Box Score LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers women's basketball team used a late second half push to extend its conference winning streak to 28 straight games with a 71-56 victory over Northwest Christian Universityon Friday evening at Quinn Coliseum.
The Mountaineers were led by
Kelsey Hill who scored 14 points on 5-10 shooting.
Brittney Newcomb followed with 12 points for EOU. Chandler Gabrio scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Beacons.
The visiting Beacons came into Quinn Coliseum and started shooting the ball and playing defense as Northwest Christian held the Mountaineers to six points for the first six and a half minutes of the game. During the Mountaineers shooting struggles the Beacons scored 11 points to take a five point lead, 11-6.
Eastern Oregon continued to battle and four minutes later the Mountaineers cut the Beacons lead down to two points, 16-14, after
Nikki Osborne hit a pair of free throws. However, after the free throws Osborne hit, both teams went scoreless for the next three minutes of action.
The Beacons continued to hold the lead until
Nicole Redd hit a three pointer with just over four minutes left in the half. Redd's three pointer tied the game at 21-21. The Mountaineers took the lead 45 seconds later after a
Kelsey Hill hit a three pointer.
The Mountaineers and Beacons traded leads late in the first half. With EOU down one point, 29-28, Eastern Oregon went on a 5-0 run to close out the half and took a 32-29 lead into halftime.
The Beacons and Mountaineers stayed locked in a tight contest to start the second half. Both teams saw a lead and the game was tied twice during the first four minutes of the half. With just under 16 minutes to go in the game, Allie Kelsey hit a jumper to take the lead over EOU, 38-37.
Northwest Christian held the lead for until Hill hit a jumper for EOU to give the Mountaineers a one point lead, 41-40. Hill was fouled on the play and hit the free throw to extend its lead to two points, 42-40. However, the lead lasted one minute as the Beacons tied the game at 42-42.
Twenty seconds later,
Kassy Larson hit a jumper to start a 10-4 run to put the Mountaineers ahead by 10 points, 56-46. After Eastern Oregon took the lead, the Mountaineers never trailed again in the contest.
Eastern Oregon continued to extend its lead and grew the lead to 17 points, 71-54 with just under two minutes to go in the contest. The Beacons added two more points for the rest of the game and EOU came away with a 71-56 victory.
EOU returns to action tomorrow night when they host Corban at 5:30 p.m. at Quinn Coliseum. Northwest Christian returns to action tomorrow night at College of Idaho.
