LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University women’s basketball team won a nail-biter on Friday, Jan. 21, knocking off Oregon Tech 79-75 in overtime at Quinn Coliseum in La Grande.

The game went back and forth, but junior Sailor Liefke came up big in overtime to secure the Mountaineers’ fifth straight victory. Eastern improved to 9-2 in conference play and 12-7 overall as the team continues to climb the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings.

The visiting Owls started off the game strong, leading 21-18 after the first quarter. Oregon Tech jumped out to an 8-1 lead as Eastern took some time to settle into the game. The Owls’ largest lead of the game came in the first quarter, when the Mountaineers trailed 12-4.

Eastern settled in during the second quarter and cut the lead to 34-33 heading into the locker rooms at halftime. The Mountaineers were at their best in the third quarter, building up an 18-13 advantage in the third frame. Eastern built up its largest lead of the game, taking a 49-42 advantage midway through the quarter. The Mountaineers headed into the final frame leading 51-47.

The fourth quarter went down to the wire as both teams went back and forth — Oregon Tech outscored Eastern 22-19, but both teams exchanged blows throughout the period. With just one second left, Oregon Tech’s Olivia Sprague converted two free throws to knot the game at 69-69 and force overtime.

In overtime, Liefke scored nine out of Eastern’s 10 points to help the Mountaineers pull away and win 79-75. She converted two three-point shots on her way to a 20-point performance. Senior Taylor Stricklin led the Mountaineers with 21 points, while Haley Robinett added 15.

The win has Eastern sitting at second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference at 9-2. The Mountaineers have a huge matchup coming up on Jan. 22, facing off against the current first-place Southern Oregon Raiders. The matchup is set to tip off at 3 p.m. at Quinn Coliseum.