LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University women’s basketball team is one step closer to the Cascade Collegiate Conference championship.

The Mountaineers defeated Bushnell 83-62 on Tuesday, February 27 to advance to the semifinals. Up next, Eastern Oregon will travel to Ashland to face Southern Oregon in the semifinal round.

Eastern Oregon got off to a fast start, shooting over 50% in the first half. The Mountaineers built a 25-10 lead after the first quarter and extended the advantage to 54-25 at halftime. Bayley Brennan was electric in the first half, scoring 18 points off 6-9 shooting from the field. Beverly Slater recorded a double-double by halftime, totaling 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Mountaineers held their steady lead throughout the second half, opening up the bench. Slater added eight more points and nine more boards, finishing the day with an impressive 22-point, 19-rebound performance. Brennan (18) Kelsie Siegner (12), Brie Holecek (10), and Haley Robinett (10) also finished in double figures. Holecek grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double.

Eastern Oregon utilized the post, scoring 44 points in the paint. The Mountaineers added 20 points off the bench and finished the day 33-69 (47.8%) from the field.

The Mountaineers’ semifinal matchup against Southern Oregon is set to tip off at 5:30 p.m. on March 1.