Mountaineers get stuck in large hole

EOU ECLIPSE: The Mountaineers women’s basketball team couldn’t get it going against Warner Pacific during a 68-51 loss. Samantha Flett finished with four points abd four rebounds. - CHRIS BAXTER/The Observer

“We just didn’t execute tonight,” EOU head coach Anji Weissenfluh said. “We didn’t shoot well, our defense broke down, we just didn’t execute at all.”

Warner Pacific started the game on a 21-9 run, as Eastern Oregon struggled from behind the arc, missing its first nine attempts.

After the Mountaineers cut the lead to 23-15 with 6:40 left in the first half, the Knights went on a 7-0 run to stretch the lead back out.

Warner Pacific went to the locker room at halftime with a 40-21 lead.

“We allowed them to shoot well tonight. They ran the same offense as the last time we played them, but we didn’t defend it as well this time,” Weissenfluh said.

EOU tried to make a run at the start of the second half, but Warner Pacific had an answer for every Eastern Oregon run.

The Knights shot 52 percent from the field for the game, and 57 percent from the three-point line.

Meanwhile, Eastern Oregon shot just 38 percent from the field, and 20 percent from the arc.

“We just have to keep things in perspective and flush this one away,” Weissenfluh said. We’ll bounce back from it.”

Tana Stickney led EOU with 13 points, while Kyle Miller added 12 and Ashlee Michelson had 11 points.

Warner Pacific had four players finish in double figures for the game, led by Cameryn Calhoun’s game-high 16 points.

Kelsey Mattsen added 14 for the Knights, while Kristina Schumacher and Marissa Towry each had 12 points.

EOU’s only lead in the game was an early 4-2 lead just minutes in. The Mountaineers entered the game second in the Cascade Conference, and Warner Pacific entered in third place.

Saturday’s results will run in Tuesday’s edition.