Sports
A7
Thursday, January 6, 2022
LEADING THE WAY
Transfers Phillip Malatare, Xavier Lovelace
carry load for injury-plagued Mountaineers
order to play McCullough
off the ball — now Malatare
fi nds himself as the team’s
LA GRANDE — Two
leading scorer averaging 19
new names have quickly
points per game. He also
become the focal
leads the team with
points for the Eastern
3.4 assists per game,
Oregon Univer-
22 steals on the
sity men’s basketball
season and is second
team.
on the Mountaineers
After a sea-
with 5.8 rebounds per
son-ending injury just Lovelace game.
four games into the
“This year I’ve
year, the days of Max
had to pick up the
McCullough high-
scoring a lot more,
lighting the stat sheets
as well as with
with 30 points are no
(Xavier),” Malatare
longer feasible this
said. “I think it’s
season. Faced with
game-by-game,
Malatare
replacing the pro-
though. Each game
gram’s all-time high scorer, there might be a diff erent
Eastern has relied on trans- guy that steps up.”
fers Phillip Malatare and
Lovelace has also seen
Xavier Lovelace to lead the an increased role, serving
way.
as the team’s top rebounder.
“It was tough coming
The sophomore averages
into a new team and trying
a team-high 8.7 rebounds
to fi gure out how everyone
per game and is second on
plays, but I think right away the team with 13 points per
(Xavier and I) connected
game.
really well on the court,”
Lovelace noted that
Malatare said. “I think the
being thrust into a primary
more games we get under
role helped speed up the
our belts, the more com-
trust-building process with
fortable we’ll get with each
new teammates.
other. But, we’re just trying
“I think just leading by
to get everyone involved — example has helped both of
it takes all 10 of us to really us. Whenever you do say
make a diff erence.”
something and you tend to
do it, everybody else tries
New roles
to follow that lead,” he said.
Injuries to McCullough
“For us newcomers that
and guard Paul Pennington
was a big step — we had to
have had a huge impact on
be able to do it before we
Eastern, and they have also
could tell anybody to do
aff ected each current play-
anything.”
er’s role. Malatare joined
The duo has quickly
the program from North
become a key part of
Idaho, where he averaged
the new identity Eastern
10.2 points per game and
is working to establish,
four assists per contest.
making the best of injuries
Coming into the program,
and personnel. Lovelace’s
his role was intended to be
rebounding prowess along
a primary ball handler in
with Malatare’s effi cient
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
Alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
Phillip Malatare (0) drives to the basket during a match between
Eastern Oregon University and Montana Western University at
Quinn Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021. Malatare’s 15-point
performance helped EOU to a 67-61 win in the team’s home opener.
ball handling and ability to
drive to the basket create
a balanced eff ort for the
Mountaineers.
“We’ve been fi guring
out how to play with each
other,” Lovelace said. “I
think his strengths and my
strengths really comple-
ment each other.”
Building to success
A more conventional
schedule of conference
games in the second half of
the season off ers the chance
for Eastern to build consis-
tency. The Mountaineers
played nine straight road
games in the early part of
the season, including two
exhibitions against NCAA
Division I opponents.
“We’re defi nitely a
long way from peaking,”
Malatare said. “I think
once we get games every
weekend we’ll fi nd a
rhythm as the second part
of the season goes on. I
think we’re going to make a
big run.”
Both Malatare and Love-
lace noted that Eastern’s
diffi cult non-conference
slate of games this year
prepared the team well,
through trial by fi re.
“I think those were
great games in order to
see where we are and what
we can be,” Lovelace said.
“We competed for a little
while against Idaho State,
which showed us that we
can compete with anybody
and that we can be a great
team.”
Lovelace emphasized
that the team stresses
looking at ways to improve
after losses. Eastern lost
by three points to No. 18
College of Idaho and four
points to No. 17 LC State.
Malatare stated that as the
team focuses to improve on
ON THE SLATE
FRIDAY, JAN. 7
mistakes and grows closer
as a unit, those tight losses
against top competition can
easily swing to victories
later in the season.
“We try to fi nd little
things that we can do better
after close losses. If we do
that, I think we will win
games,” Malatare said.
While the duo has
quickly become the one-two
punch for the Mountain-
eers this season, the expec-
tations are still to continue
improving. Eastern is 8-7
overall and 2-5 in confer-
ence play, leaving 15 confer-
ence matchups in the season
to determine the team’s
potential.
“It’s still very much a
work in progress,” Love-
lace said. “We’re still not
even close to where we
want to be or where we
could be, but I think we’re
on the right track.”
The Mountaineers cur-
rently stand seventh in the
Cascade Collegiate Con-
ference, fi ve games back
of fi rst place Oregon Tech.
Eastern plays 10 confer-
ence games in a jam-packed
month of January, which
will go a long way toward
defi ning the season.
“I think we’re working
toward something really
special,” Lovelace said.
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Crook County, 7 p.m.
Union at Heppner, 7:30 p.m.
Wallowa at Elgin, 7:30 p.m.
Powder Valley at Pine Eagle, 7:30 p.m.
Griswold at Cove, 7:30 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Imbler, 7:30 p.m.
Enterprise at Grant Union, 7:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Crook County, 5 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Imbler, 6 p.m.
Union at Heppner, 6 p.m.
Wallowa at Elgin, 6 p.m.
Powder Valley at Pine Eagle, 6 p.m.
Griswold at Cove, 6 p.m.
Enterprise at Grant Union, 6 p.m.
PREP WRESTLING
La Grande at Mountain View Invite,
Meridian, Idaho, TBA
Imbler, Elgin, Enterprise, Union/Cove
at JoHi Invitational, Joseph High
School, noon
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Warner Pacifi c at Eastern Oregon,
7:30 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Warner Pacifi c at Eastern Oregon,
5:30 p.m.
COLLEGE MEN’S WRESTLING
Eastern Oregon at Arizona Chris-
tian, 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, JAN. 8
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Multnomah at Eastern Oregon, 5 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Multnomah at Eastern Oregon, 3 p.m.
COLLEGE MEN’S WRESTLING
Eastern Oregon at Embry-Riddle,
6 p.m.
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Madras, 12:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Union, 5:30 p.m.
Elgin at Nixyaawii, 5:30 p.m.
Imbler at Powder Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Cove at Wallowa, 5:30 p.m.
Joseph at Pine Eagle, 5:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
La Grande at Madras, 11 a.m.
Pilot Rock at Union, 4 p.m.
Elgin at Nixyaawii, 4 p.m.
Imbler at Powder Valley, 4 p.m.
Cove at Wallowa, 4 p.m.
Joseph at Pine Eagle, 4 p.m.
PREP WRESTLING
La Grande at Mountain View Invite,
Meridian, Idaho, TBA
Imbler, Elgin, Enterprise, Union/Cove
at JoHi Invitational, Joseph High
School, noon
New Year,
New Kitchen
Make the Hometown Choice!
ELGIN ELECTRIC
43 N. 8th Elgin, OR
541-437-2054
Ask us about
home
delivery.
GIVE AND RECEIVE.
Donate $50 or more to charity and get hundreds off.*
$
® and offi ce chairs
Help others, then help yourself to $ 400 off Stressless
Mayfair recliners
Help
others,
then
help
yourself
to
400
off
Stressless
recliners.
in all Paloma leather colors.*
®
OFFER
ENDS
JANUARY 17!
PINNACLE
CHAISE
ROCKER
RECLINER
6
VAIL
MORRISON
599
649
Stressless ® Mayfair shown in Paloma Vanilla
H u r r y i n w h i l e s e l e c t i o n i s b e s t !
FREE DELIVERY
FREE SET-UP
FREE REMOVAL
(541) 963-4144
Toll Free 888-449-2704
•
•
•
•
HOURS:
Mon. - Fri. 9:30 am-6:30 pm
Sat. 9:30 am-5:30 pm
Sun. Noon - 4:00 pm
© 2013 La-Z-Boy Incorporated
See stores for details
1520 ADAMS AVENUE,
LaGRANDE, OREGON 97850
Free Delivery
In-Store Credit
70 Store Buying Power
Decorating Assistance