LA GRANDE, Ore. – De'Sean Mattox scored a game-high 44 points leading  Eastern Oregon University men's basketball past Multnomah University, 101-83, Saturday afternoon at Quinn Coliseum.
 
Mattox shot 15-of-24 from the field, including 9-for-16 from behind the arc, in the win for the Mountaineers (9-2). Bryan McGriff added 19 points and Deonta Edwards scored 13 in EOU's third-straight win.  EOU hit a season-best 18 three pointers and shot 50 percent from the floor.
 
The Lions' (4-12) and Mountaineers' offenses came out cold as both teams struggled to score early. A McGriff layup with 13-minutes remaining, gave EOU a five point lead, 13-8, while a Mattox three-pointer pushed the lead to 20-13. The Mountaineers slowly started to extend their lead and with 3:17 left before halftime, EOU led 38-24.
 
The Lions trimmed the Mountaineers lead down to 12 points, 44-32, going into halftime.
 
It looked as if EOU was going to extend their lead early in the second half, but a three pointer by Steven Sansone cut the Mountaineers' lead down to eight, 47-39. EOU responded by extending their lead back to 12 points, 54-42, after a jumper by Michael Crane.
 
Multnomah answered as they went on a 10-1 run to trim the Mountaineers lead down to three points, 55-52, with 13:22 left in the half. EOU and Multnomah traded buckets the next few possessions and with 10:22 left in the game, EOU led by six, 66-60.
 
The next two minutes of the game, the Mountaineers extended their lead to 19 points, as they went on a 13-0 run. McGriff capped off the run by hitting a pair of free throws that put EOU ahead, 79-60.
 
After the run, the Lions had no answer and EOU held a double-figure lead for the remainder of the game. EOU grew their lead to as many as 21 late in the second half.
 
The Mountaineers came away with a 101-83 victory over Multnomah.
 
EOU returns to action on Friday, Dec. 19 when they travel to Ashland, Ore. to face Southern Oregon University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.