LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon men's basketball team fell just short of victory in a 112-105 back and forth contest against Multnomah, Saturday on Senior Night in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.
The Mountaineers (14-13, 9-7 CCC) started the game off slow, shooting 36 percent from the field. Sophomore Jordan May led the Mountaineers in the first half with 10 points and four rebounds, followed by junior Landon Jones' nine points and six rebounds.
EOU had a difficult time containing Multnomah's Zach Richardson who went on to score a game-high of 42 points. Ben Grandle had 30 points and Brett Blackstock posted 23 of his own.
The Mountaineers came out in the second half trailing 52-47, but continued to rally behind each other to score 105 points in a balanced attack. With five minutes left in the game, May fouled out with 17 points, giving other Mountaineers a chance to step up.
EOU had five different scorers in double-digits, one of which was honored during senior night. Senior Said Hersi went onto hit a few clutch three pointers down the stretch, scoring a season high 16 points. Jones led the charge with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Peter Hamilton had 12 points while junior Jarek Schetzle tallied his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
EOU put up their second highest scoring total of the season with 105 points, but it wasn't enough to hold off the dynamic Multnomah attack. The Mounties pulled within three points with under a minute to play, but were unable to tie the score or take the lead. The Lions were also excellent from the free throw line, shooting 25-for-32 to ice the game late.
Prior to the game, the Mounties honored seniors Hersi and forward Peter Eke. Eke had six points and three rebounds in 11 minutes on the floor.
The Mountaineers look to rebound on the road against Oregon Tech on Friday in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
For more information on Eastern Oregon men's basketball, follow @EOUAthletics or visit eousports.com.
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Contact: Iain Dexter; 541-962-3946; idexter@eou.edu