EUGENE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon men's basketball team jumped back into second place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference on Saturday as they knocked off Bushnell 75-70 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action.
 
A tight first half saw the Mounties claim a 36-35 advantage at the intermission, but the visitors went on to shoot 54% from the field while holding the Beacons to 27% shooting in the second half.
 
The Mounties (12-5, 9-2 CCC) hit just 4-for-21 from three-point range in the contest but also turned the ball over just seven times. They held a 42-22 scoring advantage in the paint. Phillip Malatare led all players with 23 points.
 
The Beacons (6-11, 4-7) drop their third straight game after shooting 38% in the game with a 41-37 deficit in rebounding. Spencer Hoffman led the team with 17 points, adding a game-high eight rebounds before fouling out late in the second half. Luke Smith added 14 points off the bench and Cory Johnson scored 11 as the Beacon reserves out-scored the EOU bench, 25-11.
 
Bushnell will kick off the second half of the circuit on the road next week, traveling to face Warner Pacific University on Friday at 7:30 pm and Multnomah on Saturday at 5:00 pm.