| Eagles newcomer, Derrick Turner has quickly become a dominant player for CEU this season. Turner recently scored 23 points against the Treasure Valley Chuckers. |
The College of Eastern Utah men”s basketball team has found great success during it”s preseason. In fact, the Eagles record currently stands at 8-1.
After an eight game winning streak, the Eagles fell to the Utah Showcase team by only six points. Despite losing, the competition was intense and the Eagles look toward next week”s game against Snow College.
The Eagles traveled to Salt Lake this past weekend to compete in a two day event.
The first night of play, the Eagles faced Scenic West Athletic Conference rival, Treasure Valley.
Although the Chuckers had a disappointing season last year, the team is rebuilding and has several talented players.
The Eagles did not let this fact bother them however, as they stepped out and played tough, eventually chalking up the 96-81 victory.
Return starter for the Eagles, Mindaugas Katelynas lead the team in scoring with 27 points. Katelynas also pulled down 18 rebounds and blocked three shots against the Chuckers.
First year Eagle, Derrick Turner also had a strong game as he posted 23 points and seven rebounds. Turner also blocked four shots for the Eagles.
Following in scoring was Anthony Grant with 13 points and Devin Wood with 12 points.
The Eagles shot well from the free-throw line with a 75 percent average while shooting 51 percent from the field.
Following their eighth consecutive win, the Eagles hit the court once again to compete against the Utah Showcase team. This team is comprised of several college all-stars and is loaded with talented athletes.
The game was a close one throughout. By halftime, only one point separated the two teams in favor of the showcase squad.
As the second half rolled around, the Eagles were out scored by six points, thus leading to CEU”s first loss of the preseason, 103-97.
Despite shooting exceptionally well from the free-throw line the night before, the Eagles shooting percentage dropped considerably against the showcase team.
The Eagles shot only 60 percent in their final game of the weekend while their opponents shot 80 percent. These totals could have easily been the deciding factor in the outcome of the preseason game.
Grant once again stepped up to play well for the Eagles as he lead the team in scoring with 23 points. He was followed by GJ Macon who finished the game with 19 points.
CEU point guard, P.J. Stinnett also played well as he completed the game with 17 points and five rebounds.
The Eagles look to bounce back from the loss this Friday as they travel to Ephraim to take on Snow College. This game will be a preview of the regular season since both teams compete in the strong and talented SWAC conference.