SALEM — The Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball team went 1-1 this weekend on the west side of the state.

The Mountaineers lost a nail-biter to Bushnell on Friday, January 12, before beating Corban by a narrow margin of 68-64 on the following day. Eastern Oregon’s record now stands at 5-11 overall and 4-6 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Eastern Oregon 89, Bushnell 92

The Mountaineers nearly managed to overcome a late deficit, but ultimately ran out of time and lost by a score of 92-89. Eastern Oregon trailed by nine points with 2:11 remaining in regulation and came back to cut the deficit to 91-89 with eight seconds left, but ultimately could not make up any more ground.

The game started out closely contested in the first half, despite the fact that Eastern Oregon never led after taking a 2-0 lead out of the gates. Even so, the Mountaineers stayed within striking distance thanks to nine points from Garrett Hawkes and eight points from AJ Huddleston in the first half. Stevie Schlabach led the Beacons, scoring 11 first-half points off a perfect 4-4 from the field.

The game started to slip away in the second half, as Bushnell shot 65.38% from the field and built up a 17-point lead midway through. That all changed late in the final half, as the Mountaineers stormed back to close the gap. Huddleston added 15 points in the second half, while Jonny Hillman (13) and Malachi Afework (14) also had double-digit second halves. Despite the valiant efforts, Bushnell sealed the game with a free-throw that allowed the Beacons to hold onto a 92-89 victory.

Huddleston led the Mountaineers with 23 points, while Afework (18), Hawkes (17), and Hillman (15) all clocked in solid scoring efforts. Hawkes was also Eastern Oregon’s top rebounder with six boards.

The Mountaineers finished 33-68 (48.5%) from the field and shot 13-30 (43.3%) from three. Eastern Oregon capitalized off 16 points off turnovers, compared to eight for Bushnell.

Eastern Oregon 68, Corban 64

The Mountaineers’ second game of the weekend was a back-and-forth brawl, as each team exchanged runs throughout the game. Corban built up an eight-point lead midway through the first half, but Eastern Oregon overcame the deficit and managed to take a 32-28 lead at halftime.

Kamal Muhammad (10 points) and AJ Huddleston (nine points) led the way in the first half for Eastern Oregon’s scoring efforts. The Mountaineers ended the half on a 17-5 run to hold a four-point edge at halftime.

In the second half, Eastern Oregon led by as much as 10 points midway through the frame. Even so, Corban never relented and managed to keep the game within reach. The Warriors have Jay Wilson to thank, as he scored 14 second-half points and helped bring the game within one point with 46 seconds remaining. With Eastern Oregon up 65-64, Afework hit a dagger midrange jump shot that gave the Mountaineers a three-point lead. The visiting team managed to hold Corban scoreless over the following possessions, going on to win 68-64.

Huddleston led the Mountaineers with 18 points, while Muhammad finished with 14. Eastern Oregon benefited from 38 bench points and 28 points in the paint.

Up next, the Mountaineers will host the Geoducks of Evergreen State at 7:30 p.m. on Jan.19 at Quinn Coliseum.