Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball head coach Chris Kemp goes overs strategy during the second half of the match between Eastern Oregon University and Montana Western University at Quinn Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. 

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A scheduled matchup between the Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team and Evergreen State will no longer take place due to COVID-19 issues, the Cascade Collegiate Conference announced on Wednesday, Jan. 12.

The Geoducks men’s team does not have enough eligible players to field a team for a matchup with the Mountaineers that was originally scheduled for Jan. 15 at 5 p.m.

Per conference policies, a team that is unable to field enough players for a competitive match will receive a forfeit loss. Evergreen State also forfeited its Jan. 14 home matchup against the College of Idaho.

With the recent forfeits from Evergreen State, the Cascade Collegiate Conference has seen 20 cancellations due to COVID-19 between men’s and women’s basketball this season.

This is the second forfeit victory of the season for Eastern, with Warner Pacific cancelling a matchup originally scheduled for Jan. 7.

The Mountaineers will still hit the road for conference play this weekend, facing off against Northwest in Kirkland, Washington, on Jan. 14. Tip-off against the Eagles is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Eastern women’s basketball team is still scheduled to compete against Evergreen State on Jan. 15, with the matchup set to tip off at 3 p.m. 

The forfeit improved the men’s team’s record to 11-7 on the year and 5-5 in conference play. The Eastern women’s team is currently 10-7 overall and 7-2 in conference play.