Mountaineers Shoot Down 'Yotes

CALDWELL, Idaho- The Eastern Oregon University (23-4, 16-3 CCC) men are now one victory away from the school's first ever trip to the national tournament after a 85-77 win over rival The College of Idaho (12-17, 9-10 CCC).

The game was never in doubt for the Mountaineers, who at one-time had a 21-point lead over the 'Yotes. Eastern showed no sign of a tough-road trip there making their first seven of eight three-point attempts.

This was the sixth straight victory for Eastern and their tenth on the road. Mark Carollo once again led EOU scorers with 25 points, while Josh Landsverk had 16 points, and Paul Carollo added 12 points along with 14 rebounds.

The Mountaineers finished shooting nine of 18 from behind the perimeter, compared to the 'Yotes nine of 28 from three-point range. Eastern shot 52 percent from the field while their rivals shot 44 percent. EOU also outrebounded the College of Idaho, 44-27.

Josh Owen had a game-high 27 points, while Curt Nielson had 18 points, and Bryan Champ added 15 points for 'Yotes. Champ, the nation's leader in steals per game, finished with four in the game. The Yotes already secured their 11th-straight postseason berth in the Cascade Conference Tournament and their 26th playoff appearance in the last 27 years. 

Northwest Christian (10-18, 7-11 CCC) is the upcoming opponent for the Mountaineers Saturday night in La Grande. On Jan. 4 Eastern needed a late-game rally to escape Eugene with a 75-68 victory. Saturday, Feb. 23, also marks the final regular season game for seniors Mark Carollo, Kyle Janke, Nick Finley, and Dan Blanchard in Quinn Coliseum.