­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (9-5/1-0 Big Sky) Jan. 5 – Montana State, 6:05 p.m., Cheney, Wash. Jan. 7 – Montana, 1:05 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 Montana game is televised 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).

It didn't happen very much in the league in the opening week of action, but the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team is hoping to protect its home court this week.
 
Fresh off a 69-62 road victory of its own against Idaho, the Eagles put their perfect 7-0 home record on the line when they host Montana State and Montana this week in their Big Sky Conference home openers at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
Eastern hosts the Bobcats on Thursday (Jan. 5) at 6:05 p.m. Pacific time, then EWU hosts the Grizzlies at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 7) in a game televised regionally by SWX. 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.
 
The victory at Idaho was one of seven road breakthroughs in the first 10 games of the league schedule, and gives EWU a 1-0 league mark and 9-5 record overall. Weber State and Northern Colorado sit atop the conference at 2-0 after each won a pair of road games on the opening weekend.
 
Both the Bobcats and Grizzlies are 1-1 in the league and 6-9 overall. The Bobcats fell to Weber State 87-75 before rebounding for an 80-63 win over Idaho State. Montana beat Idaho State 74-62, then fell to Weber State 84-81 on a shot at with one second left in overtime by Wildcat senior guard Jeremy Senglin. The Grizzlies play at Idaho before they visit Cheney for the first time since EWU's NCAA Tournament season in 2014-15.
 
 "We welcome the challenge and need to keep building this year's Eagle team into the best team that it can be," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "Getting conference play started with a road win at Idaho should prove to be very beneficial.  Now we need to find a way to defend our home floor against great competition."
 
A year ago, Eastern lost to MSU and UM on the road in the lone meetings against those teams, and later in the season was swept at home against Idaho State and Weber State in the only games EWU played against those squads. Coupled with a 1-2 record versus Idaho, and Eastern was just 1-6 last season versus its first five conference foes of the 2016-17 season.
 
"Our first five games of conference are teams that last year had a record of 6-1 against us," explained Hayford. "Each of these teams believe they are better this year than they were last year. We lost our two all-conference players (Venky Jois and Austin McBroom), so we're probably the underdog. Montana State and Montana are the next in this tough line of matchups -- each team has great guard play and are very well-coached teams."
 
Montana State features the sixth-best 3-point shooting team in NCAA Division I, averaging 10.7 per game. Eastern is 65th at 8.9 per outing. The Bobcats are led by sophomore guard Tyler Hall, who is averaging 23.1 points and 3.73 3-pointers per game to both rank sixth nationally. Montana guards Ahmaad Rorie and Walter Wright have combined to average 28.1 points and 6.6 assists per game thus far.
 
The Eagles were picked to finish fifth by the media and seventh by the coaches in polls released back in October. Montana State was seventh and sixth, respectively, while the Grizzlies were selected No. 2 by the media and No. 4 by the coaches. Weber State was picked to repeat as league champions in both polls, and will host the Eagles on Jan. 14 in Ogden, Utah. Two nights earlier on Jan. 12, Eastern plays at Idaho State.
 
Eastern's perfect 7-0 record at home thus far included five games decided by six points or less. Four of them were won in overtime, as EWU has already set a school record with six overtime periods thus far. Eastern hasn't played at home since knocking off Morehead State 88-86 in overtime on Dec. 13.
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Eastern Boasts Big Sky's Best RPI at No. 82
 
As a result of their success thus far, the Eagles are the top team in the Big Sky Conference with an RPI of 82 (EWU was a season high 57th on 12/13 in the official NCAA RPI ratings). The next-best Big Sky teams are Northern Colorado (#179), Weber State (#189) and Portland State (#190). Entering league play, Eastern joined Portland State at 7-4 as the only other league team above the .500 mark. Montana State is currently No. 326 in the RPI and Montana is No. 206. Plus, the Eagles received 10 votes in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major top 25 on Dec. 12 when the Eagles were 7-2.
 
 
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 Eagles began Big Sky play on Dec. 30 with a 69-62 win at 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.
 
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.
 
 
Eastern 16th 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 77.0 percent thus far to lead the league and rank 16th in NCAA Division I (Notre Dame leads at 84.1 percent). Bogdan Bliznyuk is 26th at 90.0 percent (54-of-60) and Jacob Wiley is 82nd at 84.7 percent (50-of-59). They are ranked first and fifth, respectively, in the Big Sky. Felix Von Hofe is not ranked, but has made 28-of-34 thus far (82.4 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 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 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 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.
 
 
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

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."
 
 
Two-Time Big Sky Player of the Week Bogdan Bliznyuk Ranks 51st Nationally in Scoring
 
Already a two-time Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, after 14 games Bogdan Bliznyuk is ranked in the top 15 in five different statistical categories in the league, ranking fifth in points (19.8 per game), 12th in rebounds (6.1), fourth in assists (4.4), first in free throw percentage (.900) and 15th in field goal percentage (.486). He ranks 51st nationally in scoring and is 26th in free throw percentage.
 
He had his eighth 20-point performance in 13 games this season when he finished with 25 in a 76-68 loss at Colorado on Dec. 22. He had 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.
 
 
Averaging Nearly a Double-Double in His Last Five Games, 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 14 games into what will be a one-year career at EWU, and is nearly averaging a double-double in his last five outings. In EWU's last five games he's averaging 15.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 blocked shots and 1.6 assists while making 61.2 percent of his field goal attempts (30-of-49) and 75.0 percent of his free throws (15-of-20).
 
He is coming off a career-high 23-point performance 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. He's scored in double figures in 11 of 13 games this season, and has had a pair of double figure rebounding performances.
 
He's averaging 14.3 points (13th in the Big Sky), 7.7 rebounds (fourth), 3.3 blocked shots (first) and 1.9 assists per game, while making 60.0 percent from the field (fifth) and 84.7 percent from the free throw line (fifth). He leads the Big Sky in blocked shots per game by almost double the next player (1.7), and is ranked sixth in NCAA Division I. As a team, Eastern is 20th nationally with an average of 5.7 per game. Wiley is also 23rd nationally in field goal percentage and 82nd in free throw percentage.
 
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.
 
 
Felix Von Hofe Up to 17th in Big Sky History for 3-Pointers Made, Just 47 from School Record
 
With a team-leading 47 3-pointers this season, senior Felix Von Hofe ranks 19th in NCAA Division I with an average of 3.29 3-pointers per game, helping EWU rank 65th as a team in makes per game (8.9) and 119th in percentage (36.4).
 
He is coming off a 22-point performance in a 69-67 victory over Idaho on Dec. 30 that included six 3-pointers and moved him into 17th in Big Sky history and second all-time at EWU. With 213 in his career, he moved past his former teammate Parker Kelly with 210 from 2012-15. Von Hofe is now 47 from the record set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15 with 260. He is also second in school history with 525 attempts, and his percentage of .406 is 12th (teammate Bogdan Bliznyuk is 13th at .402).
 
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 eight times this season and 34 times in his career (20 as a junior), and has led EWU in scoring on 11 occasions (eight in 2015-16).
 
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.
 
 
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 4.6 points on 54.3 percent shooting from the field, including 19-of-35 3-pointers (54.3 percent to rank third 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 the last two games, including point guard Luka Vulikic from Belgrade, Serbia, and forward Mason Peatling from Melbourne, Australia. Vulikic has started 10 of 14 games, and is averaging 3.1 points, 2.9 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 is averaging 3.5 points and 3.4 rebounds, with a high of 10 points versus Northwestern on Nov. 14 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 56.3 percent of his shots from the field for the season (18-of-32) with a trio of 3-pointers.
 
 
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 has won seven of the last nine 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 18 of the last 32 after winning just once in the previous 13 games (not counting two MSU forfeits). The Eagles are 38-44 all-time against MSU, including a 30-35 record as a member of NCAA Division I (20-12 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 7-2 versus the Bobcats, including a 3-2 record in Bozeman and 4-0 mark at home.
 
* In last year's meeting on Jan. 21, 2016, Eastern was out-scored at the 3-point line by 12 points and fell to the Bobcats 85-71 at Worthington Arena in Bozeman, Mont. Sophomore Bogdan Bliznyuk led three Eagles in double figures with 22 points, notching his second-straight double-double with 13 rebounds, three blocked shots and two assists. The Bobcats sank 11-of-22 3-points shots in the game, compared to 7-of-25 for the Eagles. The Bobcats closed the game out at the free throw line, making 11-of-14 in the last 2:36 to extend a five-point lead with 10:26 remaining to as much as 16 in the final minutes. Four of Eastern's five starters combined to make just 3-of-18 shots in the first half, and 14-of-40 in the game (35 percent). From the 3-point line, three starters combined for a 3-of-19 performance (15 percent). The result was a 42-percent shooting night for the Eagles, who had shot 50 percent or better in each of their previous three games. MSU, meanwhile, converted 30-of-66 shots for 46 percent, including 11-of-22 3-point attempts. Consecutive 3-pointers by Bliznyuk, Felix Von Hofe and Julian Harrell fueled an 11-0 Eastern run in the second half to cut a 12-point Bobcat lead to one. But the Bobcats responded with an 11-3 run to regain a nine-point advantage with 9:55 left, and led by no less than seven the rest of the way.
 
* Eastern is 20-49 against the Grizzlies since 1983-84, including a 9-27 record in Missoula, 11-20 in Cheney and 0-2 on neutral courts versus the Grizzlies, who lead the overall series 66-41. 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 20 of the last 27 meetings, including all three meetings in the 2011-12 season and two more in 2012-13.
 
* In last year's lone meeting on Jan 23, 2016, the Eagles couldn't hold off Montana in the final 4 1/2 minutes and lost 74-69 at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont. The foursome of EWU's Venky Jois and Austin McBroom and Montana's Martin Breunig and Walter Wright combined for 93 of the 143 points scored in the game. Those four players scored 24 of the last 25 as Montana used a 6-1 run to take the lead for good after a 63-all tie with 4:32 left. Jois knotted the game at 63, but EWU didn't get another field goal until the 1:40 mark when a basket by Jois cut into a five-point Grizzly lead. Montana sank a basket and three free throws to hold off the Eagles, who missed seven free throws in the last 5:45. In the last 11 minutes alone when the teams traded blows, there were four ties and a pair of lead changes, for a total of nine and six in the game, respectively. Jois finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, and McBroom scored a team-high 22 points in his first meeting against the Griz. Breunig finished with 26 points and Wright had 25. Wright made 5-of-7 3-pointers against the Eagles, while EWU made just 6-of-20 (30 percent) from the 3-point stripe. Eastern junior Julian Harrell added 12 points, making 3-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
 
* The Eagles finished 4-0 in the 2015-16 season in Missoula, including a come-from-behind 69-65 win over the Grizzlies in the Big Sky Conference Championship Game on March 14, 2015. Earlier in the season, Eastern beat Montana 75-69 (2/5/15) and then defeated Idaho (91-83) and Sacramento State (91-83) in the first two games of the league tourney in Missoula. Before going 3-0 in the tournament, EWU was previously 0-3 in the tourney in Missoula, including its last appearance in the 2012 semifinals when the No. 4 seeded Eagles lost 74-66 to the top-seeded Grizzlies. One of the other losses in Missoula was to Northern Arizona in 2000 when EWU shared the regular season title with Montana and lost the tiebreaker to host the tourney – just like in 2015-16.
 
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
Eagles Begin Big Sky Conference Play With 69-62 Victory Over Vandals
 
Offense, defense, Felix Von Hofe and Jacob Wiley were all up to the task for Eastern as they opened Big Sky Conference play with a 69-62 victory over Idaho at the Cowan Spectrum on Dec. 30 in Moscow, Idaho. Von Hofe scored 22 points and Wiley had a career-high 23, and EWU held Idaho to 31 percent shooting from the field – a season-best effort this season for the Eagles. Eastern also had 10 blocked shots to equal its season high. Trailing 12-10 early, the Eagles scored five-straight points then followed with a 9-0 run to take a 24-14 lead with 9:34 left. Later, Ty Gibson hit a 3-pointer, Cody Benzel hit one and then Gibson followed with a four-point play to give EWU a 34-20 lead with 4:47 remaining. In the second half, after Idaho cut EWU's lead to 10 with three steals and baskets, Eastern restored order with a 6-0 run. Von Hofe had a 3-pointer to start the run, as Idaho missed six-straight shots and went 5:04 without scoring. Eastern opened its biggest lead of the night at 60-38 with 6:50 to play on a 3-point play by Wiley. Idaho used a 13-0 run to cut the lead to single digits, but a 3-pointer by Von Hofe with 57.4 seconds left helped clinch the victory. Wiley sank 9-of-13 shots from the field and added nine rebounds and five blocked shots, and Von Hofe made 6-of-11 shots from the 3-point stripe. Junior Sir Washington came off the bench and had eight assists, doubling his career high in the first half alone with seven. His previous high was three on three occasions. True freshman Mason Peatling played 31 minutes and had seven points to go along with season highs of nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Gibson finished with seven points.
 
 
Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments
 
On Play of Von Hofe & Wiley Against Idaho: "The two seniors really came through. That's what you have to do in conference play – rely on your seniors. Felix hit some giant shots. We were leaking oil at the beginning of the first half and hit a big three to get it from 10 back to 13, then by the second media timeout we were up by 16. In the second half when everything was going crazy, he hit a big three that pushed it back to nine. Jake was our pressure release, and we thought he had a quickness advantage on whoever was guarding him. I can think back to the game against Texas when we tried to run a lot of offense through him and he wasn't ready. That shows a lot of growth on Jake's part. He was fantastic."
 
On Idaho Comeback: "It was a good thing we built that big lead because we were leaking water coming into the harbor. But the ship held up and we are going back to Cheney with a great road win. I don't know if a lot of Big Sky teams who are going to win here, so it was a great way to start conference play. The bottom line is that we stood up and got out of here with a win. It's always hard to close out a win on the road."
 
On Colorado Loss & Road Trip: "It was our third game in five days, but we did a pretty good job of giving our players an emotional rest for 48 hours. Our players answered the bell great, a lot like we started the last two games. That certainly got Colorado's attention, and they played with a lot of intensity from that point on. 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 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 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 Xavier Loss: "We played a really good team. For about 17 minutes we really held our scouting report and defensively we were who we needed to be and kept them off-balance on offense. We are going to get there and are a work in progress We started two freshmen, and we got up by 11 against Xavier in their building. We have to take that and put it into a 40-minute performance."
 
On Yet Another OT Win in Game Versus Morehead State: "Our team really loves one another – we have a really close-knit group and they really like playing together. That's why we keep playing overtimes, they just can't get enough and want to keep playing longer and longer. There was a sense in our huddle going into overtime that we were going to win – we win in overtime. But you have to go do it. We put together a stop and two scores together, got the lead and never relented. I'm just really proud and happy for our guys."
 
On MSU Victory: "This was a really good win. If you would have asked if our team could go 0-of-13 in the second half and still win a game, I would have said that was going to take a lot of growth. As many people know, our team has kind of lived and died by the three. But we held them to 42 percent from the field, and maybe a lot of coaches aren't proud of that number. It was 33 percent in overtime. We just kind of gritted it out and executed our way through it. We had a few turnovers and missed some free throws that we had been making, and that's why it went to overtime. Credit them, they hit made some really good shots.
 
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 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."