­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (13-7/5-2 Big Sky) Jan. 26 – at Montana, 6 p.m., Missoula, Mont. Jan. 28 – at Montana State, 1 p.m., Missoula, Mont. 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:	None
­­­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:	Montana – Montana State http://ewustats.com for all EWU home games.
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show is Monday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. at the 1898 Public House Restaurant at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club in North Spokane (shows resume at the Swinging Doors in North Spokane on Monday, Jan. 30 through at least Feb. 27) . . .  700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).

 
If it seems like yesterday the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team played its two rivals from the state of Montana, it almost was.
 
In rematches against both the Grizzlies and Bobcats within a month of each other, the Eagles play at Montana on Thursday (Jan. 26) at 6 p.m. Pacific time and then at Montana State on Saturday (Jan. 28) at 1 p.m. Fans can listen to both games on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com, with pre-game coverage starting a half-hour prior to tipoff. All Big Sky games will also be broadcast via www.watchbigsky.com.
 
Eastern beat the Bobcats 82-64 in Cheney on Jan. 5, then two days later suffered its first and only loss at Reese Court by a 65-59 score versus the Grizzlies. Eastern enters action this week with a 5-2 league record and 13-7 overall mark, which includes a 10-1 home record and 3-6 mark on the road.
 
"This is a tough trip," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "We face two solid, well-coached teams.  Montana State is coming off a sweep on the road and has great confidence.  Montana was swept, so they will bring some fire. We will need to match the intensity and focus of both teams, and play at the top of our game."
 
Just a half game separates Eastern from first-place Weber State (5-1) and second-place North Dakota (6-2). But the Eagles are also just a half-game ahead of UM (5-3), one game ahead of Portland State and Idaho (4-3) and 1 1/2 games ahead of sixth-place MSU (4-4).
 
Eastern had a home sweep last week, collectively out-shooting its two opponents 53 percent to 38 percent and having 10 less turnovers. The result was a 22-point win over Northern Arizona (83-68) in which EWU led by as many as 25, and then a 15-point win over Southern Utah (83-68) that featured a 30-point advantage in the second half. In a 40-minute stretch from the second half of the NAU game through the first half of SUU, Eastern had advantages of 94-53 in points and 60 percent to 32 percent in shooting.
 
Montana is coming off a pair of road losses, falling 88-79 at Portland State and then losing 92-83 at Sacramento State. The Bobcats swept that road trip, beating Sac State 74-65 and then registering a 71-65 road win at PSU. For the season, Montana is 10-11 with a two-game losing skid, and MSU is 9-12 with a three-game winning streak.
 
Following this week's games, Eastern returns home to Reese Court to host Sacramento State on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:05 p.m. Pacific time, then host Portland State on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:05 p.m. in a game televised by SWX.
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Defense Continues Impressive Play in League Season
 
After seven conference games, Eastern continues to have the Big Sky's best scoring defense (68.0) and the best defensive 3-point shooting percentage (.331). Eastern is also second defensively in shooting percentage overall (.404, with Idaho leading at .401) while leading the league in scoring margin (+8.6) and field goal percentage (.506).
 
The defense for the Eagles includes the top five performances this season versus NCAA Division I foes of 62, 64, 65, 62 and 68 points allowed in games versus Idaho, MSU, Montana, Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, respectively. For the season, EWU leads the league in blocked shots (5.4 per game to rank 23rd in the nation). Eastern had entered league play ranked ninth among 12 teams in scoring defense (78.6), eighth in field goal percentage defense (.455) and ninth in 3-point percentage defense (.377), and have since improved those rankings to sixth (74.9), second (.438) and sixth (.362).
 
Eastern held Idaho to 31 percent shooting from the field for EWU's top defensive performance of the season, and that game included a stretch of nine-straight misses for UI and two others of six-straight. In the next game versus MSU, the Bobcats had 11-straight misses at one point and had stretches of 11:23 and 3:58 without a field goal. Montana scored just 65 points in an Eagle loss, and went the first 5:13 without a point. In Eastern's next game, the Eagles held Idaho State scoreless for the first 4:09 of the game, in addition to another scoreless stretch of 5:02 and a game-deciding 4:42 period without a field goal. Against Northern Arizona, Eastern had stretches of 5:28 in the first half and 6:34 in the second half without allowing a field goal. Versus Southern Utah, en route to a 47-22 halftime lead, Eastern held the Thunderbirds without a field goal for 6:35.
 
 
Eastern Has Big Sky's Second-Best RPI at No. 169
 
After leading the Big Sky Conference in RPI most of the season (EWU was a season high 57th on 12/13 in the official NCAA RPI ratings), the Eagles are now 169th while Weber State is at 155th. The next-best Big Sky teams are Montana (#194), North Dakota (#207) and Portland State (#244). Montana State is currently 288th. With an 8-5 mark entering Big Sky play, Eastern joined Portland State at 7-4 as the only other league team above the .500 mark prior to the start of the league season. Plus, the Eagles received 10 votes in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major top 25 on Dec. 12 when the Eagles were 7-2.
 
 
Eastern 25th in the Nation in Free Throw Percentage
 
Eastern's clutch free throw shooting is a major reason EWU won its first six games decided by six points or less (EWU is now 6-2 in games decided by six or less and 8-3 in games decided by 10 or less). Eastern has made 75.8 percent thus far to lead the league and rank 25th in NCAA Division I (Notre Dame leads at 82.9 percent). Jacob Wiley is 55th at 85.9 percent (79-of-92) and Bogdan Bliznyuk is 115th at 82.4 percent (70-of-85). They are ranked fourth and seventh, respectively, in the Big Sky. Felix Von Hofe is not ranked, but has made 30-of-37 thus far (81.1 percent). A season-low 50 percent performance against Xavier on Dec. 20 (9-of-18) dropped EWU from second to seventh in the nation, and a 15-of-24 performance at Colorado dropped the Eagles to 14th.
 
 
Eagles Set School Record Already for Overtime Periods
 
The Eagles are finding a way to win close games, and have already set a school record with six 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. In its most recent OT game, Eastern beat Morehead State 88-86 on Dec. 13. The previous record for overtime periods in a single year was five in the 1998-99 season, including four extra periods 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
 
 
Eagles Entered League Play With 8-5 Record After Successful Pre-Conference Schedule
 
Eastern entered league play with a winning record of 8-5 – only the fifth time that has happened in 30 years in the Big Sky. The impressive start for EWU equals the NCAA Tournament team of 2014-15 (9-4) and the 1985-86 team (9-4) as the only teams to start 8-5 or better in 34 years in NCAA Division I. This year's Eagles were just the sixth team in 34 years to start 5-2 or better, including three under Hayford.
 
 
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.
 
"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," said Eastern head coach Jim 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.
 
 
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.
 
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 returned 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. Eastern beat the Argos 103-76 and downed Morehead State 88-86 in overtime. 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.
 
Eastern hit the road for its three final non-conference games before starting league play. The Eagles lost 70-48 at Northern Kentucky (9-21/5-13 Horizon League) on Dec. 18, then fell at 17th-ranked Xavier (28-6/14-4 Big East) by an 85-56 score on Dec. 20. The trip closed with a 76-68 loss at 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.
 
Eastern's home triumphs ended with a perfect 7-0 record, but the true road challenges of the season commenced with a trio of games, with EWU taking first-half leads in each before falling. Following the last of those losses on Dec. 22, the combined record of those three teams was 29-8 -- Xavier 10-2, Colorado 10-3 and Northern Kentucky 9-3. Through games of Dec. 26, the Musketeers had the fourth-highest RPI in the nation at No. 4, with Colorado at No. 69 and Northern Kentucky at 138th.
 
Eastern's loss at Northern Kentucky was an afternoon game in the Eastern time zone that actually started at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Northern Kentucky out-shot Eastern 45 percent to 33 percent in the game, and the Norse outscored Eastern 49-24 after the Eagles had taken a three-point lead late in the first half. Eastern then held 22-11 lead in the first half in its first-ever game against 17th-ranked Xavier, but the Musketeers roared back to beat the Eagles. Eastern used an 11-0 run in the first half to forge its 11-point lead, including a trio of 3-pointers, and led for 11:05 in the first half, compared to just 4:50 for XU. Eastern followed that with a 19-2 opening run versus Colorado, and led for 26 minutes versus the Buffaloes. A 17-3 run gave Colorado the lead for good, but Eastern had a furious 10-2 run in the last four minutes to nearly pull off the upset of the Pac-12 Conference opponent.
 
 
Coaches Shows Continue on Mondays Through at Least Feb. 27
 
The weekly Eastern Washington University Men's Basketball Coaches Show featuring head coach Jim Hayford and host Larry Weir now take place Mondays at 6 p.m. Pacific time, with the Jan. 23 show taking place at the at 1898 Public House Restaurant at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club in North Spokane (2010 W. Waikiki Road). Shows resume Jan. 30 at the Swinging Doors 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).  Shows will continue Mondays 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.
 
 
Rodney Stuckey in 10th Season in NBA; 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, and is one of 14 former Eagles currently playing professionally. The most famous is Rodney Stuckey, who is in his 10th season in the NBA (now with the Indiana Pacers after seven years with the Detroit Pistons) after earning honorable mention All-America honors for Eastern in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
 
Brandon was a member of EWU's 2015 NCAA Tournament team, and 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.
 
In addition, former Eagle Laron Griffin recently signed with KB Trepca Mitrovice (SuperLeague) in Kosovo. Most recently, Griffin played for San Miguel in Liga MB in Salvador where in 18 games he averaged 16.3 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

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
 
 
 
 

Player Notes

 
Wiley Now 11th in NCAA Division I in Field Goal Percentage and Sixth in Blocked Shots
 
With 51 more points in two games last week, Jacob Wiley continues to surge in the NCAA Division I and the Big Sky Conference statistical rankings. As a result, he earned Mid-Major Player of the Week honors, as well as Big Sky Conference Player of the Week, from College Sports Madness. In victories over Northern Arizona (84-62) and Southern Utah (83-68), the senior graduate transfer made 67.7 percent of his shots from the field (21-of-31) and 9-of-10 free throws and added 16 rebounds, nine assists, eight blocked shots and a pair of steals. He scored 31 points versus NAU on 14-of-16 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
 
Selected as the Big Sky Conference co-Player of the Week on Jan. 17, in the last four games Wiley has averaged 28.5 points per game. He has made 46-of-63 shots from the field (73.0 percent) and 20-of-22 free throws (90.9 percent), and is also averaging 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.8 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.
 
For the season, he is averaging 17.5 points per game overall on 62.9 percent shooting to rank 11th in the nation and first in the league. He's also averaging 3.0 blocked shots (first in the league and sixth nationally) and has made 85.9 percent from the free throw line (fourth in the league and 55th nationally). In addition, he is averaging 8.2 rebounds on the season (third in the league and 87th nationally) and 2.5 assists per game.
 
In league-only statistics, Wiley is ranked in the top three in four different categories during what will be a one-year career at EWU. He leads in rebounding (9.3) and blocked shots (2.7), and is second in scoring (24.6) and third in field goal percentage (.673). He's also made 85.0 percent of his free throws in league play (eighth) and has averaged 3.4 assists (11th) and 1.0 steals.
 
He has had at least 27 points in three of his last four games, and at least 21 in six of EWU's seven league. For the season, he has scored at least 20 eight times and in double figures in all but two of EWU's 20 games. In addition, he has had four double figure rebounding performances, including a season-high 14 against Montana on Jan. 7.
 
Prior to his 30-point output versus NAU on Jan. 19, he had had career-high performances of 27 and 36 points, respectively, in a victory over Idaho State on Jan. 12 and a three-point loss to Weber State two days later. His performance at Weber State equaled the 16th-most in school history.
 
While impressive, his 63 points in back-to-back games is not rare in recent years for EWU. A year ago, Austin McBroom scored 73 points in back-to-back games – the third time in two years an Eagle has scored at least 72 points in back-to-back games. It was the most in back-to-back Big Sky Conference games in school history, besting the 70 Rodney Stuckey, now with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA, had late in the 2006-07 season against Weber State (34) and Portland State (36). In the 2014-15 season, Venky Jois had 38 each in back-to-back games versus Eastern Oregon and Seattle, then Tyler Harvey had a total of 73 in consecutive games versus L-C State (34) and Weber State (39). The most Harvey had in back-to-back league games was 61 as a senior against Northern Colorado (37) and North Dakota (24). The Big Sky record was set by Damian Lillard (now of the Portland Trailblazers), who had 75 in two games in Feb. of 2012 (40 vs. Portland State 2/2 and 35 vs. Northern Colorado 2/4).
 
Wiley had a near triple-double with what was then a career-high 25 points in an 82-64 win over Montana State by making 10-of-15 shots from the field and 5-of-7 free throws. He also had 10 rebounds, a career-high seven assists and three blocked shots. His scoring performance versus Montana State eclipsed his previous career high of 23 points one game earlier at Idaho when he sank 9-of-13 shots from the field and added nine rebounds and five blocked shots in the 69-62 win. He had 16 points, six rebounds, five blocks and four assists versus 17th-ranked Xavier on Dec. 20, then had 10 points, eight rebounds and two more blocks against Colorado two nights later. Prior to that he had back-to-back double-double performances, with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Morehead State on Dec. 13 and 14 points and 12 more boards against Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18.
 
Earlier this season, Wiley was the MVP of the Legends Classic sub-regional round in Cheney, Wash, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds, five blocked shots, five assists and a pair of steals in an 80-76 double-overtime victory over Seattle in the championship game. The previous night in an 81-77 win over Bryant, he scored 18 points and had a team-high nine rebounds, sinking 10-of-12 free throws and four of seven shots from the floor.
 
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 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.
 
As a true freshman for Montana in the 2012-13 season, Wiley played in 20 games and averaged 3.0 minutes, 0.9 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. In two regular season victories over EWU, he played one minute in each. Wiley scored two points in an 81-66 win in Missoula and had a rebound in a 65-46 triumph in Cheney. His career highlight came during Montana's 2013 NCAA Tournament round game against Syracuse when he scored five points and recorded one block in the 81-34 loss. After quitting the basketball team prior to his sophomore season, he joined the Montana track and field squad and competed in the 400 meters.
 
 
 
Two-Time Big Sky Player of the Week Bogdan Bliznyuk Ranks 81st Nationally in Scoring
 
A two-time Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week earlier in the season, after 20 games Bogdan Bliznyuk is ranked in the top 15 in five different statistical categories in the league, ranking seventh in points (18.2 per game), 15th in rebounds (5.7), fifth in assists (4.1), seventh in free throw percentage (.824) and 15th in steals 1.2. He ranks 81st nationally in scoring and is 115th in free throw percentage.
 
He is coming off his 10th 20-point performance this season and 17th in his career with 21 points on Jan. 21 against Southern Utah, in which he equaled his career high with five steals. En route to 19 points versus Idaho State on Jan. 12, he scored all 10 points in a game-deciding 10-0 run in the second half of the 92-85 win. One game earlier, he finished with 21 in a 65-59 loss to Montana on Jan. 7. He closed the nonconference schedule with a 25-pointer performance at Colorado on Dec. 22 that included 21 in the first half, scoring 18-straight Eastern points at one point. He had a career-high 34-point effort in EWU's 88-86 win over Morehead State on Dec. 13, making 13-of-19 field goals and 7-of-10 free throws. 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 to earn his second of two Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors. Formerly from Lutsk, Ukraine, and a 2014 graduate of Todd Beamer High School near Seattle, 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. The previous week, after helping EWU win three home games, Bliznyuk was also the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week.
 
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 what was then 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. The closest former Eagle Rodney Stuckey – now playing in the NBA for Indiana – came was 14 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists on Nov. 19, 2005, versus Pacific Lutheran.
 
Bliznyuk compiled some big numbers during Eastern's seven-game winning streak from Nov. 21 to Dec. 13, including four performances of at least 31 points. He averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in that stretch, making 53.0 percent of his field goals, 37.5 percent of his 3-point shots (9-of-24) and 89.6 percent of his free throws (43-of-48). Until falling 70-48 to Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18, Eastern hadn't lost since falling at Texas 85-52 on Nov. 17.
 
 
Felix Von Hofe Up to 14th in Big Sky History for 3-Pointers Made, Just 32 from School Record

 
With a team-leading 62 3-pointers this season, senior Felix Von Hofe ranks 27th in NCAA Division I with an average of 3.10 per game, helping EWU rank 98th as a team in makes per game (8.4) and 86th in percentage (37.2).
 
Von Hofe has moved up to 14th in career 3-pointers in the Big Sky Conference with 228. He ranks second in school history, having recently moved past his former teammate Parker Kelly with 210 from 2012-15. Von Hofe is now 32 from the record of 260 set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15. At his current pace of 3.10 per game this season, he will break the record on March 4 in EWU's road game at Northern Arizona. Von Hofe is also second in school history with 562 attempts, and his percentage of .406 is 12th.
 
Von Hofe now has had 12 performances of at least 20 points in his Eastern career, including four this year and 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 10 times this season and 36 times in his career (20 as a junior), and has led EWU in scoring on 11 occasions (eight in 2015-16). He had five 3-pointers and 19 total points in an 82-64 win over Montana State on Jan. 5.  One game earlier, Von Hofe had a 22-point performance in a 69-67 victory over Idaho on Dec. 30 that included six 3-pointers.
 
During EWU's seven-game winning streak earlier this season, he averaged 16.1 points and made 25-of-63 3-pointers and 20-of-24 free throws. He had a pair of 20-point performances in that stretch – 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.
 
 
Hunt Has Hot Weekend in Split Versus MSU and UM
 
Sophomore Jesse Hunt came off the bench to contribute 21 points in just 34 minutes of action in EWU's split against Montana State and Montana. In the two games, he made 7-of-8 shots (3-of-4 from the 3-point line) and added nine rebounds. He had a career-high 13 points in 18 minutes against Montana State, having entered that game averaging just 2.2 points per game and scoring seven points in his previous five games. He also had seven rebounds against the Bobcats, coming one from his career high. Hunt then scored eight versus Montana, hitting all three of his shots from the field with a pair of 3-pointers. He is now averaging 3.2 points and 2.3 rebounds this season after a freshman season that saw him average 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds in 30 games (nine as a starter).
 
 
Ty Gibson Has Career Day Versus Argos
 
Sophomore Ty Gibson scored 13 points in a less than four minute span in the first half and finished with a career-high 19 points in EWU's 103-76 victory over Great Falls on Dec. 8. In helping Eastern open leads of 27-2 and 39-4, he played only 15 minutes and still nearly doubled his previous high of 10 last year versus Southern Utah and on Nov. 27 this season versus San Francisco. He scored 13 points in a 3:43 stretch in the first half with four three-pointers and a free throw. Gibson made 6-of-7 shots from the field – all 3-point attempts – and made all three of his free throws. For the season, he is averaging 4.3 points on 54.2 percent shooting from the field, including 24-of-43 3-pointers (55.8 percent to rank second in the Big Sky). He is a 2015 graduate of Issaquah (Wash.) High School.
 
 
Eagles Starting Pair of True Freshmen
 
A pair of Eagle true freshmen have been in the starting lineup since Dec. 20, including point guard Luka Vulikic from Belgrade, Serbia, and forward Mason Peatling from Melbourne, Australia. Vulikic has started 16 of 20 games, and is averaging 3.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He had just two turnovers in 58 combined minutes versus Xavier and Colorado, and he equaled his season high with 12 points versus the Buffaloes. Peatling made his starting debut versus 17th-ranked Xavier on Dec. 20 and has started every game since. He is averaging 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocked shots, with a high of 12 points at Idaho State on and highs of nine rebounds and three blocked shots versus Idaho on Dec. 30. He also had seven points versus the Vandals and has made 55.0 percent of his shots from the field for the season (33-of-60) with a five 3-pointers.
 
 
Bliznyuk Earns Mid-Season "Player of the Year So Far" Honors, and Wiley is Also Honored
 
Eastern's Bogdan Bliznyuk and Jacob Wiley were honored Dec. 30 by HoopsHD.Com as mid-season All-Big Sky Conference selections. Bliznyuk was named that organization's "Player of the Year So Far," and he was joined on the all-league team by senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley.
 
"There are three parts of the season – non-conference, conference and post-season," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "Our team only has four upperclassmen this year and we need their leadership and consistent play. Jacob and Bogdan played well in November and December. Recognition for them is earned and deserved.  Now we move forward together with their leadership."
 
 
Julian Harrell Will Miss Rest of Season With Shoulder Injury
 
The collegiate career for Julian Harrell has ended with 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 winter 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!"
 
 
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.
 
 
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
 
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Eastern is 20-50 against the Grizzlies since 1983-84, including a 9-27 record in Missoula, 11-21 in Cheney and 0-2 on neutral courts versus the Grizzlies, who lead the overall series 67-41. Until winning 75-69 on Feb. 4, 2015, the Eagles had lost their last 12 meetings in Missoula, dating back to a 71-52 Eagle win on Feb. 7, 2004. The Grizzlies returned the favor by handing Eastern a 77-76 home loss on Feb. 28, 2015. The Eagles would also beat the Grizzlies on their home floor in the 2015 Big Sky Conference Championship game, giving the Eagles a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Eastern has lost 21 of the last 28 meetings, including all three meetings in the 2011-12 season and two more in 2012-13.
 
* Earlier this season in Cheney, Montana was given the opportunity to win the game at the free throw line as Eastern suffered its first home loss of the season in a 65-59 loss Jan. 7 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. After a key defensive play went against the Eagles with 52 seconds to play, the Grizzlies made their last six free throws and EWU missed its last four field goal attempts in a game that featured seven ties and 17 lead changes. Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 21 points and had six rebounds and six assists to lead the Eagles, with former Grizzly Jacob Wiley finishing with 10 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. Sophomore Jesse Hunt came off the bench to contribute eight points, hitting all three of his shots from the field. Junior Sir Washington chipped in seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. In a game that was statistically even in most respects, the only difference was at the line where Montana made 16-of-24 and EWU sank 7-of-8. In the second half alone, the Grizzlies were sent to the line 20 times (making 15) while EWU had just six charity shots (made all six). After a stretch of eight lead changes and three ties early in the second half, Eastern hit a series of huge baskets during a 5-of-5 shooting stretch that gave EWU a 51-45 lead with 8:07 left. Hunt had a pair of 3-pointers, Washington hit a trey, Wiley had an emphatic dunk and Bliznyuk made a driving layin during EWU's hottest shooting stretch of the game. Eastern led 53-48 with 5:18 to play, but back-to-back 3-pointers turned the tide for the Griz. Eastern took two more leads before Montana made seven of eight free throws in the final 52 seconds. With 52 seconds remaining, the Eagles felt they had forced Walter Wright into a traveling call, but instead, Sir Washington was called for a foul and Wright made both free throws to give the Griz a 60-59 lead. A missed 3-pointer by Bliznyuk with 33 seconds to play was followed by two more UM free throws, then Felix Von Hofe missed a 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining, followed by two more Griz free throws.
 
* Eastern has now won eight of the last 10 meetings against MSU, but had its five-game winning streak stopped with an 85-71 loss in Bozeman last season in the lone meeting between the two schools. Eastern has won 19 of the last 33 after winning just once in the previous 13 games (not counting two MSU forfeits). The Eagles are 39-44 all-time against MSU, including a 31-35 record as a member of NCAA Division I (21-12 in Cheney, 10-23 in Bozeman). The records include two MSU forfeits in the 1993-94 season. In the 2011-12 season, Eastern recorded a huge 82-66 road victory over the Bobcats in the first Big Sky Conference game in the head coaching career of Jim Hayford, then later in the year won in Cheney 69-52. Hayford is 8-2 versus the Bobcats, including a 3-2 record in Bozeman and 5-0 mark at home.
 
* Earlier this season in Cheney, senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley scored what was then a career-high 25 points with a near triple-double, and two big scoring runs fueled by defense helped EWU improve to 2-0 in the Big Sky Conference with an 82-64 victory over Montana State Jan. 5 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Senior Felix Von Hofe added 19 points with five three-pointers and Jesse Hunt came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points in the 10th win of the season for the Eagles. Eastern made a season-best 60.4 percent from the field, but it was its defense that made the difference as MSU made only 38 percent in the game. Montana State missed 11-straight shots at one point and went 11:23 without a field goal as EWU used a 21-3 run to turn an 8-4 deficit into a 25-11 lead in the first half. Eastern held the Bobcats to 27 percent shooting and just 22 points in the first half for the second-best defensive half of the season for EWU. In the second half after Tyler Hall led MSU's rally, a 9-0 Eagle run and a four-minute stretch without a field goal for the Bobcats helped Eastern turn a one-point lead into a double-digit advantage. Eastern led by no less than eight the rest of the way, despite a game-high 33 points by Hall, who at one point scored 17-straight MSU points. Wiley eclipsed his previous career high by two by making 10-of-15 shots from the field and 5-of-7 free throws. He also had 10 rebounds, a career-high seven assists and three blocked shots. Von Hofe made 5-of-7 of his shots from the 3-point stripe and both of his two-point shots. Hunt entered the MSU game averaging just 2.2 points per game and had scored seven points in his previous five games, but he shattered his previous career high of eight points. He also had seven rebounds, one from his career high. Sophomore Cody Benzel added nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point stripe. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk played only 25 minutes because of foul trouble, and finished with eight points, three assists and a pair of steals.
 
 
 

 
Recent Game Recaps

 
21 Points for Bliznyuk and Wiley Lead Eastern Past Southern Utah 83-68
 
Thanks in part to 21 points apiece by Bogdan Bliznyuk and Jacob Wiley, Eastern continued to be a part of the logjam at the top of the Big Sky Conference standings by beating Southern Utah 83-68 Jan. 21 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Eight Eagles scored and four had 3-pointers as the Eagles were dominating in the first 20 minutes of the game and opened a 47-22 lead at halftime. Eastern led by as many as 30 points in the second half before settling for the 15-point victory. Eastern had a 52 percent shooting night and held Southern Utah to 36 percent while blocking 10 Thunderbird shots. In the first half alone, Eastern's defense held the Thunderbirds to 24 percent shooting and a 6:35 stretch without a field goal. The 22 points SUU scored equaled the second-fewest EWU has allowed in a half this season, while Eastern's 47 points equaled the sixth-most in a half. Bliznyuk and Wiley stuffed the stat sheet, with Bliznyuk finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds and equaling a career high with five steals. Wiley also had nine rebounds to go along with five assists, four blocks and a steal. Senior Felix Von Hofe hit 4-of-8 3-point attempts to finish with 12 points. True freshman Luka Vulikic had six points and five rebounds, and equaled his career high with three assists. True freshman Mason Peatling chipped in seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Sophomores Cody Benzel and Ty Gibson both hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored six points.
 
 
Jacob Wiley Leads 84-62 Victory to Pull EWU Within a Half-Game of Big Sky Lead
 
It was raining points again for the reigning Big Sky Conference co-Player of the Week. Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley had his second-straight 30-point performance, pouring in 30 points to lead Eastern past Northern Arizona 84-62 Jan. 19 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Wiley made 14-of-16 shots from the field and both of his free throws, and also had eight rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal. Thanks to Wiley's dominating performance, Eastern out-shot the Lumberjacks 54 percent to 40 percent for the game, and had a season-high 58 points in the paint. The Lumberjacks had only 16 points in the paint, a season low for an EWU opponent this season. Eastern led for less time in the first half than NAU (7:42 to 8:25), so a 37-31 halftime lead was far from comfortable for the Eagles. But EWU came out on fire in the second half and used a 13-2 run to open a 50-35 lead with 16:17 remaining. Eastern led by as many as 25 before finishing with the 22-point win, its largest versus a NCAA Division I opponent. True freshman Mason Peatling had his third double figure scoring performances of the season, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals while making 5-of-8 shots from the field. Sophomore Jesse Hunt added six points, three rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. True freshman Luka Vulikic made all four of his shots and chipped in nine points. Sophomore Cody Benzel contributed six points in the first half.
 
 

Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments

 
On Southern Utah Win: "When we are clicking on all cylinders our team looks pretty good. The 22 points we gave up in the first half shows what we can do defensively. We were shooting well from outside and the drive game was going. But the second 20 minutes showed why we have to keep working hard at practice every day. But we played as good a 20 minutes as we have all season in the first half."
 
On Defense Against SUU: "We're a pretty good shot blocking team and we blocked 10 tonight. When our rotations are right we're really good. That's why we are the league's top field goal percentage defensive team, which is a huge change from the last couple of years. I'm really proud of the guys for buying into that. We're not just playing one-on-one defense, but we're playing really good team defense and it's getting better every week."
 
On Jacob Wiley Versus SUU: "If a player has been averaging 30 points the last three games, you're probably going to give it to him early and see what he has. Plus we can see how they are going to play off of him, and we did a great job of exploiting their double-team. Our players are really figuring out our spacing and cuts and how that opens up other things."
 
On Maintaining Lead: "We're only guaranteed 31 games a year. So regardless of the score, you've put in a whole lot of work into this for 365 days a year in all 12 months. You want to make the most of those minutes while you're in your uniform. I think that's what we have to keep getting back to. And we have to focus on getting better every time we're on the court, whether it's a practice, a game, first half or second half."
 
On Wiley Versus NAU: "Jake has made huge strides ever since that first road trip we took back in November. He understands how we want to use him and the interchangeability of his position. He's gotten very comfortable with what we do offensively. You take a player with really high character and tremendous work ethic, and now you give him understanding, and he's put some dominating performances together. It's really fun to watch him."
 
On Second Half Versus NAU: "Offensively we got a little better with 62 percent in the second half. Then we amped up our defensive pressure and forced more turnovers and beat them on the boards. Instead of winning by six, we won the second half by 16. And that's how you go home with a 20-point home win. It's nice. We needed a game that was a little less tension-filled. We've played some tough ones lately."
 
On Rebounding from Losses Last Two Saturdays: "We came to work on both Mondays with a bad taste in our mouths. What I love about this team is they want to work hard so they don't lose like that again. Our team is all about doing what they need to do to get better. It's been a really enjoyable year as a coach – this is year 19 and it's definitely one of the most enjoyable years I've had."
 
On Non-Conference Schedule: "Looking at the big picture, the non-conference season is to get you ready for conference play. We get to go play in these big games and it's economically important for our athletic department. I'm pleased with our team for coming out of that at 8-5 and with more wins than anybody else in the conference.  We've learned a lot about them. We lost Julian, which was a big hit, and then had to adjust another brand-new senior to the program adjusted during non-conference play. We moved Bogdan into the role as team captain, and we are starting two freshmen and have a young bench. You can look at the non-conference schedule as a whole and be really pleased with the work our team did. We don't like losing three on a road trip, but our Big Sky Championship team two years ago lost three on road trip in December. Last year's team lost three on a trip in December. It's a beast, but it makes you better if you respond in the right way, and I think our team has."
 
On Stretch of Six of Seven Games at Home in November/December: "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. 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 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."