Box Score LA GRANDE, Ore. – In a barnburner that saw nine ties and 11 lead changes, it was Eastern Oregon University's 15-7 run in the final four minutes that enabled the host Mountaineers to overcome the upset-minded Multnomah University Lions 96-90 in Cascade Collegiate Conference men's basketball Friday night here at Quinn Coliseum.
After Austin Winegar's three-pointer gave Eastern Oregon an early 3-2 lead, Multnomah went on a 17-7 outburst, capped by a three by
Brett Blackstock, to take its largest lead of the game at 19-10 with 14:53 to go in the first half. The Mountaineers fought back and forged ahead 35-32 with an 11-1 run, Cole Ashby's conventional three-point play breaking a 32-32 tie. Back came the Lions as Blackstock and
Ben Grandle each hit a pair of threes in a 15-6 stretch that put the visitors up 47-41 with four minutes to go. After EOU tied it 49-49,
Darius Redrick gave Multnomah a 51-49 halftime lead with a jumper in the lane with seven seconds left.
Winegar opened the second half with a basket to tie it again, but the Lions used a pair of buckets and two free throws from
Jon Viles to jump ahead again 62-55 with 15 minutes to play. A long-range three by Ashby secured a 64-64 tie at 13:45, and teams traded leads several times over the next nine minutes until Redrick put Multnomah ahead one last time at 83-81 with four minutes remaining.
Jordan May's three at 3:49 gave Eastern Oregon the lead for good and sparked an 11-2 run, capped by a Max McCullough fast-break layup that made it 92-85 with 34 ticks left.
Trey Fountain twice brought the Lions within four with a three and a layup in the waning moments, but May's two free throws with 12 second left, the final points of the game, sealed the Mountaineers' victory.
--- By the Numbers: Blackstock tied for game-high honors with 26 points, canning 10 of 15 shots, including 6-of-8 on threes, and also recorded his third double-double of the season with a game-high 12 rebounds. Redrick added 15 points, Grandle 14, and Fountain and Viles 12 each. The Lions had their best shooting night of the season, sinking 33-of-69 for a .478 percentage, and won the battle of the boards 45-34. Fountain handed out four assists.
McCullough finished with 26 points, Winegar and Ashby scored 19 each, and May tossed in 15 as the Mountaineers shot .506 from the field (39-77). Winegar had a team-high eight rebounds, and McCullough passed out six assists.
Multnomah lost its fifth in a row to fall to 4-13 on the season and 1-7 in the conference, while Eastern Oregon is 15-3 overall and 7-3 in the CCC after winning its fifth straight.
--- Quoting MU coach Curt Bickley: "We battled hard tonight; had a chance late. Turnovers (13 to only six for EOU) on the road are difficult to overcome; that hurt us tonight."
--- Next: Multnomah goes to the 8
th-ranked College of Idaho while Eastern Oregon hosts Warner Pacific College Saturday, both games at 7:30 p.m. (local time; Multnomah vs. College of Idaho is 6:30 p.m. Pacific time) … Both will be preceded by CCC women's games at 5:30 p.m. (local time).
