GLENDALE, Ariz. – Eastern Oregon men's basketball once again went toe-to-toe with one of the nation's best, falling 94-85 to No. 2 Arizona Christian on Tuesday night at the ACU Events Center.
The Mountaineers matched the high-powered Firestorm for much of the night, cutting a 14-point second-half deficit to single digits late, but ACU's depth and defensive pressure proved decisive.
After trailing 42-32 at halftime, EOU came out firing, opening the second half on a 9-2 burst fueled by Trent Rogers and Logan Orchard to make it a three-point game. The Firestorm responded behind their All-American guard Shaud Bradley, who poured in 25 points and steadied ACU at the line.
The Mounties stayed within striking distance thanks to an offensive effort that saw five players score in double figures. Rogers led the way with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and three triples, while Keilan Torkornoo matched him with 15 points, five rebounds, and a pair of blocks. James Bodily provided another spark off the bench, tallying 16 points and hitting 3-of-5 from deep.
Orchard continued his strong playmaking stretch with 13 points, three assists, and four steals, while Eamon Monahan added 10 points and seven boards. Eastern shot 53 percent from the field and 52 percent from three, but couldn't overcome ACU's 33 points off turnovers and 23-of-29 performance from the foul line.
Bradley's 25 led all scorers, and Mikey DeHorney added 15 points and three steals for the Firestorm, who improved to 9-1 on the year. Ese Onakpoma chipped in 12 points, a block, and a steal as ACU forced 23 Mountaineer turnovers.
EOU briefly led midway through the first half after back-to-back threes from Cole Hammack and Bodily, but Arizona Christian closed the frame with a 10-point lead into halftime. Despite the Mounties' 53-point outburst in the second half, ACU's late free throws sealed the win.
Eastern Oregon (3-2) continues its Arizona road swing tomorrow night, facing Park University Gilbert at 5 p.m. local time.