LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball late rally to upset the No. 5 College of Idaho Yotes came up short on Friday evening at Quinn Coliseum. The Yotes defeated the Mountaineers, 86-83.
 
Case Rada led the Mountaineers with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting. De'Sean Mattox and Bryan McGriff added 16 points apiece for the Mountaineers (12-12, 4-10 CCC). Deonta Edwards rounded out the double figure scorers for EOU with 10 points.
 
Demetrius Perkins scored a game-high 30 points for the Yotes (22-4, 11-3 CCC). Marko Kovacevik added 20 points, while Joey Nebeker added 13 points to round out the double figure scorers for College of Idaho.
 
For the first four and a half minutes baskets got traded, with no team taking a lead bigger than three. Kalvin Johanson hit a jumper to cut the lead to one, 6-5, with 16:26 left. College of Idaho quickly jumped back out to five after a 3-pointer by Perkins.
 
College of Idaho led by as many as nine, 24-15, at 8:49 left in the first half after a 3-pointer by Jordan O'Byrne. EOU began to battle back and a fast break jumper by Edwards cut the lead back to five, 24-19, with seven minutes and 17 seconds left in the half.
 
The Yotes extended their lead back to 10 points, 33-23, after a jumper by Perkins.  The Yotes grew the lead to as many as 15 points, 40-25, to go into halftime.
 
College of Idaho extended the lead to 18 points, 49-31, with 17:15 minutes left in the second half.  It looked as if EOU was going to make a comeback as they trimmed the lead down to 14 points, but the Yotes answered back growing the lead back to 20 points, 55-35, after a Nebeker three.
 
After finding themselves down 20, the Mountaineers answered as they went on a 11-3 run, trimming the Yotes lead down to 12 points, 58-46, after a pair of free throws by Mattox.  EOU continued to battle back and with 9:21 left in the second half, EOU found themselves down nine, 62-53, after a Christian Parrott tip in.
 
The Yotes grew the lead back to 15 points, 75-60, with three minutes and 30 seconds left in the game. EOU continued to chip in points but still found themselves down by 11 points, 77-66, with 1:42 left in the game.
 
The Mountaineers continued to battle and had cute the Yotes' lead down to six points, 81-75, after a Mattox layup with 40 seconds left in the game.  After the Yotes went back up by eight points, 83-75, the Mountaineers scored the next five points, all scored by McGriff.  After Nebeker went one-for-two from the free throw line, putting College of Idaho ahead by four, 84-80, McGriff answered with a three pointer cutting the lead down to one, 84-83.
 
Perkins grew the Yotes lead back to three points with three seconds remaining in the game as he hit a pair of free throws. EOU had once last chance to tie the game but EOU's shot did not get off in time and EOU fell, 86-83.
 
The Mountaineers return to action next Friday, Feb. 13, when they host Corban at Quinn Coliseum. The Yotes hosts Northwest Christian University next Friday at the J.A. Albertson's Activities Center.