EOU Splits Weekend Tilt Against Boxers
EOU Sports Information
LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University Men's Basketball split a pair of weekend home games as the Mountaineers took on non-conference foe Pacific University. EOU fell in game one, 100-89, before taking game two by a final of 106-87.
Game 1 – Pacific 100, Eastern Oregon 89
How it Happened
• Helping the Boxers (4-8) win the first matchup was the ability to rotate five-in and five-out which allowed their bench to produce 33 points, while the Mountaineers reserves had just seven in the loss. Both teams shot over 40% in the game, with Pacific having the edge at 45%-44.4%.
• In the first two minutes of action, EOU raced out to a 7-2 lead over Pacific before the game worked its way to an 11-all tie with 15:54 to play until halftime. EOU managed to jump ahead by one on a pair of Brandon Porter free throws before a 16-0 Boxers run made it a 27-14 game.
• The scoring run for Pacific allowed the Boxers to stay in front by double digits for a good while in the first half. EOU battled back though and was able to go ahead 41-40 late in the half. Despite their efforts, the Mountaineers managed just two points after that and went into halftime trailing 55-43.
• 24 first half points from Porter helped the Mountaineers stay close in the game a handful of times and in the second half, he did not slow down and did everything possible to keep the game within reach for Eastern.
• The Boxers managed to lead by as much as 15 in the first half and in the start of the second frame, they looked to keep the fast pace up against EOU. The Boxers got ahead by 15, 58-43, to start the second before a 16-5 run by the Mountaineers cut the Pacific lead to just two.
• Porter continued his high level of play from the first half into the second and in the Mountaineers 16-point surge he accounted for 11 of those points. The overall run by EOU made it a 61-59 game with 16:25 to play in regulation.
• EOU then tied the game up at 61-all but did not clear the hurdle of retaking the lead just yet as the Boxers had answers each time to stay in front by 1-2 possessions. The two teams traded shots until the midway point of the half when EOU grabbed a 73-71 lead.
• It was a back-and-forth affair in the final 10 minutes of the second half before one final push by the Boxers allowed them to escape Quinn Coliseum with the win. The game was tied at 83-83 with 5:56 left to play and Pacific was able to outscore EOU 17-6 for the win.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Brandon Porter scored 17 in the second half to finish with 41 points to lead all scorers. He shot 16-26 overall, including 5-6 from beyond the arc. He also had seven rebounds in the game.
• Max McCullough had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
• Preston Chandler scored 10 points in the loss and had eight boards.
Game 2 – Eastern Oregon 106, Pacific 87
How it Happened
• The second matchup saw EOU take down Pacific by 19 points as the Mountaineers shot 56.3% overall and 50% from three-point range. The Boxers shot 41.9% from the floor but were held to just 28.9% from beyond the arc in the loss.
• Early on, the two teams traded shots and immediately indicated to fans it was going to be another high scoring showdown. EOU led 10-8 after a made triple from Pacific and then went on a 10-0 run to go ahead by 12, 20-8.
• The run by the Mountaineers was critical as they eventually pushed their lead to as much as 20 points in the first half. After the 10- run, Pacific managed to get back within eight of Eastern but never recovered from the surge.
• Pacific made it a 20-12 game with 11:3 to play in the first half but another run by the Mountaineers created even more separation. This time it was a 15-4 run by Eastern that expanded their lead to 35-18 with just under 7:30 to play in the frame.
• The offensive barrage by the Mountaineers was enough to help them go into the halftime break with a 56-44 lead. The Boxers looked to battle back and got within nine early on in the second half but each time the Mountaineers had a response.
• In the first six minutes of action in the second, the Mountaineers were able to stay in front by double figures but the Boxers made one more push to get within two possessions. EOU held a nice lead at 69-56 before a 7-0 run by the Boxers cut the score to 69-63.
• With 13:04 to play in regulation, it looked like the Boxers were going to make it another battle down the stretch, but that was the last time EOU allowed them to get within single digits.
• An 11-1 run by Eastern blew open the score to 79-64. The run was a quick one as the Mountaineers put up the 11 points in just under two minutes. The quick work from Eastern ultimately paid and the Boxers never recovered from it.
• The Mountaineers made it a 20-point game with 8:40 to play in the game when Jordan Montrose nailed a pair of free throws to bring the score to 88-68. The two teams continued to trade shots as EOU coasted to the 10-87 win.
Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Five players scored in double figures led by Max McCullough who put up a game-high 27. He shot 10-16 overall, 4-8 from deep, and also had five rebounds to go along with four assists.
• Zane Wright scored 26 points in the win on 8-15 shooting and was 7-12 from three-point range.
• Brandon Porter had 17 points on 6-15 made shots. He was also 4-5 at the free throw line and had two steals.
• Justin Jeske posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He also tallied three steals.
• Preston Chandler scored 11 points on 4-6 shooting and was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine.
By the Numbers
2,000 – With his 44 points over the weekend, Max McCullough has now eclipsed 2,000 career points scored. He stands at 2,013 and is the only player in EOU history that has scored over 2,000 career points.
21 – The 21 made free throws by EOU in game two is the most in a single game this year, as are the 32 attempts.
6 – The Mountaineers surpassed 100 points for the sixth time this season in the game two win.
20 – The 20 turnovers by Eastern in game two is the most in a game this season.
5 – The five blocked shots by the Mounties in game one ties the most in a single game this year.
41 – The 41 points from Brandon Porter is a career high and it is the second time this season a Mountaineers player has scored over 40 points in a game.
Up Next
• The Mountaineers have just two games left this season and they will both be home games. EOU will wrap up the season next weekend against in-state rival Southern Oregon on May 7 and 8. Game times are set for 6 p.m. and 3 p.m. PT, respectively. No spectators will be allowed for either game.
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