PORTLAND, Ore. - The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball team changed what was a 20-point second half deficit into a five-point ball game with just over three minutes left, but No. 16 Warner Pacific College (WPC) had just enough left in the tank to drop the Mountaineers, 80-71, on Wednesday night at C.C. Perry Gym.

EOU finished the 2015-16 campaign at 15-16 overall, while WPC improved to 22-8 and advanced to the semifinals of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament.

KEY PERFORMANCES

Junior guard Kentrell Washington posted his 27th double-double of the year with a team-high 18 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore forward Brandon Hoston also snagged 12 boards to go along with his 17 points.

A major spark in EOU's comeback, freshman guard Caulin Bakalarski netted 15 of his 17 points in the second half, including a three-pointer to pull the Mountaineers within five (68-63) with 3:09 remaining.

Warner Pacific was led by Taylor Young's 26 points on 9-for-20 shooting.

THE STORYLINE

The opening 10 minutes saw nine lead changes, as junior guard Tate de Laveaga scored inside to give EOU a 12-11 advantage. However, the Mountaineers missed eight of their next 10 shots, helping the Knights build a 25-16 lead with 5:39 left in the opening stanza.

Earl Jones netted WPC's final five points of the half, and the Knights carried a 38-24 advantage into the locker room. EOU was held without an assist in the opening 20 minutes, and the Mountaineers went 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.

Young tossed in eight of WPC's first 10 points of the second half, including back-to-back triples, to extend the lead to 20 (48-28) at the 16:56 mark. Washington buried a mid-range jumper, and then Hoston and de Laveaga both nailed three-pointers to pull EOU within 13 (49-36).

After a triple by Jones extended the Knights' advantage back to 14 (59-45), Bakalarski erupted for eight points amidst an 11-4 run to make it a seven-point (63-56) ball game with only six minutes remaining.

The Mountaineers held the Knights to only two field goals in the next three minutes, and then Bakalarski drilled a triple to cut the deficit to five (68-63) at the 3:09 mark.

However, WPC bounced back with an 8-2 run to stretch its lead back to double figures (76-65), and EOU's comeback ultimately fell short.

STATS OF THE GAME

2 - Senior center Kalvin Johanson was held to only two points and two field goal attempts after scoring 23 against the Knights on Feb. 6.

24 - EOU pulled down 24 offensive rebounds, the team's second-highest tally of the season.

27 - Washington finished his junior season with 27 double-doubles.