>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Here’s a salute to the Eastern Oregon University men’s and women’s basketball teams for their success this past season. Both teams earned league championships. Both advanced to the national tournament. And both won first-round games.

The Mountaineer women’s teams have been winning league championships for several years in a row now — five straight and six of the past seven. Coach Anji Weissenfluh has built a competitive Cascade Collegiate Conference team. But not until this year was the team able to win at the national tourney.

They did just that. They took another step toward bringing greater recognition to EOU. Who knows what might be possible in the future.

EOU men’s coach Ryan Looney is building the same kind of program. The Mountaineers dominated their Cascade Conference opponents and won the CCC league championship — the program’s first league title in 37 years. Though they, like the women, stumbled in the CCC tourney, they already had claimed a berth at nationals — the program’s first. They advanced past the first game before falling in the second round.

EOU basketball is getting stronger. The coaches and players have a lot to be proud of. This was a great season. These teams have done their community proud.

Hats off to EOU basketball!