LEWISTON, Idaho – In a tight battle at the P1FCU Activity Center, the Eastern Oregon men’s basketball team came up short in a Cascade Collegiate Conference quarterfinal matchup with Lewis-Clark State. The Mounties battled back from an 11-point halftime deficit, cutting the margin to just one point with just over six minutes remaining in the game. The rest of the contest featured a back-and-forth battle, with the Warriors ultimately maintaining their lead until the final buzzer sounded.
The Mountaineers’ defense created problems for the No. 2 seed team in the conference, forcing 16 total turnovers that would convert to 18 points for Eastern Oregon. Both teams proved to be effective from the free-throw line, shooting a combined 31-36 from the charity stripe.
The Mounties were led in scoring by Garrett Hawkes with 22 points and Preston Chandler with 14 points. The duo combined for all six of the team’s three-pointers, with Chandler shooting a perfect 4-4 from distance. Jaden Hansen and Jonny Hillman also reached double-figure scoring for Eastern Oregon.
The Warriors were led by a balanced attack of Sam Stockton, Jaedon Bradley, and Alton Hamilton, each scoring 13 points for the home team. Stockton was particularly impressive early, scoring all of his points in the first half.
With Wednesday’s result, Eastern Oregon will finish the year 12-17 overall and 11-11 in conference play.
