MCMINNVILLE — The Eastern Oregon men’s basketball team added a solid victory to its non-conference resume.

The Mountaineers defeated Division III Linfield 92-79 on the road on Tuesday, Nov. 15, relying on a dominant second half to run away with the victory. Five players scored in double figures for Eastern, highlighting a well-rounded team win.

Throughout the game, the Mountaineers were scorching from the field — Eastern Oregon shot 63.2% from the field as a team in the first half and 61.8% in the second half. Linfield managed to stay close with Eastern in the first half, as both teams played out a 39-39 draw.

Eastern Oregon forward Chandler Preston performed admirably in the first 20 minutes, totaling 11 points off 3-4 shooting from the field and 4-4 shooting at the free-throw line. Jacob Hjort’s 13 first-half points for Linfield kept the Wildcats in the game.

The offense erupted for the Mountaineers in the second half, as Malachie Afework, Phil Malatare and Emmit Taylor all put up double digit points in the final 20 minutes. Afework would go on to lead the team with 17 points on the night, while Malatare finished with 15 points, three assists and three steals. Eastern Oregon outscored Linfield 53-40 in the second frame.

Eastern Oregon extended its lead to 20 points with just over two minutes remaining, before Linfield put together a last-effort push to cut the lead. The Mountaineers held on to win 92-79, notching their second win of the season. After a winless weekend doubleheader, Eastern saw its record level back to 2-2.

Coming off the victory, Eastern Oregon will have over a week off before traveling to the Taco Bell Shootout in Caldwell, Idaho. The Mountaineers will face Madonna on Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and Providence on Nov. 26 at 2 p.m.