LA GRANDE, Ore. – Jordan Carter of Corban University hit a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining in the second half to lift the Warriors to a 65-64 victory over Eastern Oregon University on Friday evening at Quinn Coliseum.
 
De'Sean Mattox scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting, to lead the Mountaineers (12-13, 4-11 CCC). Bryan McGriff followed with 20 for the Mountaineers to round out the double figure scorers for EOU, who lost their fifth straight contest.
 
Cyrus Ward led the way for the Warriors (14-11, 7-9 CCC) with 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Codey Crowe added 13 for Corban, who has won their second straight contest. Caleb Herzberg rounded out the double figure scorers by scoring 10 points.
 
The Mountaineers found themselves in a hole early as the Warriors scored 10 of the first 14 points of the game. Herzberg capped off the scoring for the Warriors by hitting a 3-pointer. Mattox answered with a 3-pointer of his own putting the Mountaineers down three, 10-7, but the Warriors built their lead back to eight points, 17-9.
 
The Warriors continued to hold on to an eight point, 19-11, lead with 11:36 left in the first half. The Mountaineers answered by scoring the next five points, capped by a Mattox layup, putting EOU down three, 19-16.
 
A jumper by McGriff put EOU down by one, 24-23, with six minutes to go before halftime. Over the final six minutes of the half, the Mountaineers outscored the Warriors, 12-7, to take a 35-31 lead at halftime.
 
The Mountaineers continued to hang onto a small lead to start the half, but Corban continued to battle and after another 3-pointer by Herzberg, the Warriors were back on top, 40-39. EOU responded by scoring the next five points of the game and taking a 44-40 lead after a Case Rada old fashion three point play.
 
The Warriors and Mountaineers continued to battle, and with the game tied at 46-46, Corban answered by scoring the next six points taking 52-46 lead over the Mountaineers. The lead continued to grow for the Warriors as Corban built their lead to 10 points, 59-49, with 5:46 left in the game.
 
EOU would not go away and battled back to score the next five points, to find themselves down by three, 59-56. Corban continued to hold onto a small lead, but a jumper by Mattox put EOU down one, 63-62, with 1:21 left. After a defensive stop, McGriff put the Mountaineers on top, 64-63, with 17 seconds left in the game.
 
On the next possession for the Warriors, Carter drove to the basket, and missed his original shot but was fouled with five seconds left. He hit a pair of free throws, putting the Warriors back on top by one, 65-64. Mattox fired up a three as the clock expired but missed and the Warriors came away with a one point victory, 65-64.
 
The Mountaineers return to action tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14 when they host Northwest Christian University on Senior Day. Corban heads to Caldwell, Idaho to face College of Idaho tomorrow.