­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (1-0/0-0 Big Sky) Nov. 14 – at Northwestern, 6 p.m., Evanston, Ill. Nov. 17 – at Texas, 5 p.m., Austin Texas all times Pacific
Radio:	700-AM ESPN in Spokane, with Larry Weir calling the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff
Internet Radio:	http://www.700espn.com or http://www.tunein.com
Radio iPhone App:	Search for "700 ESPN" and download app. An app is also available for tunein radio.
TV:	Big Ten Network for Northwestern; Longhorn Network for Texas
­­­Webcast:	Consult www.nusports.com & www.texassports.com for availability for Northwestern & Texas Games; All EWU home games and all Big Sky Conference games available via http://goeags.com/sports/2016/1/5/watchbigsky.aspx?id=73 or http://watchbigsky.com
Live Stats:	CLICK HERE for Northwestern; CLICK HERE for Texas; http://ewustats.com for all EWU home games;
Weekly Coaches Show:	Resuming Jan. 3, 6 p.m. at the Swinging Doors in North Spokane (Jan. 3, Jan. 10 and then Mondays Jan. 16 through at least Feb. 27) . . .  700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).

After a pair of comfortable victories against lower-division foes, the first road tests of the 2016-17 season start Monday (Nov. 14) for the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team against a foe from the same conference as arguably the biggest victory in school history.
 
As part of the Legends Classic presented by the Gazelle Group, EWU faces Northwestern of the Big Ten Conference on Monday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. Pacific time at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern finished last season with an overall record of 20-12 and 8-10 in the Big 10, losing to Michigan in the first round of the Big 10 Tournament.
 
The game is nationally televised by the Big Ten Network, and fans can also listen to the game on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com, with pre-game coverage starting a half-hour prior to tipoff.
 
Three days later on Nov. 17, also as part of the Legends Classic, Eastern will take on Texas (20-13 overall and 11-7 in the Big 12) in a game televised by the Longhorn Network. The Longhorns lost to Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament and went on as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament where it lost to Northern Iowa in the first round.
 
Eastern has never played Northwestern or Texas, but Eastern's heart-stopping 88-86 victory at Big Ten Conference member Indiana Nov. 24, 2014, will go down as one of the greatest victories in school history. The Eagles, who would go on to advance to the NCAA Tournament, snapped the nation's third-longest non-conference home court winning streak at 43 in front of 11,636 Hoosier fans at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. It was the first-ever win for the Eagles in 14 tries against a Big Ten Conference opponent and was the first Big Sky win on a Big Ten home court.
 
Northwestern overwhelmed Mississippi Valley State 94-63 in its opener on Nov. 11. Bryant McIntosh, a 6-foot-3 junior guard, is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 13.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds a year ago. He was one of five players in double figures with 11 points and four assists. Vic Law, a 6-foot-7 forward who had a shoulder injury last season but averaged 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman, led the Wildcats with 18 points, six boards, four assists and a pair of steals.
 
"I am very impressed with Northwestern," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "They are playing very well together. They have a great lead guard in Bryant McIntosh and a really strong, versatile player in Vic Law coming off an injury. We're looking forward to going to Chicago and playing one of the great academic schools in the country, and a basketball program that is being turned into a winner by Coach (Chris) Collins."
 
The Eagles play 16 games at home this season, including five in the month of November alone. They opened that home schedule with a 70-47 victory over Linfield on Nov. 11, hitting 16-of-32 3-point attempts in the game. Senior Felix Von Hofe led the way with seven 3-pointers and 21 total points, and Cody Benzel had five treys and 17 points. Eastern also beat Saint Martin's an 80-69 in an exhibition game on Oct. 30. Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley, a NAIA All-American last season at Lewis-Clark State, led the Eagles with 25 points and 14 rebounds.
 
The Eagles will again travel the nation by playing teams from 13 different leagues. Eastern's schedule includes four teams which appeared in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and four others who joined EWU last year in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
 
The Eagles will play this season in the Legends Classic presented by the Gazelle Group, and will host a four-team subregional round on Nov. 21 and 22. On Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 26 and 27), the Eagles will host the Eastern Washington Classic at Reese Court.
 
Eastern's 2016-17 roster includes three returning starters who were all honored on the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big Sky Conference squad. Junior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk was chosen as a first team selection by that organization, and seniors Felix Von Hofe and Julian Harrell were both picked to the fourth team.
 
Last year, Bliznyuk averaged 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, and registered the first triple-double in school history. Von Hofe averaged 13.0 points and 3.1 made 3-pointers per game, and Harrell chipped in 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds after missing 13 games with a hand injury.
 
The 16-player roster includes four other returning letterwinners, one transfer who sat out last season (Geremy McKay), three other players who redshirted in 2015-16, four incoming freshmen and Wiley, who began his career at Montana.
 
This season's preparation for the Eagles had the added benefit of a summer team tour to Australia that included seven games and a scrimmage. That became important as EWU replaces the four-year contributions of Venky Jois, who concluded his Eastern career as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,803 points. Eastern also must replace the Big Sky's leading scorer a year ago in Austin McBroom.
 
The Eagles took on some of the top clubs in Australia during the tour of Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns from Aug. 14-28. Featuring five Eastern players who call Australia their home, the Eagles played seven games – winning four -- and had a scrimmage. However, Bliznyuk (wrist) didn't play, Harrell (concussion) saw action in just the opening scrimmage and Von Hofe (shoulder) was limited.
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Quartet Sign Letters of Intent With Eagle Basketball
 
A quartet of high school players, including 6-foot-9 forward Tanner Groves from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash., have signed letters of intent to play basketball and attend Eastern Washington University, EWU head coach Jim Hayford announced Nov. 9.
 
The others signed include 6-6 forward Brendan Howard, who was Montana's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior at Great Falls High School.  The third signee was Australian Jack Perry, a 6-2 guard who joins a group of five Aussies currently on EWU's roster. The fourth was 6-7 guard/forward Kim Aiken, an All-CIF selection from East Valley High School in Redlands, Calif.
 
More on the signing class, including comments from head coach Jim Hayford, is available at: http://goeags.com/news/2016/11/9/mens-basketball-quartet-sign-letters-of-intent-with-eagle-basketball.aspx?path=mbball
 
 
Former Eagle Drew Brandon Signs with Romania Pro Team
 
Former Eastern men's basketball player Drew Brandon recently signed with the CS Phoenix Galati in Romania after playing previously in Germany.
 
A member of EWU's 2015 NCAA Tournament team, CS Phoenix is a member of the Romania Liga Nationala League. In 30 games as a rookie for Bayer in Germany last season, Brandon averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He was named to the Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro A squad as an honorable mention selection, and was on its All-Defensive Team.
 
Former Eagles Venky Jois and Tyler Harvey are also currently playing overseas. In his first four games with Tartu Ulikool/Rock in Estonia in the 2016-17 season, Jois was averaging 7.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.8 blocked shots per game, including 17 points and 13 rebounds in an 88-57 victory over Audentese in Estonia.
 
In his first five games with Auxilium Torino in Italy in the 2016-17 season, Harvey was averaging 6.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and made 8-of-29 3-point shots. He averaged 11.9 points in 37 games as a rookie for the Erie Bay Hawks in the NBA's Developmental League, making 80-of-231 three-pointers for 34.6 percent.
 
Eastern has 14 former players who have played in the pro ranks within the last year. The complete list of current and former professionals is located at: http://goeags.com/sports/2016/6/27/eagles-in-the-pros.aspx
 
 
 
Eagles Picked as High as No. 5 in Preseason Polls
 
The Big Sky Conference men's basketball race is going to be a dogfight, and 2016-17 preseason predictions bear that out. Coming off its best back-to-back seasons in its NCAA Division I history, Eastern has been picked fifth by the media and seventh by the coaches in the league's preseason basketball polls released Oct. 14.
 
While the Eagles appear loaded and ready for another Big Sky title run, the rest of the league is as well. Weber State was picked to win the title in both polls, while the media picked Montana at No. 2, Idaho third and North Dakota to finish fourth just ahead of the Eagles and Idaho State at No. 5. After Weber State, the coaches picked the order of finish as Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho State, Montana State and then EWU.
 
The 2017 Big Sky men's basketball championship will take place March 7 through 11 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev.
 
 
Trio of Eagles Earn Preseason Honors
 
Junior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk was selected as a first team selection on the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big Sky Conference team. Seniors Felix Von Hofe and Julian Harrell were both picked as fourth team selections. All three were starters last season on a team that featured a pair of All-Big Sky Conference and All-District 6 selections in Venky Jois and Austin McBroom. 
 
"We lost two great starters from last year's team to graduation. It's nice to see the other three guys who started recognized for what they have done," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "I am excited about what they will do as leaders of this year's team."
Last year, Bliznyuk averaged 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, and registered the first triple-double in school history. Von Hofe averaged 13.0 points and 3.1 made 3-pointers per game, and Harrell chipped in 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds after missing 13 games with a hand injury.
 
 
Eagles Coming Off First Postseason Victory as a Member of NCAA Division I
 
The Eagles finished the 2015-16 season with an 18-16 record and advanced to the second round of the College Basketball Invitational, including the school's first NCAA Division I postseason win with a 79-72 victory over Pepperdine. Eastern finished fourth in the Big Sky Conference with a 10-8 league mark, then beat Northern Arizona 74-52 in the first round of the league tournament. Eastern was the Big Sky's 2014-15 regular season and tournament champion, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The 44 combined victories the last two years are the most in since EWU became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season. They are the most overall in 39 years since EWU won a combined 45 in the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons as a member of the NAIA.
 
Eastern finished the season ranked fifth in NCAA Division I with an average of 10.5 3-pointers made per game. Eastern also ranked 15th in NCAA Division I in scoring offense (81.4 points per game), 16th in overall field goal accuracy (48.3 percent) and 25th in accuracy from the 3-point stripe (38.5 percent).
 
 
Schedule Features Four Teams from 2016 NCAA Tourney . . .
 
The Eagles will again travel the nation by playing teams from 13 different leagues.
 
Eastern's schedule includes four teams which appeared in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and four others who joined EWU last year in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The Eagles will play this season in the Legends Classic presented by the Gazelle Group, and will host a four-team subregional round on Nov. 21 and 22. On Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 26 and 27), the Eagles will host the Eastern Washington Classic at Reese Court.
 
 "The schedule gives us many great opportunities to play in front of our home fans during the non-conference season," said Hayford. "We are playing a very good group of teams which will challenge and prepare us for Big Sky Conference play."
 
Eastern picked up an 80-69 exhibition victory on Oct. 30 against Saint Martin's, which is coached by former Eastern assistant Alex Pribble. The Eagles officially open the regular season in Cheney against Linfield, a NCAA Division III school in the Northwest Conference.
 
Eastern will then take part in the Legends Classic, facing Northwestern on Nov. 14 and Texas on Nov. 17 on the road. Northwestern finished with an overall record of 20-12 and 8-10 in the Big 10, losing to Michigan in the first round of the Big 10 Tournament. Texas (20-13 overall and 11-7 in the Big 12) lost to Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament and went on as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament where it lost to Northern Iowa in the first round.
 
The Eagles will then come home to host a subregional round of the Legends Classic, facing Bryant (8-23/5-13 Northeast Conference) on Nov. 21, followed by Seattle or Louisiana Monroe on Nov. 22. Eastern will play in the 6:05 p.m. game both nights, with the Nov. 21 winners and losers pairing off against each other.
 
Next, Eastern hosts the EWU Classic in which they play Denver (16-15/7-9 Summit League) on Nov. 26 and San Francisco (15-15/8-10 West Coast Conference) on Nov. 27. San Francisco lost in the first round of the WCC Tournament last season to Pepperdine, which fell to Eastern 79-72 in the first round of the CBI. The Eagles beat the Dons for the second-straight year in San Francisco last season, winning 81-77.
 
On Dec. 4, Eastern will play at Seattle (13-15/7-7 Western Athletic Conference), which lost in the second round of the WAC Tournament. Seattle made it to the second round of the CBI before falling to Vermont. Eastern and the Redhawks split two games last season, with EWU winning 76-70 at home and losing on the road six days later 58-52.
 
The Eagles will return home for a pair of games against Great Falls (13-16/5-13 Frontier Conference) on Dec. 8 and Morehead State (23-14/11-5 Ohio Valley Conference) on Dec. 13. Morehead State had a successful postseason in 2015-16, making it to the finals of the CBI before losing to Nevada in three games. Nevada ended EWU's season last year with an 85-70 victory in Reno in the quarterfinals of the CBI.
 
"A lot of years we only get three or four home games in November and December, but this year we'll actually play at home more than on the road," said Hayford, whose team will play seven of its 13 non-conference games at home. "We really want Eastern fans out here supporting our team at Reese Court."
 
Eastern will hit the road for its three final non-conference games before starting league play. The Eagles play at Northern Kentucky (9-21/5-13 Horizon League) on Dec. 18, Xavier (28-6/14-4 Big East) on Dec. 20 and Colorado (22-12/10-8 Pac-12) on Dec. 22. The latter two teams participated in the 2016 NCAA Tournament -- Xavier as a No. 2 seed and Colorado at No. 8. Xavier defeated Weber State in the first round and then lost to Wisconsin in the second round. Colorado fell to UConn in the first round.
 
"When you get to play Big Ten and Big 12 teams, that's pretty cool," said Hayford. "Then we get to play Xavier in Cincinnati, as well as a Pac-12 opponent in Colorado. We are going to play in some hostile environments, but we love those experiences."
 
The Eagles will begin Big Sky play on Dec. 30 with a visit to Idaho, followed by the team's league home opener against Montana State on Jan. 5. Eastern also hosts Montana (Jan. 7), Northern Arizona (Jan. 19), Southern Utah (Jan. 21), Sacramento State (Feb. 2), Portland State (Feb. 4), Idaho (Feb. 17), Weber State (Feb. 23) and Idaho State (Feb. 25) before the regular season comes to a close on March 4 at Northern Arizona.
 
 "This is my sixth year as the head coach of Eastern and I anticipate this to be the most balanced and competitive conference season we have seen yet," added Hayford.
 
The 2017 Big Sky men's basketball championship will take place March 7 through 11 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev. Tickets for the 2017 Big Sky Basketball Championships are now on sale. Visit http://RoadtoReno.com for more information.
 
 
Coaches Shows Resume Jan. 3
 
The weekly Eastern Washington University Men's Basketball Coaches Show featuring head coach Jim Hayford and host Larry Weir began with a season preview on Nov. 8, and will return on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. Pacific time at the Swinging Doors Restaurant in North Spokane (W. 1018 Francis). Additional interviews with players and other guests will also be featured. Fans may attend the one-hour shows live, or listen on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com. Programming on 700-AM ESPN is also available via mobile phone aps (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app) and www.tunein.com (an app is also available for tunein radio).  Following the Nov. 8 show, the next two shows will take place on Tuesdays – Jan. 3 and 10. Thereafter, shows will be on Mondays from Jan. 16 through at least Feb. 27. The show on March 6 depends on team travel arrangements for the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Reno, Nevada. Shows on March 13 and March 20 are also possible and will be determined by EWU's postseason fate and availability of Hayford.
 
 
 
 
 

Eagles Versus the Big Ten Conference

Eastern is now 1-13 all-time against current members of the Big Ten Conference. The Eagles picked up their first victory in 14 tries with an 88-86 victory at Indiana, a victory which snapped the third-longest non-conference home winning streak in the nation at 43.
11,636 – 11/24/14 vs. Indiana – W, 88-86
12/18/10 – L, Nebraska – 42-72 – A
11/26/08 – L - Minnesota – 67-88 – A
11/14/08 - L - Illinois - 50-66 – A
11/23/07 - L - Michigan - 53-61 - ~
12/5/03 - L - Iowa - 54-70 - #
12/31/02 - L - Nebraska - 60-63 – A
11/15/02 - L - Wisconsin - 55-81 - $
12/28/01 - L - Indiana - 60-87 - %
11/24/01 - L - Minnesota - 68-86 – A
11/25/00 - L - Michigan State - 61-83 - &
12/21/91 – L – Nebraska – 67-102 - *
1/14/84 - L - Nebraska - 71-105 – A
12/30/80 - L - Nebraska - 68-82 – A
~Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage, Alaska
#Gazette Hawkeye Challenge in Iowa City, Iowa
$NABC Classic in Madison, Wisc.
%Ameritech Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis, Ind.
&Spartan Classic in Lansing, Mich.
* Nebraska Ameritas Classic in Lincoln, Neb. (2nd)
A -- Away
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
Eastern's sharp-shooting was at its finest Nov. 11 at Reese Court, as Felix Von Hofe and Cody Benzel combined to sink 12 3-point shots and lead EWU to a 70-47 victory over Linfield. Eastern made 16-of-32 as a team for 50 percent versus the zone defense of the Wildcats, coming four makes from the school record of 20. Eastern held Wildcats scoreless for a 8:07 stretch spanning halftime, during which Linfield was 0-of-11 from the field. Eastern turned a 30-23 edge in the first half into a 49-23 lead. The Eagles led by as many 27 with 10:11 to play before winning by 23. Von Hofe made 7-of-12 shots from 3-point range to finish with 21 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Benzel had 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the 3-point arc and 6-of-10 shooting overall. He also had three assists. Senior Jacob Wiley, a graduate transfer, had eight points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots in his official Eagle debut. Sophomore Jesse Hunt started the game and finished with eight points, eight rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes of action. Eastern had 21 turnovers, including 11 in the first half. Linfield had an 18-10 advantage off turnovers, but EWU had a 16-2 advantage in 3-pointers. The Eagles also out-rebounded Linfield 35-27 and had a 14-10 edge in second-chance points. Eastern held the Wildcats to 33.3 percent shooting from the field, including just 2-of-17 from the 3-point line. After making 37 percent in the first half, Linfield was just 9-of-30 for 30 percent after intermission.
 
 

Exhibition Game Recap

 
A 12-3 run in the second half helped open a comfortable cushion as Eastern began its 2016-17 season on Oct. 30 with an exhibition victory against Saint Martin's Oct. 30 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The game does not count in the season record or statistics for either team. The Eagles held Saint Martin's to 35.3 percent shooting in the game, and to 29.7 percent from the 3-point stripe (29.7). Both teams had 10 turnovers and the Eagles had a 43-40 rebounding edge. Senior Jacob Wiley, a graduate transfer, had 25 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in his Eagle debut. He made 8-of-9 shots from the field and 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk, who until recently was out with a broken wrist, made only 5-of-15 shots but sank 7-of-8 free throws. He had 17 points and 11 boards. Senior Felix Von Hofe had 13 points and four rebounds, sinking 3-of-9 from the 3-point stripe. Von Hofe was 17th in NCAA Division I a year ago with an average of 3.18 treys per game. Junior Sir Washington had six points and three each of rebounds, assists and steals. But he played only 16 minutes before fouling out. Ahead just 55-50, the Eagles followed with a 12-3 run to open a 67-53 lead with 7:27 to play. Wiley and Bliznyuk combined for nine of the points, and Jesse Hunt had the other three with a 3-pointer. Eastern led by no less than eight the rest of the way. The Eagles made 45.3 percent of their shots from the field, including a 54 percent shooting performance inside the 3-point arc. They made just 5-of-18 3-pointers. A total of 14 Eagles saw action, including the Eagle debuts for Wiley, Mason Peatling and Geremy McKay. All 14 scored.
 
 
 

Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments

 
On Linfield Win: "We did some things really well, including our shooting. If you are going to play a zone for 40 minutes, we're going to get the ball to our shooters. Felix was good all night and Cody was amazing in the first half."
 
On First-Half Turnovers: "We were really guilty of over-passing a lot. We shot over 50 percent from the field and over 50 percent from three – those were great percentages. Defensively we forced 12 turnovers. We did everything but take care of the ball and it was because we were just trying to be a little too fancy. So that has my attention."
 
On Northwestern Game: "Last year Northwestern played some zone and everybody will be looking at this tape, so it's all kind of the cat and mouse today. I could have helped our guys out more by taking advantage of the zone, but I thought we could grind through this one and be tougher. And I did think our defense was tough today."
 
On Saint Martin's Win: "It was a really good exhibition game to be able to play a program like Saint Martin's. There weren't a lot of secrets there – they were very well-prepared for us and that will only make us better in the end. We were able to get some separation and hang on to that. We played really good defense, but we will shoot the ball better than we did today. We took care of the ball, rebounded well and played good defense. When you put on your uniform you want to win, and we did do that. We built a good lead early in the first half. I may have over-substituted, but it made it a better game for everybody. Give Saint Martin's credit – they competed and they are a well-coached team."
 
On Jacob Wiley: "Jacob is an outstanding player. He had 25 and 14 (against Saint Martin's), and there are going to be a lot more of those kinds of nights. It took him about 10 minutes to get it all going too. He's going to be playing against some good post players, so he'll have his work cut out for him."
 
On Backcourt: "Sir had zero turnovers, but he played only 16 minutes because of foul trouble. With that, you want your players to be aggressive and make things happen. But we need Sir on the floor and not on the bench in foul trouble. Julian will play a lot better than he did today."
 
On Defense/Offense: "We aren't going to be the team that just scores points in droves and all of the sudden there is a 15-0 run. We are going to have to put stops together and keep chipping away. We are going to be a tough team that has to work and probably won't put points on the board as fast as we have. With that, we'll the shoot the ball a whole lot better than we did today, and when you do that it opens up a whole lot of other things too."
 
On Big Sky Race: "We think this is going to be the toughest Big Sky Conference race yet. I think 20 of the top 30 leading scorers in the conference are returning. We have three of the top returning starters in the conference, and that's the veteran experience of our group. We are going to lean on them, but it's going to be a very, very tough conference schedule."
 
On Big Sky Tournament in Reno: "Ultimately, you are playing for a three or four game winning streak. If you can do that in Reno, you can get the crown jewel. Playing it in Reno is a great experience because every team knows they are coming, you can plan ahead and families can see you play. I thought the environment is great. I'm glad the conference made this move to a neutral site, and I think it is only going to get better and better. It's nice to have experience there, but ultimately you have to build depth for your team to be at its best for those games."
 
On Australia Trip: "On the court we were as injured a team as I've ever seen. When you look at the five starters on last year's team and who was playing this trip, it was drastically different. So what that did create was a lot of opportunity for the younger guys to get game experience. I believe this will bear fruit in the long run. Several guys did really well against some very high-level competition. I do believe the trip is so much more to do with the process of the guys becoming a team. They got to know one another, played in front of family that they normally don't get to play in front of, and continued to build on our team culture."