LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon men's basketball opened Cascade Collegiate Conference play and its home slate in style Friday afternoon, knocking off (RV) Lewis-Clark State College, 76-68, in an overtime statement win at Quinn Coliseum.
The Mountaineers (5-3, 1-0 CCC), unranked but surging, outlasted a Warrior squad receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 by dominating the extra period 11-3 and leaning on a career-type night from junior guard
Eamon Monahan.
Monahan was nearly unstoppable, pouring in 32 points on an ultra-efficient 12-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep and 5-of-6 at the line. He added five rebounds and was the steadying presence every time LC State made a push.
The Warriors (6-3, 0-1 CCC) landed the first punch, racing out to a 13-3 lead and building their largest advantage at 10 points midway through the first half. LC State shot a blistering 56.5 percent in the opening 20 minutes and hit three triples, led by early shot-making from Dylan Skaife and John Lustig. Eastern weathered the storm with defense and free throws, chipping away and finally finding rhythm late in the half. EOU closed strong, with Monahan burying a deep three and
Logan Orchard beating the buzzer with a jumper to send Eastern into the locker room up 36-33.
The Mounties carried that momentum straight into the second half. Monahan and
Keilan Torkornoo ignited a surge out of the break as Eastern ripped off a 17-8 run, punctuated by a Monahan three that stretched the lead to 53-41—EOU's largest of the night. The Warriors responded with a flurry from the perimeter, as Skaife, Peyton Nordland and Trevor Manning combined to hit four second-half threes. LC State steadily chipped away, capitalizing on a cold stretch from Eastern and trimming the margin to a single possession. A pair of Skaife free throws with 49 seconds left knotted the game at 65-65, and Eastern got the look it wanted on the final possession, but Monahan's jumper at the horn rimmed out, sending the contest to overtime.
Once the extra period tipped, it was all Eastern Oregon. Torkornoo set the tone immediately, slicing to the rim for a go-ahead layup, then calmly knocking down two free throws before adding another finish inside. His personal 6-0 run pushed the Mountaineers in front 71-65 and forced LC State to chase the rest of the way. On the other end, Eastern's defense slammed the door. The Warriors went just 1-of-10 from the field and 0-of-3 from three in the extra five minutes, managing only three points while EOU controlled the glass and refused to foul shooters on the perimeter. After another Monahan bucket, Orchard iced the game at the stripe, going 4-for-4 in overtime as Eastern salted away its first conference win of the season.
Beyond Monahan's 32-point masterpiece, the Mounties' frontcourt and depth were critical. Torkornoo finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds, repeatedly punishing LC State in the paint and spearheading the OT surge. Orchard stuffed the box score with nine points, seven rebounds and an assist, and went a perfect 5-of-5 at the line, including those clutch overtime free throws.
Isaiah Jones gave Eastern a big lift off the bench with eight points, going a perfect 6-of-6 at the stripe and adding three rebounds and a steal, while
Caleb Schroeder chipped in four points and four boards, anchoring key defensive possessions and grabbing momentum-swinging rebounds.
Eastern's toughness on the glass and discipline at the line proved decisive. The Mountaineers out-rebounded LC State 42-37, dominated second-chance points 15-3, owned points off turnovers 18-7, and shot 20-of-23 at the free-throw line compared to the Warriors' 11-of-17. EOU also outscored LC State 38-28 in the paint, overcoming a cold 4-of-16 night from three.
LC State, which finished at 41.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three, was led by Skaife's 15 points and three triples. Nordland added 11 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting, while Grayson Hunt posted 11 points and six rebounds. Manning chipped in nine points off the bench on 3-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Eastern Oregon remains at Quinn Coliseum and will return to action tomorrow, December 6, for an 8 p.m. tip with Walla Walla University.
