LA GRANDE, Ore. – Looking for a much needed win, the Eastern Oregon men's basketball team downed Corban 93-78 to end a three-game losing streak on Saturday night in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.
The Mountaineers (8-7, 2-4 CCC) put their second half woes behind them as they outscored the Warriors (8-7, 2-5 CCC) 54-39 in the final 20 minutes in an explosive half for the offense.
Much of the second half explosion came by the hands of junior Max McCullough and senior Landon Jones. McCullough caught fire and had 24 of his 29 points in the second half as he led a comeback. After the Warriors took the lead 53-44, McCullough and Jones hit a pair of back-to-back threes that sparked an 11-0 run for the Mounties. McCullough and junior Jamal Heckard then traded three's as EOU jumped ahead 58-56.
Jones helped keep the Mounties close in the first half and continued his strong season play in the second half with some key baskets. He also showed a deep-shooting game, making 4-of-5 three's as EOU shot 13-for-22 from behind the arc on the night. McCullough had five three-pointers while Heckard made three.
EOU finished the game on a 13-5 run as they kept any chance of a Warrior comeback at bay. Corban shot 42.5 percent overall but under 30 percent (8-for-27) on three pointers.
Heckard played a strong overall game with 16 points, six assists and four steals in 36 minutes on the floor. Senior Jarek Schetzle added a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. Junior Josh Brown had 10 points and five rebounds while junior Brandon Porter had the team's only seven points off the bench.
Saturday's win was big to give EOU its second win in the conference. They will next be on the road at Evergreen in Olympia, Washington on Jan. 10 and at Northwest on Jan. 11 in Kirkland.
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