LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team was held to 38.2 percent shooting while the Raiders of Southern Oregon shot 56.5 percent from the field and defeated Eastern Oregon, 75-56, on Saturday evening at Quinn Coliseum.
 
Case Rada led the Mountaineers (12-9, 4-7 CCC) with a game-high 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Bryan McGriff followed with nine points in the contest.
 
Eric Thompson led three other Raiders (18-4, 8-3 CCC) with 22 points.  Ben DeSaulnier added 14 points of the bench for Southern Oregon, while Jordan West scored 13 points. Tim Weber rounded out the double figure scorers for Southern Oregon with 11 points.
 
EOU and SOU traded baskets for first four and a half minutes, and SOU led by as much as six points before EOU trimmed the lead to three, 15-12, after Rada's first 3-pointer of the night. After Rada's 3-pointer, the Mountaineers saw the Raiders stretch the lead to seven, 19-12.
 
The Mountaineers scored five-straight points, trimming the Raiders' lead down to two points, 19-17. After EOU cut the Raiders lead down to two, EOU kept the game close until there was under nine minutes left in the first half.
 
Southern Oregon continued to add to their lead and took a five point lead, 38-33, into halftime.
 
The Mountaineers continued to battle in the second half but the Raiders slowly started to pull away from EOU. After a pair of free throws by Weber, the Raiders led 51-40.
 
Eastern Oregon had no answer for the Raiders as Southern Oregon, slowly, continued to add to their lead and grew the lead to 15 points, 65-50 after a jumper by Weber. Southern Oregon held the Mountaineers to three pointers for the last four minutes of the game, as the Raiders defeated EOU, 75-56.
 
The Mountaineers return to action next Friday, Jan. 30 when they travel to Portland, Ore. to face Warner Pacific. Southern Oregon hosts Corban next Friday. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.