College basketball roundup: EOU women's team knocks of Yotes in overtime, upset bid by men's team comes up short

Davis Carbaugh, The Observer, La Grande, Ore.
·3 min read

Nov. 24—CALDWELL, Idaho — The Eastern Oregon University men's and women's basketball teams traveled to Caldwell, Idaho to face off with bitter rivals the College of Idaho this Tuesday, Nov. 23.

The women's team came away with its 16th straight victory over the Yotes, winning 87-82 in overtime. The men's team put together a strong second half, but fell 64-61 at the hands of the No. 18 team in the NAIA standings.

Liefke comes up big in overtime

The Mountaineers women's team put in a steady effort in a back-and-forth contest, coming away with a late push in overtime to gain the victory on the road. Eastern led the first three quarters by a solid margin, but was outscored by 19 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Junior Sailor Liefke led the way with eight points in the first quarter as the Mountaineers built up a 35-25 lead by halftime. Redshirt-freshman Haley Robinett stole the show in the second quarter, scoring 12 points. She concluded the game with 14 points and seven rebounds.

After a scoreless first half, senior Taylor Stricklin led the Mountaineers with 17 points in the second half. Freshman Adyson Harris added 11 points in the second half and finished the game with 17 points and four rebounds.

After leading 60-41 after the third quarter, the game shifted entirely to the Yotes. Senior Sienna Riggle scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to help the College of Idaho climb back into the game. She finished with a game-high 26 points.

In the overtime period, Eastern shot well at the free-throw line and helped the team's cause with strong defense. Liefke hit all four of her free-throw attempts to finish the game with 18 points. She also added five rebounds and seven assists. The Mountaineers held the Yotes to 0-6 from the field in the overtime period to earn the five-point victory.

The game was a much-needed victory for Eastern after losing its last four regular season contests. The win improves the team's record to 3-4 on the year and 1-0 in conference play. Up next, Eastern will remain in Idaho to face Simpson (California) at the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic at 2 p.m. on Nov. 26. On the following day, the Mountaineers will face Rocky Mountain College at 2 p.m.

Comeback attempt falls short for EOU

The Eastern men's basketball team put together a valiant effort on Nov. 23, nearly knocking off No. 18 the College of Idaho on the road.

The Mountaineers were efficient from the field all game long, combining for a 51% field goal percentage. Junior Ismael Valdez put together one of his best performances of the year, tallying a season-high 17 points and seven rebounds.

The game was neck-and-neck for most of the first half, but a late 6-0 run by the Yotes led the Mountaineers into halftime trailing 37-26.

Coming out of halftime, the College of Idaho extended its lead to 12 points and looked to take control of the game. However, Eastern was able to claw back into the game with a steady effort and cut the lead to 55-54 with just over five minutes left in regulation. The Mountaineers even took a 60-55 lead with just under four minutes to play.

The College of Idaho's defensive effort and steady performance at the free-throw line ultimately tilted the game in the favor of the Yotes down the stretch. The Yotes scored seven free throws in the last three minutes and 11 seconds to come away with a three-point victory.

The loss dropped Eastern's record to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Up next, the Mountaineers will travel to Rocklin, California to face off with William Jessup at 3 p.m. on Nov. 26.