POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- Eastern Oregon University advanced to the second round of the 2010 NAIA Division II men's basketball National Tournament for the third straight season. The 14th-seeded Mountaineers defeated Davenport University, 74-69. The 2010 event is being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks (Mo.).
Eastern (23-8) rallied from a 12-point first half deficit, and a 10-point halftime deficit. James Nelson recorded a career-high 27 points for Davenport. The sophomore scored 22 points in the first half. EOU was paced by
Jordan Gregg's 20 points. The senior was 7 for 13 from the field.
The first half featured three ties and four lead changes. A jumper by
Dan Stafford gave Eastern Oregon a 23-22 lead with 6:11 remaining in the first half. The Panthers would close the half on a 17-6 run fueled by Nelson's 6 for 8 shooting from behind the perimeter in the opening period.
The Mountaineers opened the second half on a 7-0 run to close the lead to three points. A Nelson field goal with 12:55 to play in regulation gave DU it's largest lead of the second
half, 52-45. Eastern slowly cut into the lead and took the lead back, 56-55, with 8:11 left in the game after a
Dan Stafford lay-in. The game was tied two more times, but EOU never fell behind again.
Eastern finished shooting 42 percent from the field, and 31 percent from behind the perimeter. Davenport (23-10) entered the game averaging an NAIA second-best 11.7 steals per game, but finished with five. The Panthers were 42 percent from behind the arc, and 37 percent from the field. Eastern Oregon outrebounded Davenport, 38-29.
Four Mountaineers finished in double figures led by Gregg. Stafford added 15 points,
Steven Sawyers had 11, and
Thomas McCarthy chipped in 10. Gabe Vanderjagt scored 12 for Davenport, and Lorenzo Ecford had 11. Gregg and Stafford each finished with a game-high eight rebounds.
It was the fifth time in this season's national tournament that the team trailing at the half won the game. It was also only the second time in six occasions Eastern won a game when trailing at the half this season.
Eastern advances to Friday's Sweet 16 round and will play the winner of the Indiana Wesleyan and University of Virginia-Wise first round game. The 32-team, single elimination tournament concludes March 17.
