LA GRANDE, Ore. – The No. 10 Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team made a huge rally to knock off No. 23 Carroll College, and No. 25 College of Idaho eased past Walla Walla University to open the 2011 Aramark Quinn Classic.
Eastern Oregon (2-0) made the largest comeback for a win under head coach Isaac Williams. The Saints led 29-13 with just under five minutes to play in the first half, before EOU began its rally.
The teams shared baskets to begin the game, being tied at 11 at the 11:19 mark of the first half. Carroll then went on an 18-2 run to have its largest lead of the game, 29-13. Eastern would follow with an 11-2 run, and eventually trail the Saints, 33-26, at halftime.
The Mountaineers tied the score three minutes into the second half at 38 after a three-pointer by Cody Thurmond. A Trent Roos three-pointer with 15:14 left in the second half gave EOU its first lead of the second half, 43-40.
A Chris McGrath jump shot inside the paint gave Carroll its last lead of the game with 9:53 remaining in regulation, 56-55. An 8-0 Mountaineer run began the beginning of Eastern’s ascent to the victory. A Travares Peterson free throw with 2:13 gave EOU its largest lead of the evening, 80-65.
Eastern Oregon’s Jamar Johnson led all scorers with 19 points. The senior was 6 of 13 from the field, including 3 for 6 from behind the perimeter. He added a team-high nine rebounds. Travares Peterson scored 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field. Jeff Ranstrom added 14 points and three blocks off of the bench. Cody Thurmond finished with 10 assists.
The Mountaineers outrebounded Carroll, 54-32. Each team finished with 21 assists, while EOU committed 16 turnovers to the Saints’ 12. Eastern finished with six blocks, its highest total since Dec. 18, 2009, against Southern Oregon. Eastern shot 44 percent from the field, while Carroll was 40 percent. The Saints were 10 of 27 from three-point range, and EOU was 8 of 23.
Carroll (0-1) was led by Chris McGrath’s 13 points. Andy Garland had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Ben Cutler added 10 points. Jordan Weirick finished with a team-high six assists.
The Mountaineers host Walla Walla University Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the fourth and final game of the Aramark Quinn Classic. Carroll faces No. 25 College of Idaho at 5:30 p.m. Each game will have live video and stats on EOUSports.com. Live radio will be available on 98.7 FM.