| Lance Yates pushes past a FCAA athlete to pull down the offensive rebound for the Eagles earlier this year. |
Preseason competition has treated the College of Eastern Utah’s mens basketball team quite well so far.
The Eagles recently competed in a two day tournament at UVSC in Orem. The road trip proved to be quite successful for the Eagles who captured two victories bringing their preseason total to 7-0.
The Eagles opened up the tourney last Friday evening against Great Falls University. It was all CEU from the opening whistle as the Eagles jumped ahead of the Idaho team, 48-24 in the first half.
The second half played out much like the first as the Eagles outscored Great Falls, 40-26.
By the time that all was said and done, the Eagles captured the 88-50 victory.
First year Eagle, Anthony Grant lead the team in scoring with 21 points. Grant also pulled down six rebounds and handed out three assists in the tourney opener.
Following in scoring was PJ Stinnett who finished the game with 14 points. Stinnett is a second year Eagle who stepped up big for the CEU team last year. It seems as if Stinnett is continuing from where he left off last season as he dominates the court against all competitors so far this year.
Stinnett handles the ball well and this was evident as he dished out 10 assists against Great Falls.
CEU newcomers, Devin Wood and Derrick Turner also had a successful game Friday night as they each scored 12 points to contribute to the Eagles victory.
Turner not only contributed on the offensive end of the court, but also the defensive end as he blocked five shots and stole four balls.
The final night of the tournament found the Eagles competing against Hill Air Force Base. Once again, the Eagles came out strong and took advantage of Hill by outscoring them 54-34 in the first half.
The momentum continued in the Eagles favor in the second half as CEU handed Hill a 103-68 loss. This victory for the Eagles boosted their overall record for the preseason to 7-0. Hopefully, this is a preview of good things to come in the regular season.
Grant lead the talented Eagles team in scoring with 30 points. The first year Eagle also pulled down seven rebounds and shot 5-8 from the three point field goal line.
Turner once again had a strong performance as he scored 26 points. He shot 12-14 from the field and also posted 10 rebounds. Turner furthered his stats by blocking seven shots and stealing two balls from the Hill team.
Stinnett once again handled the ball well as he dished out 11 assists while posting 17 points.
The Eagles have pushed open the doors and taken over the preseason battle as they continue to dominate the basketball court. With the season looming up ahead, the Eagles will continue to sharpen up their game.
The Scenic West Athletic Conference is one of the strongest conferences in the junior college rankings. This year should be no exception.
With strong teams like the Dixie Rebels and the southern Idaho Eagles, this year will be a competative one and CEU has a good chance of dominating the standings in the conference this season.
The Eagles will resume play this weekend as the compete at Salt Lake Community College. Friday evening, the Eagles are scheduled to play the Treasure Valley Chuckers while Saturday they will take on the Utah Showcase team.
The Golden Eagles will return to the BDAC Dec. 13 as they take on Hill Air Force Base in a rematch from this past weekend’s game. Until then, the Eagles will continue to chalk up wins on the road.