Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. – Four Mountaineers scored in double figures but the fifth-ranked EOU men's basketball team fell short in its comeback, 93-90 to No. 12 Northwest Christian in the Morse Event Center.
 
Leading the way for the Blue and Gold was senior forward Bryan McGriff, who recorded 18 points and 12 rebounds for his 12th double-double in the 2016-2017 campaign. Freshman guard Max McCullough added 16 points in 33 minutes of action, while junior guard Blake O'Donnell netted 15 points while grabbing seven boards and an assist. Rounding out the double-digit scorers for EOU was senior forward Michael Hillman who chalked up 10 points while going 4-for-6 from field goal range.
 
The Beacons (15-3, 9-2 CCC), led nearly the whole game and revenged an 89-82 loss to the Mountaineers earlier this season.
 
EOU (15-5, 8-3 CCC), quickly found themselves in a hole as the Beacons jumped out to a 10-1 lead capped off by a three and a layup from Kenny Blackwell. However, EOU retaliated with a 6-2 run finished off by a McCullough three (7-12).
 
The Mounties nabbed their first lead of the game, 14-12 at the 13-minute mark thanks to a tip-in from junior wing Austin Winegar. The next four minutes were a constant back and forth until Northwest Christian kicked-off an 8-3 run (23-28) with six of those points coming from Beacon Austin Tyner behind the arc.
 
McGriff cashed in on a pass from junior guard Matt Wong with a buzzer-beating three to cut the Beacon lead to 40-46, at halftime.
 
Not even five minutes into the second stanza, the Beacons had increased their lead to 12 points, thanks to a layup, before Hillman added a 2-point jumper for EOU (48-58).  A pair of free throws from McGriff with eight and a half minutes remaining dropped the Beacon lead to only seven, 69-75.
 
With less than seven minutes to play, senior guard Kentrell Washington setup a lay-in for Hillman cutting the lead to three, 74-77. A pair of McCullough free throws then made it only a one-point lead, 77-78.
 
The Beacons then went on a 7-0 run and never looked back. Multiple times over the last five minutes EOU cut the lead to only three, but the Mountaineers could never complete the comeback.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
12 – Double-doubles on the season for McGriff.
183 – Combined points between the Mountaineers and the Beacons.
15 – Assists as a team for EOU.
 
UP NEXT
EOU closes out the road trip tomorrow at Corban. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. To follow live stats/video, click here.

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