Jamar Johnson scored a career-high 30 points Saturday.
BOX SCORE
LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 11 Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team routed Southern Oregon University, 95-53.
Jamar Johnson scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers (16-4) (8-3). The junior became the first EOU men’s basketball player to score 30 points in a game since Neil Fryer scored 41 points at Cascade College on Jan. 24, 2009. Johnson was 10 of 11 from the field, including 4 for 4 from behind the perimeter. The 30 points were the highest an EOU player has scored this season. It was Johnson’s first double-double while at Eastern.
EOU’s Thomas McCarthy added 16 points after shooting 4 of 6 from three-point range. Travares Peterson and Jason Mumm each scored 11 points. JC Cook finished with 10 points. Cody Thurmond threw five assists. The Mountaineers shot 50 percent from the field, 13 of 29 from behind the arc, and 16 for 21 from the free-throw line.
After making only one of its final 16 shots from the field to close the game the previous night, Eastern Oregon began Saturday’s game 0 for 4 from the field. The Raiders, who were receiving votes in the NAIA Div. 2 Top 25 poll entering the game, got out to a 4-0 lead. EOU responded with a 15-0 run.
A Johnson free-throw, that finished a four-point play, gave Eastern its largest lead of the first half, 54-17, with 1:35 left until halftime. EOU outscored Southern, 24-2, in points off of the bench in the first. A McCarthy three-pointer gave the Mountaineers their largest lead of the game with 4:39 remaining in regulation, 90-44.
Eastern Oregon won its fifth straight game over SOU behind a 21-10 fastbreak point advantage, and a 42-26 bench points advantage. The Mountaineers outrebounded Southern, 49-44. SOU committed 16 turnovers to EOU’s 14. Eastern also had a 21-11 assist advantage in the game.
Austin Wolfer led the Raiders with 14 points. He shot 7 for 10 from the field. Wolfer, Jordan Highland, and Drew Herrera each grabbed five rebounds. Jeff Bush threw three assists. SOU was held to 28 percent shooting from the field, 4 for 22 shooting from three-point range, and 7 of 15 shooting from the free-throw line.
Eastern Oregon travels to Warner Pacific College Friday for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The Knights (13-7) (6-4) won their conference-leading fifth straight game Jan. 21 at home over Concordia. The Mountaineers won the matchup earlier this season in La Grande, 86-78, on Dec. 31.
EASTERN OREGON – SOUTHERN OREGON POSTGAME NOTES
- The Raiders lead the all-time series 95-74 over Eastern Oregon.
- Saturday’s game was the 169th meeting between the two programs. It was the second-most against any other program for Eastern. EOU and Western Oregon have met 187 times.
- Southern Oregon last won in La Grande on Feb. 10, 2006, 67-61.
- Eastern is 60-5 in its past 65 games played in Quinn Coliseum.
- EOU is 14-2 when leading at halftime this season.
- The Mountaineers are 9-0 when opponents have scored less than 70 points.
- Eastern Oregon is 21-1 under Isaac Williams when opponents score under 70 points.