CALDWELL, Idaho – Payton Parrish scored 24 points, including three 3-pointers in a game opening 27-4 run, as Eastern Oregon defeated rival College of Idaho, 74-54, inside the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
The No. 17 ranked Mountaineers (24-4, 17-2 CCC) won for the ninth-straight time and moved a game away from clinching a share of the Cascade Conference title. The Lady Yotes dropped their second-straight game – making just 32-percent of their field goal attempts in the loss.
EOU held the Yotes (11-14, 11-8) to just two made field goals in the opening quarter – with back-to-back Maya Ah You triples giving the Mounties a 21-4 lead after 10 minutes. Parrish drained treys on Eastern's first two possessions of the second quarter to extend the margin to 27-4, while a Reece Bauer 3-pointer giving the visitors their largest lead of the night at 36-12.
C of I made a mini-run early in the third quarter, as a
Kiara Skinner 3-pointer pulled the Yotes within 44-29, but the hosts could not get closer – as the Mountaineers bench wore the Yotes down, as EOU's reserves outscored their I-84 foes, 32-12.
Parrish made 6-of-10 3-pointers in the win, with Stormee Van Belle scoring 15 points with eight rebounds and Ah You adding 10.
Petra Lumpert led C of I with 18 points and seven rebounds – but committed nine turnovers.
Madison Pilster had 10 points and
Alyssa Case had seven points and six rebounds.
C of I closes out the regular season on Saturday, hosting Walla Walla at 7 p.m.
