Box Score
OLYMPIA, Wash. – The No. 23 Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team won its 10th game of the season Thursday at The Evergreen State College, 90-79.
The Mountaineers (10-3, 3-2 Cascade Collegiate Conference) got a pair of 20-point performances for the first time since Feb. 14, 2009.
Jamar Johnson scored a game-high 28 points and
Cody Thurmond added 24 points. Neil Fryer and
Kris Groce achieved the feat in the 2008-09 season with 24 and 20 point efforts.
Johnson was 10-of-18 from the field and 4-for-7 from behind the perimeter. Thurmond was 10-for-14 from the field. Johnson scored 16 second half points, while Thurmond had 18 in the second half. Thurmond's scoring total was a new career-high. Johnson added seven rebounds and Thurmond threw six assists.
Ervin Felder added 17 points and nine rebounds. The sophomore was 8-of-10 from the field. He added three steals. Felder came into the game leading the conference in rebounds and sixth in the nation in offense rebounds per game. He averaged four offensive rebounds per game and finished with four Thursday.
Patrick Lewis' jumper to even the score at two gave the game its only tie. With the exception of 70 seconds of the game, Eastern had the lead. Leading 13-10, the Mountaineers went on an 8-0 run to take a 21-10 with 9:51 left in the first half. EOU stretched the run to 18-4 and took its largest lead of the game, 31-14, at the 6:21 mark of the first half. Evergreen closed with nine points and trailed 36-27 at the half.
A Johnson jumper with 14:41 left in regulation gave Eastern Oregon a 54-41 advantage. TESC would respond with a 12-2 run off of four consecutive three-pointers, two coming from Travis Wagner. The three-point gap would be as close as the Geoducks would come. EOU answered the Evergreen run with a 10-0 run of its own to have a 13-point cushion. Eastern would take two 15-point leads in the final eight minutes of play, and TESC would come as close as eight twice.
Marice Tolliver led the Geoducks (1-12, 0-4) with 20 points. The senior was 8-of-20 from the field. He threw 10 assists, and finished two rebounds shy of a triple double. Tolliver also had three steals. Mike Derosier added 13 points, Wagner and Patrick Lewis had 12, and Larry Green and Elzie Dickens each had 10.
The Mountaineers were 49 percent from the field, 5-for-21 from three-point range, and 17-of-22 from the free-throw line. TESC was 46 percent from the field, 10-of-23 from behind the perimeter, and 9-of-14 from the free-throw line.
Eastern had a 48-28 rebound advantage, 44-26 points in the paint advantage, and 10-2 fast break points advantage. Evergreen finished with 16 turnovers, while EOU committed 15.
In other Cascade Conference action Thursday, No. 17 Warner Pacific (12-3, 4-0) upset No. 3 Oregon Tech (14-2, 4-1) in Klamath Falls, Ore., 85-75. The WPC win ended the nation's longest home win-streak at any level at 65 consecutive victories.
The Mountaineers will travel to Kirkland, Wash., to face No. 10 Northwest University Friday. The Eagles (14-0, 4-0) are the only undefeated team remaining in NAIA Div. 2. NU knocked off The College of Idaho Thursday, 88-62.
Friday's tipoff between the Eagles and EOU is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Live video and stats will be on EOUSports.com. Live radio will be on KUBQ 98.7 FM with pregame beginning at 7:15 p.m.
