HELENA, Mont. — Eastern Oregon men's basketball defeated Carroll College 100-94 in an intense season opener Friday night at the PE Center. The Mountaineers (1-0) set the tone early, holding a commanding 57-38 lead at halftime, and withstood a late Carroll comeback attempt to secure the win.
Garrett Hawkes led the way for Eastern Oregon, scoring a game-high 34 points on 11-of-16 shooting, including three three-pointers, and added nine points from the free-throw line. TJ Doman contributed a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Trent Rogers chipped in 16 points on an efficient 7-for-9 from the field.
For the Saints (2-2), Isaac Round paced his team with 26 points, hitting eight of his 12 three-point attempts, helping Carroll outscore Eastern Oregon 56-43 in the second half. Isaiah Crane added 17 points, and Josiah Cuaresma came off the bench to score 17 as well.
Eastern Oregon shot efficiently during the contest, hitting 61.9% of their shots, including 52.4% from beyond the arc. The Mountaineers also leveraged Carroll's 15 turnovers to generate 31 points.
Eastern Oregon next faces Montana State University-Northern for day two of the Carroll College Classic, set to tip-off at 6:00 p.m. PT.