LA GRANDE, Ore. – Mountaineer Men's Basketball got back on track Friday night with a 74-62 home win over Evergreen State College inside Quinn Coliseum. The win brings Eastern Oregon's record to 15-12 overall and 9-10 in CCC play.

How it Happened
• The Mountaineers overcame a slow start and scored 38 first half points and held the Geoducks (3-20, 3-16 CCC) to just 26 in that same span to help secure the 12-point win.
• Eastern had a superb night in glass cleanup as the team outrebounded Evergreen 52-29. The Mountaineers also gave up just one offensive board all night to the Geoducks.
• 17 offensive boards by EOU helped the team score 17 second chance points as well. EOU also forced 17 turnovers and scored 25 points off of them on the night.
• Bench play was another factor in the win as the Mounties' reserves outscored the Geoducks bench 30-13. EOU also had a 34-14 edge in points in the paint.
• Early on, Evergreen raced ahead 11-4 and used the fast start to maintain a 2-3 possession lead. It was not until midway through the first half that Eastern battled back into the game.
• Trailing 20-13, the Mounties pieced together an 11-3 run that got them back into the game. The run started at the 9:54 mark and lasted just over three minutes to give the team a 24-23 edge.
• The run by Eastern not only sparked the offense, but the defense also found a rhythm as well. EOU held Evergreen to just three more points the rest of the frame to lead by 12 at the break.
• The Mountaineers led by as much as 14 late in the first half, but the Geoducks managed to score just before halftime to stay within 12.
• The Geoducks managed to keep pace in the second half as both teams scored 36 points. It made no difference though as the first half surge by EOU was too much to overcome.
• In the first three minutes of action, Evergreen cut the EOU lead to just two, 40-38. The surge made things interesting and EOU held a slim 3-5 point over the next three minutes.
• EOU led 45-42 with 14:21 to play and it seemed the game was set to be a battle the rest of the way. Eastern responded though, going on a 13-2 run to blow the score open to 58-44.
• The Mountaineers surge gave them a 14-point advantage with 9:05 left to play in the game. They maintained a double figure lead until the Geoducks made one final rally late in the half.
• It was a 61-51 game with just over six minutes left when Evergreen made one final effort at a comeback. The Geoducks went on an 8-2 run to cut the score to 63-59 with 3:42 left to play.
• Despite the late surge, the Mountaineers never let go of the lead and Evergreen never got any closer than five points after getting within four. 
• The Geoducks fouled late to save clock time but clutch free throws by the Mounties ultimately propelled them to the 12-point home win.

Mountaineers Stat Leaders
• Phillip Malatare had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
• Xavier Lovelace scored 12 points and had eight boards.
• Kendall Williams added nine points off the bench and went 5-6 at the free throw line.
• Ismael Valdez grabbed 11 boards in the win and chipped in eight points.

For the Geoducks
• LaBrandon Price led all scorers with 22 points to go along with six boards and four steals.
• Austin Curry scored 13 points and had five assists.
• Zach Jones led the way in rebounding with seven boards and chipped in four points.

By the Numbers
19 - EOU has now defeated the Geoducks in each of the last 19 match-ups.
52 - The Mountaineers grabbed a season best 52 rebounds in the win.
13 - Eastern racked up a season-high 13 steals against the Geoducks.
17 - The Mountaineers 17 offensive boards on Friday tied their season-high in a game.

Up Next
• The Mountaineers wrap up home action tomorrow afternoon, Feb. 12, against Northwest University. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. inside Quinn Coliseum.
• It will also be Senior Day for EOU as the team will recognize three seniors in Kobi Gardea, Max McCullough, and Zane Wright. The trio will be honored 10 minutes prior to tip-off.

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