The Aramark Quinn Classic returns for its 11th season to La Grande and Quinn Coliseum.
The classic brings together four teams for two nights of collegiate basketball. The tournament hosted by Eastern Oregon University provides a perfect warm-up for the teams involved, as the games are always non-conference affairs early in the season.
The 2009 edition features the host Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers, Montana Tech, Montana Western, and Walla Walla University. Tech and Western each make their fifth appearances in the classic, and Walla Walla makes its debut.
The Wolves (1-2) enter this weekend off of an incredible victory over Northwest Christian University Tuesday night, 103-102. NCU, a Cascade Collegiate Conference team, led by three points with just seconds to play before WWU's Gerard Dauphin made the first of his two free throws, intentionally missed the second, grabbed the rebound and passed to Jonny Long who hit the winning three-pointer as time expired.
Walla Walla is led by Mark Moore who enters the classic as the leading scorer, averaging 19.67 points per game. The 6-1 sophomore guard from Canton, Ohio, scored 20 points against Northwest Christian. Long returns after averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game and added 4.6 rebounds per game last season. The junior had 28 assists and 27 steals in 22 starts last year. The 6-1 guard averaged 27.7 minutes per game in 2008-09.
Walla Walla University returns three players from last season and just two players that started a game in 2008-09. The Wolves welcome 11 new players to their current roster. Head coach Gerry Larson found players in the off-season from Washington, Ohio, California, Michigan, Texas, Georgia, and Maryland.
Montana Tech (1-1) comes into the tournament after a five-point loss to CCC opponent, Northwest University, 64-59, on Oct. 31. Dean Colbray leads the Orediggers with 30 total points in the first two games of the season.
The Orediggers held off the University of Lethbridge, 83-81, in the opening season game on Oct. 24 in Butte, Mont. Kellen Hasquet leads Montana Tech in rebounds, with 12 so far this season, and AJ Paine has three assists in both games for the Diggers in 2009-10.
Tech welcomes four transfer and two high school recruits to eight returning players in forming its 14 student-athlete roster. The Orediggers return three young starters from last year's squad that began the season strong last year, before hitting the tough Frontier Conference schedule.
Montana Western enters the classic with the most wins of any team so far this season (3-1), but has lost seven consecutive Quinn Classic games dating back to 2004. The Bulldogs' lone loss came to Lethbridge on Oct. 17 by three points; the night prior to that UMW defeated Lethbridge, 80-74. The Dawgs have since beat Multnomah University and Dickinson State.
Western is averaging a phenomenal 91 points per game so far this season, and only giving up 73. JaRon Brown has started the season well averaging 17.5 points per game after scoring 21 in the Bulldogs' last game against Dickinson State. Brown also leads the team in rebounding with 7.25 a game.
Brandon Brown has performed well for UMW in the backcourt with 20 assists in four games and 11 steals. The sophomore guard from Tacoma, Wash., has added 9.75 points per game for the Bulldogs.
Western last appeared in the NAIA Div. 1 National Tournament in 1989, but welcomes four returning starters this year.
The Quinn Classic action begins Friday at 2 p.m. when Walla Walla faces Montana Tech. EOU plays Montana Western at 8 p.m. Saturday UMW plays Walla Walla University at 6 p.m. and Eastern and tech conclude the tournament at 8 p.m. All four games will be video streamed on EOUSports.com.
