ASHLAND — Despite leading their rivals with under one minute remaining in regulation, the Mountaineers men’s basketball team dropped its matchup at Southern Oregon 61-57 on Saturday, December 2.

After a deadlock at halftime, the second half embodied a total back-and-forth affair in the matchup. Jonny Hillman led the Mountaineers with 17 points and Brennan Newson recorded a double-double, but a large free-throw advantage (26-13) helped Southern Oregon pull away for the victory.

In the first half, the Mountaineers shot 33.3% from the field and held a 21-16 advantage on the boards. The Raiders led by as much as seven in the first half, but the Mountaineers fought back to tie the game at 23-23 heading into halftime.

Hillman erupted for Eastern Oregon in the second half, scoring all 17 of his points off 7-10 shooting.

With 43 seconds remaining, Hillman hit a layup in the paint to give Eastern Oregon a 57-56 lead. However, Southern Oregon’s Khalil Chatman responded with a layup with 28 seconds left to put the Raiders ahead 58-57. Eastern Oregon was unable to score any points in the final instances of the game, as Southern Oregon added three free-throws and walked off with a 61-57 victory.

Hillman (17), Newsom (11), and Adam Orr (11) all scored in double digits for the Mountaineers. Newsom led all players with 12 rebounds.

Up next, Eastern Oregon is scheduled for its third of seven straight road games. The Mountaineers are set to face off with the College of Idaho at 4 p.m. on Dec. 9.