LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University women’s basketball team held its own against fierce competition this weekend.

The Mountaineers lost a nailbiter to #24 Southern Oregon on Friday, January 26, before taking a huge victory over #20 Oregon Tech the following night. Eastern Oregon’s record shifted to 13-5 overall and 9-5 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play.

Eastern Oregon 63, Southern Oregon 65

Rivals Eastern and Southern Oregon battled out a nail biter that went back and forth for the full game. The Mountaineers had a chance at a game-tying shot, but could not convert on a last-second jump shot.

The Mountaineers led by as much as four points late in the first quarter and held a 17-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Raiders kept things close in the second quarter, as Eastern Oregon held a narrow 32-31 lead at the break. Brie Holecek led the Mountaineers with 10 points, while Macie Elliott added nine.

Southern Oregon held an advantage in the second half overall, but Eastern Oregon kept within striking distance. The Mountaineers trailed 52-50 heading into the final frame.

Southern Oregon led by as much as nine points midway through the fourth quarter, but Eastern Oregon stormed back with an 11-2 run to tie the game at 63-63. With five seconds remaining, Southern Oregon’s Meghan McIntyre scored a layup that put the Raiders up by two. The Mountaineers managed to get a jump shot by Holecek, but the shot was no good and Southern Oregon held on to win 65-63.

Holecek had a huge second half and ended the day with 30 points and eight rebounds. As a team, the Mountaineers outrebounded the Raiders 35-26. Eastern Oregon shot 19-46 (41.3%) from the field.

Eastern Oregon 72, Oregon Tech 63

After an upset attempt on Friday fell short, Eastern Oregon managed to notch its top-25 victory on Saturday. The game was a massive comeback by the Mountaineers, who trailed by as much as 15 points during the first half.

Oregon Tech came out firing, taking a 29-19 lead over Eastern Oregon at the end of the first quarter, thanks to an efficient 12-16 (75%) shooting clip in the first frame. A low-scoring second quarter allowed the Owls to lead 39-30 at halftime.

The Mountaineers did not give up after trailing by double figures, as a huge second half flipped the script. Eastern Oregon outscored Oregon Tech 42-24 in the second half, to take a comfortable victory.

Bayley Brennan led the charge, scoring a team-high 25 points off 6-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Holecek added 14 points and Beverly Slater scored 10. Eastern Oregon stepped up its effort on defense in the second half, holding Oregon Tech to 9-33 (27.3%) from the field in the second half.

Coming off the weekend homestand, the Mountaineers are set to hit the road next weekend. Eastern Oregon will face Walla Walla at noon on Feb. 2 and Lewis-Clark State at 4 p.m. on Feb. 3.