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McGRIFF
EOU Athletics
90
IU Southeast (Ind.) INSE 24-7
92
Winner Eastern Oregon EOU 24-8
IU Southeast (Ind.) INSE
24-7
90
Final
92
Eastern Oregon EOU
24-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
IU Southeast (Ind.) INSE 51 39 90
Eastern Oregon EOU 40 52 92

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Evan House, Sports Information Assistant

No. 14 Mountaineers Win Barnburner Over No. 17 IU Southeast on Last Second Shot, 92-90

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – Looking to win its first NAIA Division II National Championship game since 2011, the fifth-seeded Mountaineers went into Keeter Gymnasium and picked up a 92-90 win over fifth-seeded IU Southeast on a last second shot by senor guard Kentrell Washington. 
 
Leading the way for EOU was senior forward Bryan McGriff who tallied up 33 points and 10 rebounds, while shooting 10-for-16 from field goal range. Washington notched 20 points with nine rebounds and a pair of assists, while freshman guard Max McCullough rounded out the Mounties in double digits with 12 points and four boards.
 
As a team, the Mountaineers (24-8), shot 43.4 percent compared to IU Southeast's 50.8 percent. However, from three-point land the Blue and Gold outshot the Grenadiers, 42.5 percent to 40 percent. EOU won the assist battle (15-9), scored more points off the bench (19-14), and grabbed more rebounds (41-39).
 
The Mountaineers were just one three-pointer away from tying the NAIA record for most three's in a tournament game at 18. The senior Las Vegas duo of Washington and McGriff led the way, as the pair chalked up a combined nine three-balls.
 
Picking things up halfway through the first stanza at 8:22, the Mountaineers found themselves down by 19 points, 34-15. The Grenadiers (24-7) had used an 18-8 run from the 15:10 mark to improve their lead and control the momentum over those seven minutes.
 
Over the next six minutes, EOU cut the IU Southeast lead to 11 points three times. The foes then went back and forth, as the Grenadiers looked to rebuild their lead, while the Mountaineers looked to continue chipping away.
 
During the final two minutes of the half, the Mountaineers went on a 5-0 run, capped off by a free throw from McGriff to cut the lead to 11 once again, as the teams took to the locker room (51-40).
 
In the second half, Washington cut the IU Southeast lead to eight, 51-43, with a huge trey to kick things off. McCullough then followed suit, nailing a three-ball of his own from a few feet behind the arc. After a Grenadier lay-in, McGriff continued the EOU trend and buried a three of his own (53-49).
 
With 15:40 to play, senior wing Travis Meeker cut the lead to three, 58-55, after connecting with a huge shot from behind the arc.
 
Just minutes later, another Meeker three tied the game at 62 with 13 minutes to play. On the next EOU possession, the Mountaineers snatched the lead with a bucket from Washington. After a pair of points from the charity stripe for McGriff, the Blue and Gold built a five-point lead with just 10 minutes to play (72-67).
 
However, by the 8:55 mark, IU Southeast had retaken the lead, 73-72, on an old-fashioned three-point play. McGriff, refusing to go away, then answered with back-to-back three's from more than 12 feet out, rebuilding an EOU lead, 83-79.
 
In response, the Grenadiers hit a pair of three's of their own, retaking a two-point lead with less than four minutes to play (87-85).
 
With 47 seconds left to play, EOU found itself down one, 90-89, with McGriff at the free throw line. The senior missed the first, but came through on the second, tying the game at 90. EOU then got the ball with 12 and a half seconds to play, and on the in-bound worked to get the ball to Washington. Washington then worked his way to the bucket and tossed up a high left-handed lay-in off the top of the glass. The shot fell with a second and a half remaining, and the Mountaineers moved on to the round of 16.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
16 – Double- doubles on the season for McGriff.
65 – Combined points from Washington, McGriff, and McCullough.
1ST – NAIA National Champion win for EOU since 2011.  
 
UP NEXT
EOU will face the winner of first seeded Bethel (Ind.) and eighth seeded Calumet (Ind.). Tipoff is set for 3:45 p.m. PST. To follow live stats/video, click here.
 
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