LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team will head to Portland, Ore., for the second-consecutive year to compete in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Tournament – this time to face third-seeded Warner Pacific.
The league announced the tournament field on Sunday afternoon, and the Mountaineers claimed the sixth seed ahead of Corban and Northwest.
SEASON OVERVIEW
EOU finished the 2015-16 regular season at .500 (15-15), including a 10-10 mark in CCC play. The Mountaineers are 7-8 on the road this season.
THE OPPONENT
Warner Pacific notched its second-straight 20-win campaign and capped the 2015-16 regular season with a seven-game winning streak. The Knights boast an 11-3 record at home.
Warner Pacific directs the CCC in scoring (88.9 points/game), scoring margin (+15.6 points/game), free throw percentage (74.1), and field goal percentage (51.4).
Six players average double figures for Warner Pacific, with Taylor Young (16.9 points/game) leading the way. De'Jon Bowman pulls down over 10 rebounds per contest and has 10 double-doubles this season, while Earl Jones dishes out a team-high 5.6 assists per game.
SERIES HISTORY
The Mountaineers are 7-10 against the Knights since 2008, but the Navy and Gold has dropped the last four games by an average of 16.5 points.
On Senior Night (Feb. 6), EOU snatched an early seven-point (20-13) advantage over Warner Pacific after senior center Kalvin Johanson erupted for 16 points in the opening seven minutes, but the Knights ultimately came away with an 88-77 victory.
EOU's last win over Warner Pacific came on Jan. 31, 2014, after the Mountaineers claimed a 72-66 triumph in La Grande.
2016 CCC CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRINGS
Wednesday, Feb. 24
No. 8 Northwest at No. 1 Northwest Christian
No. 7 Corban at No. 2 Southern Oregon
No. 6 Eastern Oregon at No. 3 Warner Pacific
No. 5 Oregon Tech at No. 4 College of Idaho
Saturday, Feb. 27
CCC Tournament Semifinals
Tuesday, March 1
CCC Tournament Championship
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Junior guard Kentrell Washington has registered a double-double in all but four games this season, and two of those marks have been with points and assists. He ranks first in the NAIA Division II in rebounds per game (12.67) and is fifth in the conference in scoring (19.1 points/game).
2015-16 STATISTICAL LEADERS
Scoring: Washington (19.1)
Rebounding: Washington (12.7)
Assists: Washington (4.9)
Blocks: Johanson (2.0)
Steals: Washington (1.4)
Minutes: Washington (35.1)
Field goal percentage: Johanson (63.8, 127-for-199)
Three-point field goal percentage: Caulin Bakalarski (44.4, 32-for-72)
Free throw percentage: Case Rada (82.9, 87-for-105)
LIVE STATS/VIDEO
To watch live video and/or view live stats for Wednesday's contest, click here.
GAME TIME
Tipoff in Portland, Ore., is set for 7 p.m. PST.
