LEWISTON, Idaho – Eastern Oregon men's basketball rode a blistering first half and another huge night from its bench to defeat Dickinson State University for the second time this season, this time 91-78 at Lewis-Clark State's Clearwater River Casino & Lodge Classic on Saturday afternoon.
The win pushes the Mountaineers to 3-1 overall after an opening-night victory over the Blue Hawks three weeks ago and back-to-back wins in Lewiston this weekend.
EOU came out flying, hanging 50 points on 54.3 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes while knocking down 6-of-14 from deep and going a perfect 6-for-6 at the line. The Mounties steadily turned a tight game into a double-digit cushion, and they led by as many as 19 before taking a 50-33 advantage into the locker room.
Eastern Oregon never trailed after the 15-minute mark of the first half and kept Dickinson State at arm's length after the break, stretching the lead to 22 at 83-61 with just over five minutes to play. The Blue Hawks caught fire from three late and shot 60.7 percent in the second half, but the Mountaineers' depth was too much to overcome.
EOU finished the night at 52.3 percent from the field and an impressive 94.1 percent (16-of-17) at the line. The Mounties dominated the glass 36-28 and turned nine offensive rebounds into a 17-1 edge in second-chance points, while also winning the turnover battle and converting 10 points off DSU miscues.
Eamon Monahan paced Eastern with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, knocking down a pair of threes and going 3-for-3 at the line. Trent Rogers added 15 points on an identical 6-of-11 from the floor, while Keilan Torkornoo powered the interior with 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
The Mountaineer bench once again changed the game, piling up 41 points. Isaiah Jones matched Rogers with 15 points and added four boards and two steals, and Cole Hammack stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, five assists, and three rebounds while going 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. James Bodily chipped in seven more points off the bench, and Porter Abrams anchored things defensively with five rebounds and four assists.
Dickinson State was led by Griffyn Doughty's 14 points, with DC Stewart adding 13 all after halftime, and Quincy Linton and Weston Zacher finishing with 11 apiece.
EOU has a quick turnaround, traveling to Cheney for an exhibition matchup with NCAA Division I Eastern Washington University on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Though it is not a countable contest for the Mounties, it will stream live on ESPN.