winegar got into the long-distance action with a jumper to push the advantage to 16 (35-19), and EOU ultimately kept that advantage (44-28) into the locker room.
Warner Pacific (12-17) got as close as 12 (54-42) in the second half after Collin Malcolm tossed in a jumper, but the rest was all EOU. McGriff and McCullough responded with back-to-back three’s to ignite a 17-4 run over the next six minutes to build a 25-point (71-46) advantage, and the Knights never got closer than 23. During that stretch, the Mountaineers shot 63.4 percent (7-for-11) from the field, and five of the seven makes were assisted.
With 3:30 left to play, freshman guard Rhett Schlader found junior guard Jordan Christensen for the three to give EOU its largest lead (82-54) of the game, and the Blue and Gold went on to secure its largest CCC Tournament win under fifth-year head coach Isaac Williams.
EOU dominated in every facet of the game, including assists (26-4), rebounds (48-35), and points in the paint (30-22).
BY THE NUMBERS
26 – Of EOU’s 32 made buckets, 26 were assisted, showing just how unselfish and efficient the Mountaineers played on the offensive end.
4 – On the other end of the court, EOU held Warner Pacific to only four assists – the lowest allowed by the Blue and Gold since Dec. 5, 2014.
19 – McCullough hit the 19-point mark for the eighth time this season.
UP NEXT
EOU hosts Corban on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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