Box Score

CALDWELL, Idaho – The No. 1 Eastern Oregon Men's basketball team (20-1,  8-1 CCC) defeated College of Idaho ( 9-9,  5-3 CCC) in tonight's Cascade Colligate Conference, 60-45.
 
Tonight's win marks EOUs' 20^th win of the season surpassing last years win total, with still half of conference left to play. Eastern Oregon men are the first NAIA team this season to reach the 20 wins.
 
Senior Cody Thurmond led the Mountaineers with 17 points and 6 rebounds. Craig Tucker and Trent Roos added 11 and 8 points respectively.
 
College of Idaho was led by Sydney Donaldson with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Rodney Delgardo finished with 10 points.
 
The game got off to a slow start as both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket,  EOU held the Yotes scoreless for a seven minute stretch in the first half. Midway through the half the Mountaineers would go on a run and gain a 9-point lead with 9:48 left to play.  The Mountaineers would hold on to a comfortable lead for the rest of the half and go into  halftime up 10 off of a Crane tip in at the buzzer, 28-18.
 
In the first half Eastern shot disappointing 31% (9-of-29) from the field and 30% (3-of-10) from behind the three point line. C of I struggled as well  as they shot 26% (7-of-26) from the field and 22 (2-of-9) from behind the arc.
 
The Mountaineers started off the second half with a steal and a basket by Esters to extend their lead, 31-18. The Yotes' responded with an 8-0 run cutting the lead to five, holding EOU scoreless for three minutes. A jumper by Brown with 15:43 left to play would end the cold streak.
 
With just under five minutes to play in the game Eastern would  blow the game wide open extending their lead to 17 to come away with the win, 65-50.
 
Eastern finished shooting 34% (18-of-53) from the field and just 22% (5-of-22) from behind the arc, while C of I shot 26% (15-of-56) from the field and 19% (4-of-21) from the three point line.
 
As a team Eastern out rebounded the Yotes' 54 to 35, and out scored them from the bench 35-19.
 
Eastern will play at home next weekend against Oregon Institute of Technology, game time set for 7:30 pm. Live stats and video will be available at EOUsports.com