BOX SCORE

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The No. 8 Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team dropped its first conference game at No. 13 Oregon Tech Saturday, 89-78.

In a game that featured a pair of top 15 teams in NAIA Div. 2, it lived up to its billing and kept the large crowd on the edge of their seats. The back and forth battle featured 13 ties and seven lead changes. The game stayed within one or two possessions through much of the game.

The Mountaineers (11-2) (3-1) had their largest lead a little over a minute into the game at 6-2. Tech's largest lead in the first half was 42-37 with 1:22 until halftime. The Hustlin' Owls led 44-40 at the half.

Three minutes into the second half OIT stretched its lead to 53-44 after a Joseph Foster jumper. The Owls led for the first six minutes of the second half until Eastern tied the game at 57 after a Jamar Johnson three-pointer. A Thomas McCarthy three-pointer with 10:07 left in regulation gave the Mountaineers their only lead of the second half, 65-64.

Tech stretched its lead at the end of the game by scoring its final six points from the free throw line. Eastern's last basket was a free throw from JC Cook with 2:28 left in the game. EOU's last field goal came from Johnson with 4:57 left to play.

The Mountaineers have been outrebounded in only two games this season, both were their losses. OIT finished with 35 rebounds to Eastern's 34. Tech had a big advantage on the offensive rebounds stat category. The Owls grabbed 16 rebounds on the offensive end that turned into 24 second chance points.

Brent Johnson finished with a game-high eight rebounds to lead Oregon Tech (12-2) (4-0). Kyle Gomez scored a game-high 28 points. He shot 8 of 14 from the field, including 6 of 7 from behind the perimeter. Foster scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. Brent Johnson and Matt Smith scored 11 and 10 points respectively.

The game featured the top two teams in NAIA Div. 2 in three-point field goal percentage. Eastern Oregon was 12 for 22 from behind the arc, 54 percent, and OIT was 9 of 24, 37 percent. The Mountaineers shot 49 percent from the field in the game and Tech was 47 percent. The Owls shot 16 for 21 from the free throw line and Eastern was 12 for 17,

Eastern entered the game averaging a conference-high 17.5 assists per game, Saturday it threw nine. Oregon Tech had 16 assists. Gomez threw a game-high five assists. The Mountaineers committed 12 turnovers and OIT had only three.

Cook led Eastern with 19 points on 6 for 10 shooting from the field. McCarthy scored 15 points, and was 5 for 6 from three-point range. Jason Mumm finished with 13 points, and Jamar Johnson had 10. Anthony Brown grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

The loss extended the Mountaineers' losing streak in Klamath Falls to 32 years. EOU last won at OIT on Feb. 16, 1979. The Owls won their 45th straight game at Danny Miles Court.

Eastern has off for the holiday break and will return to La Grande for a Cascade Conference game against Concordia University (4-8) (0-3) on Thursday, Dec. 30. Tipoff in Quinn Coliseum is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

EASTERN OREGON – OREGON TECH POSTGAME NOTES
- The Mountaineers lost their first game this season when their bench outscores the opponent's bench.
- Eastern lost for the first time when it shot a better percentage from the field than its opponent.
- In its two losses this season EOU has made over 10 three-pointers.
- Eastern is now 2-2 when it trails at halftime, and 1-2 when it trails with 10 minutes left in the game.
- EOU is 1-1 this season versus teams ranked in the top 25.
- The 89 points scored by Oregon Tech is the highest Eastern has allowed in the Isaac Williams era.
- Both losses this season have been on a Saturday and in the navy uniforms.