SALEM, Ore. — Eastern Oregon (RV) Men's Basketball earned redemption Saturday night, rolling to a dominant 96-56 road win over Corban University after falling to the Warriors earlier this season in La Grande.
Eastern came out aggressive and quickly seized control. The opening seven minutes featured multiple lead changes as the teams traded baskets, but the Mountaineers soon created separation. A 9-3 run — with Corban's points coming exclusively at the free-throw line — shifted momentum in Eastern's favor. The Mounties followed with a 12-4 surge to stretch the advantage to 16 and never looked back. An emphatic 11-0 run to close the half sent Eastern into the locker room with a commanding 43-18 lead.
The hot shooting continued after the break. Eastern maintained its offensive rhythm, connecting on 46.2% from beyond the arc in the second half.
Trent Rogers caught fire with 16 of his 21 points coming after halftime, while
James Bodily and
Cole Hammack delivered timely buckets to prevent any Corban comeback. Although the Warriors showed slight offensive improvement in the final 20 minutes, they couldn't overcome the massive early deficit.
Eastern finished with 12 made three-pointers, maintaining its position as the Cascade Collegiate Conference leader in shots from beyond the arc.
Rogers led all scorers with 21 points, including five triples. Bodily added 17 points on 50% shooting and pulled down seven rebounds.
Eamon Monahan contributed 14 points on 45.4% shooting and a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the free-throw line, while Hammack chipped in 13 points with three shots from deep. Corban's Bennett Bos paced the Warriors with 12 points and two steals, shooting 5-of-11 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line.
With the win, the Mountaineers move into a three-way tie atop the CCC standings alongside Lewis-Clark State College and Oregon Institute of Technology as postseason play approaches in just two weeks. Eastern returns home to Quinn Coliseum on Friday, Feb. 20, for a 7:30 p.m. matchup against Southern Oregon University.
