PORTLAND, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University Men's Basketball Team led only three times in Wednesday's Cascade Collegiate Conference Quarterfinals against, the two seed, Concordia University. The third lead came with 14 seconds left in the game when Bryan McGriff hit the game-winning layup and EOU defeated Concordia, 69-68.
 
With the win, the Mountaineers advance to the CCC Semifinals where they will face College of Idaho on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. MT, in Caldwell, Idaho.
 
McGriff led the Mountaineers (15-14) with 26 points in the contest. Kalvin Johanson added 13 points, all in the second half, for EOU. De'Sean Mattox followed with 11 points and Case Rada scored 10 points to round out the double-figure scorers as the Mountaineers won their third straight contest.
 
Thomas Pierce led the Cavaliers (24-6) with 21 points. Tyler Velasquez followed with 15 points, while Anthony Holton added 10 points for Concordia.
 
The Cavaliers' offense got off to a fast start against the Mountaineers. Over the first eight minutes of the contest, Concordia held a lead as large as nine points. At the first media timeout the Cavaliers lead was down to seven, 17-10.
 
With the Cavaliers ahead 19-12, the Mountaineers went to McGriff who keyed an 8-0 run for the Mountaineers. During the run, McGriff scored six of the eight points. Mattox gave EOU a one point lead, 20-19, after hitting a layup with 9:09 left in the half.
 
Concordia answered back by scoring the next six points to regain the lead at 25-20. After Concordia retook the lead, both teams traded buckets and with 2:59 left in the half, EOU found themselves down three, 29-26.
 
Eastern Oregon continued to chip away and McGriff put the Mountaineers down two, 29-27, after hitting one of two free throws. Concordia knocked down a three pointer, and a baseline jumper by Mattox put the Mountaineers down three, 32-29, but the Cavaliers answered by scoring the last four points of the half and taking a 36-29 lead into halftime.
 
Concordia slowly started to pull away from EOU to start the second half. Concordia opened the half on a 13-5 run and taking a 51-36, after a Pierce old fashion three point play. The 15 point lead for the Cavaliers was the biggest lead in the game for Concordia.
 
After the Cavaliers held the 15 point lead, EOU slowly started chipping away. Eastern Oregon went on a 14-5 run of their own. During the run, Johanson added an old fashion three point play followed by a McGriff three point play putting EOU down, 56-50.
 
After the Cavaliers stretched the lead back eight points, EOU scored the next six points. Rada collected an offensive rebound trimming the lead to four points. Johanson followed by scoring the next four points putting EOU down, 58-56.
 
Concordia grew their lead back to six points, 62-56, but the Mountaineers continued to chip away. Christian Parrott added a layup putting the Mountaineers down, 62-58. Concordia answered with a three point play, extending their lead back to seven points, 65-58.
 
The Mountaineers found themselves down eight, 68-60. Johanson recorded a dunk trimming the lead down to six. Rada hit his second three pointer of the game with 2:10 left, putting EOU down three, 68-65. The Mountaineers continued battled and McGriff collected a rebound and put it back with 25 seconds left putting EOU down 68-67. After a Cavalier turnover, EOU took the ball and McGriff gave EOU their third lead of the game, 69-68, with 14.6 second remaining. Concordia looked as if they would answer as they had three shot attempts to win the game but none of them fell and EOU defeated Concordia, 69-68.