LA GRANDE, Ore. - Multnomah dropped to sixth place in the Cascade Conference standings following tonight's 80-105 road loss against Eastern Oregon University. The hosts improved to 13-5 on the year, while the Lions dropped to 7-5 in conference play.
Head coach Tayo Gem shared a heartfelt message about the state of his squad following tonight's loss. "Let's call it what it is, Monday's announcement regarding the future of the university has had a huge emotional impact on our team, and I feel sorry for my guys who are carrying this huge weight on their shoulders while being expected to go out there and perform at a high level." Gem went on to say, "The guys are thinking about where they will continue their academic and basketball careers, which is emotionally draining, and I wish I could carry this unfortunate burden while they just enjoyed playing basketball, but that's not the reality. We aren't using this as an excuse, as we have a few things we still need to work on, and will continue to work towards reaching our full potential."
Multnomah led for one single possession early in the game, but it was all EOU from then on. The hosts led by as much as 13 in the first half, before ending the period with a 10-point advantage thanks to a bucket in the last 40 seconds of the half from TJ Doman.
The Mountaineers continued their dominant play in the second half, outscoring the Lions 62-47. The hosts were in total control of the glass with a 45-32 rebounding advantage over Multnomah, while also capitalizing on their mistakes with 17 points scored off of turnovers.
Multnomah struggled offensively tonight, being held to 43.5% shooting from the field and just 28.6% from three-point range. Junior guard/forward
Braedon Edison led the Lions tonight with 18 points off the bench, shooting 7-for-12 from the field. Forwards
Keilan Torkornoo and
Noah McCord each tallied 12 points and combined for 12 total rebounds on the night, while sophomore guard
Noah Madsen chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds and a game-high six assists.
The Lions will look to bounce back at home next Friday, as they host Corban University at 7:30 pm.
