REDDING, Calif. – Five players scored in double figures for the Navy and Gold, and the Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team utilized a 16-point halftime lead and a dominant effort on the glass to take down Simpson, 88-77, on Friday night.

"This was a tough-fought win against a really good program," said head men's basketball coach Jared Barrett. "Simpson plays incredibly hard for 40 minutes. We wanted to make sure they had to match our energy from the beginning, not the other way around."

EOU dominated on the glass, owning a +18 (50-32) rebound margin for 17 second-chance points.  

"We also did a great job on the boards tonight," said Barrett. "It's a credit to the guys for buying into the importance of rebounding. I'm really proud of our effort."

Key Performances
Junior guard Kentrell Washington recorded his third-straight double-double to start the season, as he netted a game-high 24 points to go along with 14 rebounds.

Showing EOU's depth, sophomore forward Brandon Hoston scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds off the bench, while senior guard Case Rada (16), sophomore guard Tate de Laveaga (10), and senior forward Kalvin Johanson (10) each scored in double figures for the Mountaineers.

The Storyline
Rada opened the game with a jumper from downtown on EOU's first possession, and the Navy and Gold built a 25-12 advantage capped by a jumper by Washington. 

Simpson got to as close as nine (28-19) with 6:40 remaining in the opening half, but EOU scored eight unanswered to tie for its largest lead (35-19) of the first stanza.

Washington drilled back-to-back jumpers to give the Navy and Gold a 44-29 advantage, and following a Simpson free throw, Rada scored a layup in the closing seconds of the period to grant EOU a 46-30 lead going into the locker room.

Although both squads shot over 42 percent in the first 20 minutes, the Mountaineers were able to take advantage of 13 Red Hawk turnovers.

EOU opened the second half with a pair of buckets by Hoston and de Laveaga to notch its largest lead (51-30) of the game.

But Simpson refused to bow down without a fight, as the Red Hawks closed the gap to nine (76-67) with 3:39 left after a three-pointer by Josh Delamarter. Washington scored in the paint to extend EOU's lead to double-digits (80-70), and although Simpson clawed its way to within seven on a pair of occasions in the final minute, Johanson and Hoston netted a pair of close jumpers to keep the Red Hawks at bay.

Stats of the Game
3 – Double-doubles by Washington to start the season.
50 – Rebounds snagged by EOU compared to 32 by Simpson.
5 – Players in double figures for the Mountaineers.

Up Next
EOU (2-1) returns to the hardwood tomorrow against Simpson at 3 p.m. To watch live video for the game, click here.