SALEM, Ore. — The No. 14-ranked Eastern Oregon University women's basketball team came up just short Saturday afternoon, dropping a 72-66 heartbreaker to Corban University in their final regular-season road contest.
Corban opened the game on a 13-2 run before the Mountaineers began to chip away at the deficit.
Kali Kast,
Haylee Johnson, and
Kelsie Siegner fueled the response, trimming the margin to five with two minutes left in the first quarter. A layup and free throw from Siegner with 16 seconds remaining tied the game at 18-18, but a late Eastern foul sent Corban to the line, where the Warriors converted two free throws to take a narrow lead into the second.
Johnson answered quickly with a layup to even the score, and
Brinley Hagemeier followed with a three-pointer to give EOU a brief lead. The teams traded baskets throughout the period, but Corban fouls put Eastern at the line repeatedly, helping the Mountaineers build a three-point edge. A
Maggie Smith layup extended the advantage, and EOU carried a 31-26 lead into halftime.
Corban responded out of the break, erasing the five-point deficit in a tightly contested third quarter. The teams continued to exchange leads, but the Warriors found an offensive rhythm late in the frame, outscoring Eastern 26-17 in the quarter to reclaim a four-point advantage heading into the final period.
In the fourth, Corban quickly pushed its lead to eight as Eastern struggled to generate offense in the opening minutes. The Mountaineers eventually got on the board at the free-throw line, and strong scoring efforts from Johnson and Siegner kept EOU within striking distance. However, Corban consistently answered each push, stretching its lead to as many as 10 before sealing the game with key defensive stops and free throws down the stretch.
Seigner recorded her 12th double-double, leading EOU with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while adding two steals and two blocks. Smith matched her 17 points on 62.5% shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the free throw line, along with a game high four steals.
Haylee Johnson added 13 points on 66.7% shooting. Corban's Jenna Albrecht led the game with 18 points on 70% shooting, while Jersey Huerta followed closely with 17 points.
With the loss, the Mountaineers remain locked in a five-way tie atop the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings alongside Corban, Lewis-Clark State College, Southern Oregon University, and Oregon Institute of Technology, underscoring just how tight the CCC title race has become heading into the final stretch.
Despite the setback, Eastern remains firmly in the hunt for the CCC regular-season crown as the standings tighten and postseason play just two weeks away. The Mountaineers return home next weekend to Quinn Coliseum for Jersey Night against Southern Oregon University. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. as Eastern looks to bounce back on its home floor in a pivotal conference showdown.
