The Mountaineers won their fourth out of the last five games.
LA GRANDE, Ore. -- The No. 21 Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team held off The College of Idaho, 97-87.
The Mountaineers (11-5) (5-2) were led by 20-point performances by Josh Landsverk and Jacques Wilson. The College of Idaho (6-8) (2-5) were paced by Craig McGee's game-high 25 points. Wilson was 8 for 9 from the field, and Landsverk was 10 for 12. McGee was 11 for 13.
Eastern Oregon won the 163rd meeting between the two programs separated by 145 miles. The Mountaineers trailed 9-0 to begin the game before EOU's Steve Sawyers hit a three-pointer 2:42 into the game.
Trailing 31-27 with 10:22 remaining in the first half, EOU went on a decisive 12-0 run and never lost the lead again. Eastern had its largest lead of 16 points twice near the end of the first half. The Mountaineers outscored the Yotes 31-9 in bench points in the first half.
The College of Idaho chipped away at the Eastern Oregon lead in the second half, closing the margin to single digits and eventually only four points, 76-72, with 7:54 left in regulation. EOU responded with a 14-4 run over the next 5:42. The Mountaineers would seal the win from the free throw line in the final two minutes.
Eastern Oregon is now 4-0 this season when it scores 90 or more points. The College of Idaho scored 87 points against the conference's second best defense. The Mountaineers entered the game averaging 66.7 points per game on defense.
Eastern's Steve Sawyers scored 16 points off of the bench. Dan Stafford added 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Cody Thurmond and Wilson each had six assists as well. The Mountaineers finished with 26 assists.
Matt Ballenger chipped in 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Yotes. Noah Gottlieb and Steve Peres each had 16 points.
The Mountaineers host Portland Bible College Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The game will be video streamed on EOUSports.com and live stats will also be available. The College of Idaho will host Corban College, Jan. 15.