SALEM, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University Men's Basketball dropped a close contest on New Years Eve night as the team dropped a 76-70 road game against Corban University. With the loss, the Mountaineers are now 7-7 overall and 1-5 in conference play.

How it Happened
• Despite falling by six points, Eastern was had the edge statistically in shooting. They were 50.9% for the night, while Corban (7-7, 2-4 CCC) shot 45.5% from the floor. 
• Helping the Warriors in the win was their bench scoring. Their reserves put up 28 points in the home win, while the Mountaineers' bench put up just 10 points.
• Despite shooting near 51% from the floor, EOU shot just 414 from three-point range from deep for 28.6%. On the flip side, Corban went 8-20 for 40% in the win.
• The game was a close battle from start to finish with neither team grabbing a double-digit lead the entire night. Early on, the Warriors led 12-8 through the first five minutes of play.
• The two squads traded points the rest of the frame but it was a late surge by the Mountaineers that helped bring the game to a tie at the halftime break.
• The Warriors led 32-24 with just over six minutes to play in the half, but EOU answered with a 10-0 run to jump ahead 34-32 late in the frame.
• The surge by Eastern was enough to help the team hold a 39-39 lead at halftime. Both teams shot lights out in the first half with EOU having the edge, 60%-51.5%.
• Tempo dictated the pace through the entirety of the second half as both teams continued to trade made buckets the whole time. Through the first five minutes EOU held a slim 49-47 lead.
• Defense picked up for just a few minutes as Eastern and Corban held each other in check. Midway through the second half, it was a deadlocked battle at 53-all.
• The game remained close the rest of the evening, but late opportunities helped the Warriors escape with the win. EOU was within one, 70-69, in the final three minutes but managed just one more point the rest of the way before falling by six.

Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Xavier Lovelace posted a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds.
• Phillip Malatare led all scorers with a game best 28 points on 10-17 shooting. He also went 8-9 at the free throw line.
• Ismael Valdez chipped in seven points and matched a game-high in assists with four to go along with seven rebounds.
• Preston Chandler also had seven points on 3-5 shooting.

For the Warriors
• Darrius Henderson led the offense with 14 points on a 6-10 shooting performance. 
• Jordan Newt added 13 points in the win, going 4-9 overall and was 3-7 from deep.
• Mauricio Smith and Denis Kirichenko each put up 10 points in the win.

By the Numbers
4 - EOU has dropped each of its last four contests against the Warriors.
11 - The Mountaineers have now posted a better shooting percentage than their opponents in 11 games this year.
5 - Phillip Malatare has scored 20-plus points in five consecutive games this season.
3 - Xavier Lovelace posted his third double-double of the season in Friday's game.

Up Next
• The Mountaineers will begin the 2022 New Year with a road match-up at Bushnell University. Tip-off against the Beacons is set for 5 p.m. PT in Eugene.

FOLLOW EOU ATHLETICS