LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon men’s basketball team split its weekend homestand against conference opponents.

The Mountaineers defeated Southern Oregon 69-58 on Friday, January 26, before dropping to No. 24 Oregon Tech 81-72. The games moved the team’s record to 8-12 on the season and 7-7 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Eastern Oregon 69, Southern Oregon 58

A big second half made all the difference in a rivalry victory for the Mountaineers.

After a neck-and-neck first half, Eastern Oregon held a narrow 35-33 lead at the break. Jonny Hillman got off to a good start, scoring 15 first-half points off 6-9 shooting. The Mountaineers were very efficient from the field during the first 20 minutes, shooting 15-28 (53.6%).

A big second half and strong finish helped Eastern Oregon pull away to be victorious. Consistent brief runs and being able to answer back after Southern Oregon scored defined Eastern Oregon’s second half. The Mountaineers converted five three-pointers and were led by Garrett Hawkes, who scored 16 points in the second half. Eastern Oregon built up a sizable lead and never relented, winning 69-58.

Hawkes finished with a game-high 21 points, Hillman concluded the game with 15, and Preston Chandler added 22 points. Niko Robben tallied an efficient seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.

Eastern Oregon 71, Oregon Tech 82

After a big rivalry win on Friday, the Mountaineers were unable to complete the weekend sweep against No. 24 Oregon Tech on Saturday.

The Owls put up a huge first half, taking a 40-26 lead at the break behind 16-29 (55.17%) shooting from the field. Keegan Shivers was tough to stop for Oregon Tech, scoring 16 points off 6-7 shooting. Hawkes (7) and Jaden Hansen (6) led the way for the Mountaineers on offense in the first half. Eastern Oregon struggled as a team, shooting 7-31 (22.6%) from the field and 1-14 (7.1%) from three-point range.

Eastern Oregon stepped it up in the second half, improving the team’s shooting to 14-32 (43.75%) from the field. The Mountaineers outscored the Owls 45-42 in a high-scoring half, but ultimately failed to cut into the deficit any further. Oregon Tech led for the entirety of the game, stretching its lead to a game-high 17 points early in the second half.

The game was aggressive on both sides, as 48 total fouls were called. Hanson and Hillman each finished with a team-high 17 points, while Hawkes added 15 and AJ Huddleston scored 10. Robben was Eastern Oregon’s top rebounder once again, tallying six.

Coming off the weekend homestand, Eastern Oregon is set to travel for consecutive road conference matchups. The Mountaineers are slated to face Walla Walla at 2 p.m. on Feb. 2 and Lewis-Clark State at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3.