LA GRANDE, Ore. - Mountaineer Men's Basketball Is back in action this weekend as Eastern Oregon will tip-off at home for the first time this season before hitting the road to take on a perennial NCAA Division I powerhouse foe.

OPPONENTS
Montana Western Bulldogs (2-0)
No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (0-0)

WHERE
La Grande, Ore. - Quinn Coliseum (vs. UMW)
Spokane, Wash. - McCarthey Athletic Center (vs. Zags)

WHEN
Saturday, Oct. 30, 10:30 a.m. - vs. UMW
Sunday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. - vs. Zags

Tip-off
• The Mountaineers (1-1) continue their non-conference slate of action with a pair of games, both against teams with the nickname Bulldogs.
• Eastern's Oregon's game vs. Montana Western will be their third straight against a Frontier Conference opponent, while the game at Gonzaga will be their first of two exhibitions in 2021-22.
• The Mountaineers exhibition against the Zags will kickstart a nine-game road trip for the team.

EOU Athletics Spectator Policy
• Spectators will be allowed at EOU sporting events, but masks will be required to be worn correctly (over mouth AND nose) at ALL indoor and outdoor events per state and local policy. This is subject to change at any time.
• Failure to comply with conference or institutional attendance policies will result in removal from venue and any further EOU contests.
• General Admission is allowed for both indoor and outdoor events and is on a first come, first serve basis. To see ticket prices for individual EOU sporting events and to purchase tickets, click here.
• Concessions will be available for outdoor EOU athletic events, but not indoor EOU athletic events.
• Students, faculty, and staff wishing to attend indoor EOU Athletic Events can do so for FREE by showcasing their EOU ID card.

How to Watch/Follow
• All home games this year will be webcast on the Mountie Sports Network at www.EOUSports.com/watch. All EOU home games will be Pay-Per-View and can be purchased for $7.95 per game. Fans can also purchase an Eastern Oregon All-Access pass to watch all 2021-22 EOU home sporting events for $100.
• Livestreams for all home games will begin 15 minutes prior to tip-off.
• Live stats coverage for EOU Men's Basketball games this season can be accessed at www.eousports.com/livestats.
• Sunday's exhibition at Gonzaga will be broadcast on SWX-TV. Fans can access the broadcast by clicking the respective link above. Live stats will also be available along with live audio.

Story Lines
• The Mountaineers game against Montana Western will be their only home game until mid-December.
• Following the home game against UMW, EOU will start a nine-game road trip with its exhibition at Gonzaga.
• The Mountaineers match-up at Gonzaga will be just the fifth all-time meeting between the two squads.
• Eastern has won each of its last four home openers, dating back to the 2017-18 season.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out
• Eastern opened up the 2021-22 season at the Comfort Suites Classic in Helena, Mont. EOU went 1-1 with a 92-82 win over Montana Tech before falling 77-74 to Carroll College.
• Against Montana Tech, EOU shot 55.8% from the floor, led by Max McCullough with 38 points. Preston Chandler added 12 in the win.
• Against the Saints, the Mounties fell just short of a comeback bid in the second half. Three players scored in double figures in McCullough (26), Phillip Malatare (16), and Xavier Lovelace (14).

Previously Against Montana Western/Gonzaga
• EOU and UMW last met in the 2018-19 season in a neutral site match-up. Eastern was the victor with a 71-67 win over the Bulldogs.
• Since the 2004-05 season, EOU and UMW have squared off 13 times. EOU has the edge at 8-5 and is 3-2 against UMW inside Quinn Coliseum.
• Eastern and Gonzaga last met in the 2015-16 season in another exhibition match. The Zags cruised to a 90-58 win over the Mountaineers.
• Including the lone exhibition in 2015-16, the Zags are 4-0 all-time against the Mountaineers. All four meetings have also taken place in Spokane, Wash.

Preseason CCC Coaches' Poll
• Eastern is picked to finish eighth in the 2021-22 preseason coaches' poll for the Cascade Collegiate Conference.
• The Mountaineers total 59 points in the poll and were just 10 points back of tying for seventh.
• This year's CCC poll features all 12 teams following a 2019-20 season that featured a traditional season and a spring season due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chris Kemp File
• Entering his fifth season overall with Eastern, Chris Kemp is now the head bench boss after spending the previous four seasons as the team's top assistant. He was named the interim head coach back in May of 2021.
• In each of the last four seasons as the top assistant, Kemp helped guide EOU to a 61-49 overall record and a 36-34 mark in Cascade Collegiate Conference play in that span.
• Ahead of the 2020-21 season, Kemp took a dual role and served as an assistant coach for both EOU men's and women's basketball. While on staff with the Mountaineer women's team, he helped lead the team to a 16-4 overall record and an 8-2 mark in conference play.

Individual Milestones
• Max McCullough, EOU career leader in points scored, is just 75 points away from 2,200.
• Justin Jeske is 40 rebounds away from 250 for his career.
• Zane Wright is just one game away from appearing in his 80th career collegiate game.
• Preston Chandler is seven made field goals away from 100 for his career.

Scouting the Competition
Montana Western Bulldogs
• The Bulldogs come to La Grande with a 2-0 overall record, with both wins coming at home against Yellowstone Christian College.
• Early on, UMW is averaging 108.5 points per game on 41.5% shooting. They shoot 48.7% from three-point range and are averaging a 54.2 free throw percentage.
• Defensively, the Bulldogs are holding opponents to 51.0 points per game on just 25.6% shooting. They average 44.5 rebounds per game and 5.5 blocks. They also force 15.0 turnovers per game.
• Ky Kouba is the team's leading scorer to start at 24.0 points per game on 81.8% shooting. He is 12-16 from three-point ranges (75%) and is averaging a team best 8.0 rebounds per game.
• Max Clark is the team's second leading scorer at 18.5 points per game and is tied for first in rebounds at 8.0 per game. He leads the team in assists with 17 on the year.
• Third in scoring is Tanner Haverfield at 16.0 points per game. He is shooting 64.8% so far and has dished out eight assists.

No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs
• The Zags enter the weekend exhibition as the NCAA's No. 1 team in the national and are a preseason favorite to win the National Championship.
• Last year, GU went 31-1 en route to a National Runner-Up finish at the NCAA Championships. The Zags also won the WCC regular season crown and tournament crown. 
• Gonzaga won 34 straight games from 2019-20 to 2020-21,breaking the previous program record set in 2016-17 (29).
• Gonzaga has led the nation in points per game and scoring margin in each of the last three seasons.
• Last season, the Bulldogs were first in the nation in winning percentage (96.9), scoring offense (91.0), scoring margin (21.3), field goal percentage (54.9), total assists (601), second in assists per game (18.8), and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.56) and total steals (254).
• Last season, Gonzaga beat conference opponents by an average of 24.1 points during league play. Over the last five seasons, Gonzaga has a 80-3 record during WCC play, with an average margin of victory of 23.1 points.
• In the 600 minutes of conference play last season, the Zags only trailed for 69 minutes and nine seconds. In the 480 minutes of games at home last season, GU trailed for a total of 24 minutes and one second.
• The Zags have finished as the country's most efficient offense in each of the last three seasons (126.4 in 2020-21, 121.3 in 2019-20 and 124.5 in 2018-19). GU had the nation's best defense in 2016-17 at 86.3.
• GU topped the nation averaging 49.4 points in the paint per game, the highest such average over the past 15 seasons. The Zags outscored opponents 49.4-30.4 in the paint.

Up Next
• Following the exhibition at Gonzaga, EOU will continue its road trip with a match-up at Whitman College on Friday, Nov. 5. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. PT in Walla Walla, Wash.

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