­­­­­­­Eastern Washington "University "Eagles Men's Basketball (6-2/0-0 Big Sky) Dec. 8 – vs. Great Falls, 6:05 p.m., Cheney, Wash. Dec. 13 – vs. Morehead State, 6:05 p.m., Cheney, Wash. 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:	The Morehead State game will be televised live regionally by SWX
­­­Webcast:	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:	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).

 
There is nothing like following up a confidence-building road win with a pair of games at home.
 
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team, off to a 6-2 start that is the best thus far in the Big Sky Conference, hosts a pair of foes as the Eagles wrap-up finals week at EWU.
 
The Eagles play 7-2 Great Falls on Thursday (Dec. 8) at 6:05 p.m. at Reese Court in a game that counts in EWU's season record but is a non-counting exhibition for Great Falls. Morehead State comes to Cheney on Tuesday (Dec. 13) in another 6:05 p.m. game at Reese Court, and those Eagles are 2-5 and play at Lipscomb on Saturday (Dec. 10) before taking on the EWU Eagles. Morehead State was 23-14 a year ago and advanced to the title series of the College Basketball Invitational which Eastern also participated in.
 
Fans can listen to the games on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com, with pre-game coverage starting a half-hour prior to tipoff. Eastern's home games will also be broadcast via www.watchbigsky.com.
 
"We get to play two home games in the next week, and we're here to defend our home court and keep growing as a team," Eastern head coach Jim Hayford said. "Great Falls is having a very good season and has our full respect. Morehead State is coming off an outstanding season and has a very talented roster. We are honored to host such a quality program at Reese Court."
 
Great Falls is on a three-game road trip against NCAA Division I foes, with all three counting as exhibitions for the Argos and not counting in their season record or statistics. They lost 84-51 to Utah State on Tuesday (Dec. 6) and also play at Seattle on Saturday (Dec. 10). Four players are averaging in double figures in scoring, led by 6-foot-3 guard Sergio Berkley with an 11.8 average.
 
Morehead State picked up a pair of wins to open the season, but has lost its last five. Xavier Moon leads the MSU with a 12.1 scoring average. Morehead State made 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.
 
Eastern is coming off its fifth-straight victory – all by six points or less – in a 93-88 double-overtime victory at Seattle on Dec. 4. Six 3-pointers in the final eight minutes of regulation helped send the game into overtime, including a trey with 24 seconds remaining by Felix Von Hofe. After the Redhawks hit a 3-pointer to send the game into a second extra period, Eastern used a 9-0 run and 11-of-12 free throws in the final 1:54 to close out its first road victory in three tries.
 
In winning six of their first eight games this season, the Eagles have registered a 6-2 or better start for only the third time in 34 years in NCAA Division I. Eastern joined the 2014-15 and 2008-09 squads to achieve that feat, including Hayford's '14-15 squad which opened the year 8-1 and finished 25-4 after advancing to Eastern's second NCAA Tournament in school history. The Eagles were just the sixth team in 34 years to start 5-2 or better, including three under Hayford.
 
As a result of the early success, the Eagles are the top team in the Big Sky Conference with an RPI of 78 (as of 12/7 in the official NCAA RPI ratings; 66th on 12/6). In addition, Eastern has the best non-conference record among the 12 Big Sky Conference schools at 6-2, followed by North Dakota at 4-2.
 
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Bliznyuk Wins Big Sky Player of the Week Honors For Second Week in a Row
 
It was double the fun this week for the Eagles. For the second week in a row, Eastern Washington University junior Bogdan Bliznyuk was selected as the Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, sharing the honor with Montana's State's Tyler Hall.
 
Bliznyuk had a double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds in EWU's 93-88 double-overtime non-conference victory over Seattle on Dec. 4. Formerly from Lutsk, Ukraine, and a 2014 graduate of Todd Beamer High School near Seattle, he had his third 30-point performance in his last five games. He had 12 rebounds to finish with the 11th double-double in his career, including the school's first and only triple-double last season. Bliznyuk had career highs with 12 field goals made and 25 attempts, and sank all six of his free throws.
 
"Bogdan is playing at a very high level and led us to a great come-from-behind victory on the road," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "I'm very proud of his play."
 
The previous week, after helping EWU win three home games, Bliznyuk was also the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. During Eastern's current five-game winning streak, he has averaged 24.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists, making 48.3 percent of his shots from the floor (43-of-89), 42.1 percent of his 3-point attempts (8-of-19) and 93.8 percent of his free throws (30-of-32).
 
Bliznyuk is ranked in the top six in four different statistical categories in the league, ranking third in points (21.9 per game), sixth in rebounds (7.4), fourth in assists (4.6) and second in free throw percentage (.943). He ranks 27th nationally in scoring and is 14th in free throw percentage.
 
He came a rebound away from the second triple-double in school history (he had the first as a sophomore last year) with 22 points, a career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds in an 85-80 win over Denver. The next night, he equaled his career-high with 32 points, and added seven rebounds and seven assists in a 96-90 shootout win against San Francisco. He made 9-of-16 shots from the field, both of his 3-pointers and 12-of-13 free throws in the win over the Dons, which equaled the career high of 32 he had on Nov. 21 in a win over Bryant. In that game, Bliznyuk made 11-of-15 shots overall, both of his 3-point attempts and all eight of his free throws, to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.
 
Bliznyuk's 22 points, career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds against Denver on Nov. 26 was the fourth time since Jan. 11, 2014, that an Eagle had come one stat from a triple-double. The other three were by Drew Brandon. Bliznyuk had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against Northern Arizona on Jan. 16, 2016, for the first triple-double in school history.
 
 
Felix Von Hofe, Now Third in Eagle History For Three Pointers, Ranks 11th Nationally
 
With a team-leading 29 3-pointers this season, senior Felix Von Hofe ranks 11th in NCAA Division I with an average of 3.63 3-pointers per game, helping EWU rank 33rd as a team in makes per game (9.6) and 74th in percentage (38.1). During EWU's five-game winning streak, he has averaged 17.0 points and made 19-of-43 3-pointers and 14-of-16 free throws. He had a pair of 20-point performances in his last three games – 23 with six 3-pointers against Denver and 21 with five more treys versus San Francisco – then had 19 in EWU's double-overtime win at Seattle.
 
Von Hofe has moved into third in school history in 3-pointers made with 195. He recently moved past the 184 of Marc Axton (2002-05) and is now 15 from the No. 2 position (210, Parker Kelly 2012-15). Von Hofe is 65 from the record set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15 with 260. He also moved into fourth in school history with 471 attempts, and his percentage of .414 is 10th (teammate Bogdan Bliznyuk is 13th at .407). Von Hofe now has had 10 performances of at least 20 points in his Eastern career, including seven as a junior in 2015-16 when he had the fourth-most 3-pointers in school history with 105. He has scored in double figures five times this season and 31 times in his career (20 as a junior), and has led EWU in scoring on 11 occasions (eight in 2015-16).
 
 
Seventh in Nation in Blocked Shots, Wiley's Numbers Stack Up Well Against Those of EWU's All-Time Leading Scorer
 
Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley has already compiled some impressive numbers eight games into what will be a one-year career at EWU. He's averaging 14.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocked shots and 2.0 assists per game, while making 58.0 percent from the field. He leads the Big Sky in blocked shots per game by more than double the next player (1.4), and is ranked seventh in NCAA Division I. As a team, Eastern is 17th nationally with an average of 6.1 per game.
 
Wiley's numbers compare favorably with those of the forward he's replacing in the starting lineup – all-time leading scorer Venky Jois. Now playing professionally, Jois averaged 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.3 assists in his 122-game career, and made 58.3 percent from the field. However, Wiley has a significant advantage at the free throw line where he has made 33-of-37 thus far for 89.2 percent. Jois made only 55.0 percent in his career.
 
Wiley capped a spectacular junior season for Lewis-Clark State in 2015-16 by earning first team NAIA All-America honors after averaging 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game. He led L-C State to a 29-5 record and was the fourth-most accurate shooter (.604) in the NAIA, as well as ranking 20th in blocks per game and 43rd in rebounds per game. An Academic All-Frontier Conference selection while at L-C State, Wiley originally played 20 games at Montana in the 2012-13 season. He is 2012 graduate of nearby Newport (Wash.) High School.
 
 
Eastern Second in the Nation in Free Throw Percentage
 
A big reason why EWU is 6-0 this season in games decided by six points or less is the team's clutch free throw shooting. Eastern has made 84.1 percent thus far to rank second in the nation behind Notre Dame at 85.8 percent. Bogdan Bliznyuk is 14th at 94.3 percent (33-of-35), with Jacob Wiley 52nd at 89.2 percent (33-of-37). Felix Von Hofe does not meet the minimum number of attempts to be ranked, but has made 17-of-19 thus far (89.5 percent).
 
 
Eagles Set School Record Already for Overtime Periods
 
The Eagles are finding a way to win games, and have already equaled a school record with five extra periods this season. Eastern defeated Seattle 80-76 in double overtime on Nov. 22 and then beat Denver in its next game in overtime by an 85-80 score. Two games later, the Eagles played at Seattle in another double-overtime thriller, winning 93-88. The only other time Eastern has played five overtime periods in a single year came in the 1998-99 season when Eastern had four in a 101-100 loss to Weber State on Jan. 16, 1993. The Eagles had no overtime games last season, two in 2014-15, one in 2013-14 and four in 2012-13.
 
 
Julian Harrell Will Miss Rest of Season With Shoulder Injury
 
The collegiate career for Julian Harrell will end with upcoming surgery to repair a disabling shoulder injury, head coach Jim Hayford announced Nov. 21. With a 3.89 grade point average, Harrell saw action in two of Eastern's three games this season, but played just 36 total minutes. In his 23-game career as an Eagle he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists, making 47.1 percent of his shots from the field. He transferred to Eastern from City College of San Francisco after originally playing at Penn in the 2012-13 (redshirt) and 2013-14 seasons.
 
"This is terrible news, and very disappointing for Julian, his family and his teammates," said Hayford of the 2012 graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles. "Julian has giving everything he can to our program for two years, and will graduate next quarter as an honors student. Though not replaceable, our team will work very hard to step up and honor Julian with our work this season."
 
Harrell will graduate from Eastern with an interdisciplinary studies/liberal arts degree. He was a Big Sky Conference All-Academic selection last season, and entered this year as a preseason fourth team All-Big Sky selection by College Sports Madness.
 
 "The hardest thing for me to do is to accept that I won't be able to play this season," said Harrell. "This team has something special brewing, and I wanted to be out there playing with my brothers. There isn't a doubt in my mind that they will be successful this year. Though I'm expected to make a full recovery, it truly hurts that I can't be on the court during the special season that this team will have. Thank you to the EWU community for the love and support since I first arrived on campus -- it means a lot. Go Eags!"
 
 
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 Gain Experience With Summer Tour to Australia
 
Besides its three returning starters, 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 senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley, who began his career at Montana before transferring to Lewis-Clark State.
 
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, the team's three returning starters – Bogdan Bliznyuk (wrist) didn't play, Julian Harrell (concussion) saw action in just the opening scrimmage and Felix Von Hofe (shoulder) was limited.
 
 
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). One opponent played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). But the best part of the season is 16 home games at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
 "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 opened the regular season in Cheney with a 70-47 victory against Linfield, a NCAA Division III school in the Northwest Conference.
 
Eastern then took part in the Legends Classic, falling to Northwestern 86-72 on the road on Nov. 14 and 85-52 at Texas on Nov. 17. Still looking for its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, 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 Longhorns were ranked 21st and 23rd in the two national polls prior to playing the Eagles.
 
The Eagles returned home and won the title in the Legends Classic Sub-Regional round in Cheney. Eastern beat Bryant (8-23/5-13 Northeast Conference) 81-77 on the first day, then edged Seattle 80-76 in double-overtime the next night. Bryant beat Louisiana Monroe in the consolation game, with Eastern's Jacob Wiley earning tournament MVP honors. Seattle was in the CBI a year ago and Louisiana Monroe played in the CIT.
 
Next, Eastern swept two games in the EWU Classic in which they beat Denver (16-15/7-9 Summit League) 85-80 on Nov. 26 and then defeated San Francisco (15-15/8-10 West Coast Conference) in a 96-90 shootout 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 in 2015-16, winning 81-77.
 
On Dec. 4, Eastern had yet another double-overtime victory (93-88) over Seattle (13-15/7-7 Western Athletic Conference), which lost in the second round of the last year's 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.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* The Eagles have never faced Morehead State, and have played just once in school history against Great Falls – that coming last year in a 104-64 romp on Dec. 6, 2015. Eight of the 10 EWU players who played in that game were either freshmen or sophomores. Then redshirt freshman Cody Benzel scored a career-high 23 points with seven 3-pointers to lead seven Eagles in double figures. Eastern used a 14-4 run at the end of the first half to lead by 14 at halftime, then led by as many as the final margin in out-scoring the Argos 56-30 in the second half. The Eagles made 17 3-pointers – one short of the school record – in the game against the NAIA foe from Great Falls, Montana. Eastern dominated in most statistical categories. Eastern made 17-of-40 3-point attempts, plus won the rebounding battle 43-28. The Eagles had 20 second-chance points and scored 15 points off 13 Great Falls turnovers, while committing a season-low six turnovers themselves. Sir Washington made 6-of-8 shots from the field and finished with a career-high 15 points, a career-high nine rebounds and a pair of steals, and Felix Von Hofe also had 15 with a trio of 3-pointers. Bogdan Bliznyuk added 13 points and seven rebounds.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
More Drama and More Overtime For Eagles in Come-From-Behind 93-88 Win
 
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit with 10 minutes left to force overtime, then prevailed 93-88 in another double-overtime non-conference victory over Seattle on Dec. 4 at KeyArena in Seattle, Wash. Six 3-pointers in the final eight minutes of regulation helped send the game into overtime, including a trey with 24 seconds remaining by Felix Von Hofe, who finished with 19 points. After the Redhawks hit a 3-pointer to send the game into a second extra period, Eastern used a 9-0 run and 11-of-12 free throws in the final 1:54 to close out its first road victory in three tries. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk had a double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds on his way to earning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors for a second-straight week. Spokane's Cody Benzel was also in double figures with 12 and senior Jacob Wiley had a great all-around game with 10 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots, five assists and a pair of steals. Sophomore Mario Soto saw his most significant action of the season and had five points, two steals and two rebounds in 18 minutes of action. He also guarded talented Seattle guard Brendan Westendorf, who finished with 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Redhawks led 50-36 with 10:05 to play when Eastern made its move. Bliznyuk scored five quick points, including one of six 3-pointers EWU would sink in the final eight minutes of regulation. With 24 seconds to play, Felix Von Hofe made a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and close a 10-of-18 shooting stretch. Eastern survived a 1-of-19 shooting stretch to finish at 42 percent for the game with 11 3-pointers. The victory was Eastern's fifth in a row, including all by six points or less. The game was a rematch of a thrilling 80-76 EWU victory on Nov. 22. That victory gave Eastern the title in the Legends Classic Sub-Regional in Cheney.
 
 
Gritty Eagles Overcome USF Hot Start With Spectacular Finish in 96-90 Shootout
 
Making its last eight shots of the game to complete a comeback from a 15-point deficit, Eastern extended its winning streak to four games with a 96-90 victory over San Francisco on Nov. 27 as part of the Eastern Classic at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. All four victories came at home in a seven-day span, including a tournament championship and a pseudo tourney title to boot. Eastern, which made a season-high 55 percent of its shots from the floor, took its first lead of the game with 4:09 remaining. The Eagles closed out the win by making its last eight field goal attempts – including six 3-pointers – as well as its last six free throws. Ty Gibson, Cody Benzel, Felix Von Hofe and Sir Washington all hit critical threes down the stretch, and Washington had another key basket as well and a pair of assists and two free throws on his way to a career-high 21 points. The two teams combined for 31 3-pointers, with Eastern making 13 and the Dons sinking 12 of their 18 in the first 20 minutes. Six different Eagles made treys, and seven players had triples for USF. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk equaled his career high with 32 points for EWU, and Von Hofe had 21 on 8-of-12 shooting from the field with five 3-pointers. Junior Sir Washington eclipsed his previous high of 15 on two occasions, making 7-of-10 shots from the field, both of his 3-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws. He also had six rebounds and equaled his career high with three assists. Sophomore Ty Gibson came off the bench to finish with 10 points, making 2-of-3 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws in the final 12 seconds.
 
 
Big Three and Defense Power Eastern Past Denver 85-80 in OT
 
A near triple-double by Bogdan Bliznyuk and a trio of 20-point performances helped the Eagles extend their winning streak to three games with an 85-80 overtime victory over Denver Nov. 26 as part of the Eastern Classic at Reese Court. The Eagle trio of Bliznyuk, Felix Von Hofe and Jacob Wiley combined for 67 of Eastern's points, with Bliznyuk coming a rebound away from his second triple-double in school history. Wiley also had five blocked shots, helping hold the efficient Pioneers to 43 percent shooting in the second half. The Pioneers made 55 percent in the first half after entering the game making 54 percent for the season. Besides Bliznyuk's performance of 22 points, a career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds, Von Hofe led all scorers with 23 points, making 6-of-12 3-pointers and 8-of-17 shots overall. He scored a career-high 28 points in last year's 74-58 victory at Denver, hitting eight 3-pointers. Wiley, a senior graduate transfer, made 9-of-12 shots from the field and all four of his free throws, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals. He was named the MVP in leading EWU to the title at the Legends Classic Sub-Regional on Nov. 21-22 at EWU.
 

 

Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments

 
On Seattle Victory: "It's the kind of win when you go on the road and gain confidence. It's going to be a season like this with a lot of close games – we've played more overtime games this year than we have the last three years. This is the kind of win that can breed more wins."
 
On Comeback: "What a drought we survived. We just couldn't score and we were getting some pretty good looks too. We just regrouped and used our timeouts early. We knew we could do it, but had to turn some defense to offense. We told our players not to check into the game unless they could believe in everything they have that we could do it. Then the pressure switched to Seattle and they started playing on their heels instead of their toes. Felix made a big shot and got us to overtime where we got fresh life. We probably should have won it in single overtime, but they made a big shot there. Then it got into double-overtime and we made some separation. It was kind of like the first time we played them where we executed our best offense in overtime."
 
On Soto's Defense and Offense: "We just kept rotating guys on Westendorf. I thought Mario's size did a really good job with him. And he made a three early, so they came on out on him which then opened up some drives for Bogdan and some inside touches. He was pretty effective just by playing in space. He's confident, so when he gets the ball he's not afraid to shoot it. The combination of his size really helped us both ways even though he was just 1-of-5 from the field."
 
On Bliznyuk: "We just put the game on Bogdan's shoulders so much. What a great game he had. We took 72 shots and he took 25 of them. He's just a great player."
 
On Importance of Win: "Time will tell and we'll see what kind of team Seattle is at the end of the year, and we'll know a little bit more about who we are. We get to go home and play two more home games, and have a couple more weeks in our own gym getting better and taking finals. I'm just really pleased. It's so much fun. What a great weekend for Eags fans. We win the football playoff game, the women's basketball team wins at Northridge and we finish it off with a win in Seattle. It really is a great day to be an Eagle."
 
On Stretch of Six of Seven Games at Home: "The schedule was an opportunity. When you look at the previous five years, we were pretty much out on the road having to develop our team during this time. This year we were at home and won four close games. Maybe on the road it's different, and we lose a close game and we have to encourage our team. We have to tell them they are almost there and it's about the development of the team. Win or lose, you stay in the mindset that you have to keep growing and keep getting better. But let's be honest, for 18 to 22 year olds it's easier when you are winning to keep hearing that. We made great use of it, and now we have a whole week at home to prepare for Seattle. We'll go over there for a day, then we have another 11 days at home. I think it's 26 of 29 days where we are actually here getting to practice. Sir was the player who said we get to take shots in the gym and get individual work with our excellent assistant coaches. The opportunity to develop a team here is a huge advantage that normally we don't have. What you do with opportunities is the question we all have in life. Our guys made great use of the opportunity."
 
On San Francisco Win: "That was a shootout between two really good offensive teams. Our guys were really good offensively down the stretch. We played fearless. At the end of every play, we say somebody has to make a shot. And we had guys step up at the end of the game. We hit some big threes and ran our offense great."
 
On Competitive Game in First Meeting With Seattle: "It's why you get into this career – the joy of competition and two teams just going at it. To be in November and have a game like that is really fun – it's fun for the guys. It's really fun to be on this side of it and heartbreaking to be on the other side. Guys just stepped up and made some big plays and big shots, and some big stops too. What an exciting basketball game. Now we have to go back to Key Arena and play them again. It's fun to compete like that."
 
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."
 
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."