­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (16-9/8-4 Big Sky) Feb. 11 – at Northern Colorado, 1 p.m., Greeley, Colo. Feb. 17 – Idaho, 6 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 UNC game is televised regionally on CET-Colorado.
­­­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:	Northern Colorado http://ewustats.com for all EWU home games.
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show is Monday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Swinging Doors in North Spokane (shows take place Mondays through at least Feb. 27) . . .  700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).

The North Dakota loss was flushed in a hurry.
 
After losing 95-86 to UND in a battle for sole possession of first place in the Big Sky Conference standings, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team quickly re-focuses on an important league game at Northern Colorado on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Fans can listen 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, and the game in Greely will be televised in the UNC market by CET-Colorado.
 
Despite the loss in Grand Forks, Eastern has still won six of its last seven games. Eastern is 16-9 overall and in a third-place tie with Idaho in the Big Sky standings at 8-4. Weber State (9-2) and North Dakota (9-3) hold down the top two positions, while Montana (7-5) and Montana State (6-6) are in the two places behind EWU.
 
The top five teams secure first-round byes in the Big Sky Conference Tournament March 7-11 to Reno, Nevada. There are still six games left to play for the Eagles in the league season.
 
Northern Colorado is currently 4-8 in the conference standings and 8-15 overall following its 88-76 home loss Thursday versus Idaho. Ineligible for the post-season tournament, the Bears suffered an 87-77 overtime loss at UND on Feb. 4 -- the same day EWU played an epic three-overtime game versus Portland State in a 130-124 win.
 
The Bears have three players averaging in double figures, led by sophomore guard Jordan Davis with averages of 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
 
"Northern Colorado is a very well-coached team that has our full respect," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "They have multiple players who have had big offensive nights. We better take pride in our defense or we won't come home from this trip with a win. Northern Colorado has a great new coach (Jeff Linder) who has led them to some excellent wins."
 
A 1,000-mile trip home follows for EWU, and the Eagles will play their final three home games at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., on Feb. 17 (Idaho), Feb. 23 (Weber State) and Feb. 25 (Idaho State). Eastern closes out the regular season at Southern Utah (March 2) and Northern Arizona (March 4).
 
Of pressing importance for the Eagles is to get its defense back on track after allowing 219 points in the last two games, which includes the triple-overtime game. Those are the two highest scoring games against the Eagles this season, after defensively having their top six performances versus NCAA Division I foes in their first 10 league games. Eastern's offense has clicked along, making at least 50 percent of its shots in six of the last seven games and nine of 12 league games overall.
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Memorable Game Yields 4 Big Sky Records and 11 School Marks
 
On a memorable afternoon for Jim Hayford as he notched his 100th victory as EWU's head coach, a total of four Big Sky Conference records and 11 school marks were tied or broken as a result of Eastern's 130-124 victory over Portland State Feb. 4 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Eastern set Big Sky and EWU records with 130 points scored, and the 254 combined points were also league and school records.
 
The 90 points combined by Bogdan Bliznyuk and Jacob Wiley set league and EWU records, as they came up just two from the NCAA record of 92.  They each had 45 points, tying the school record previously set by Rodney Stuckey (now with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA). Wiley, a senior graduate transfer from Newport, Wash., broke the school record for field goals made with 18, and Bliznyuk, a junior from Lutsk, Ukraine, had a record 29 field goal attempts. They also both tied the record with 53 minutes played. Wiley, who would receive National Player of the Week honors as a result of his big weekend, also set a Big Sky record with 83 points in back-to-back league games, which is also a school record for back-to-back games overall.
 
"It was head shaking," Hayford said after browsing all the record-breaking numbers. "Just amazing." A complete list of the records is available in the statistics portion of EWU's weekly .pdf basketball news release.
 
Besides the records, there were some interesting quirks about Eastern's weekend sweep, which included a 77-72 home win over Sacramento State. Versus Sac State, EWU scored its second-fewest points in a half this season in the first 20 minutes, then scored its second-most points in a half with 54 after trailing at intermission 26-23. Versus the Vikings, Eastern allowed just 26 points in the first half for the second-straight game (ninth-best this season), then surrendered a season-high 60 in the second half (Sac State had 46 to rank third). After two deadlocked overtime periods versus PSU, Wiley and Bliznyuk helped EWU forge a five-point lead, with Bliznyuk scoring 12 of EWU's 20 points in the final period and 27 overall in the final 15 minutes.
 
 
Jim Hayford Hits 100 Victories as Eastern's Head Coach
 
Eastern head coach Jim Hayford has reached 100 victories as an Eastern coach in just his sixth season at the helm. He is the fastest to 100 in Eastern history, with Red Reese (470-301 in 31 seasons) achieving that feat in his seventh season. Vin Eustis (108-43 in eight seasons) hit 100 in his eighth and final year at the helm, and Jerry Krause (261-197 in 17 seasons) also reached his 100th in his eighth season. That trio and Hayford are the only coaches in the school's 109-season history (17 total coaches, nine in NCAA Division I) to have more than 75 victories. Hayford currently has a 100-88 record at Eastern, and is 354-172 in 18 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
 
 
Eagles Have Impressive Records When Winning Shooting and Rebounding Battles, as Well as in OT
 
The Eagles have compiled some impressive records in several areas this season, including a 13-2 record when scoring 73 or more points and a 5-1 record in overtime games. Eastern is one of the league's top shooting teams, and are now 10-2 when they make at least 50 percent and 11-3 when making 45.2 percent or better. Eastern ranks first in league games only in field goal percentage (.510) and are second in scoring margin (+6.1).
 
Recently, the Eagles have been impressive rebounding the basketball, with an 8-2 record when they out-rebound opponents. Eastern has advantages in seven of the last 10 games, but in its first 15 games, Eastern had a rebounding advantage just three times. Eastern's defense has also yielded a 9-2 record when opponents make 44.9 percent of its shots or less, and 7-3 when scoring 72 or fewer. The Eagles are a perfect 10-0 when they force 12 or more turnovers.
 
 
Eastern Has Big Sky's Top RPI at No. 138
 
Eastern remains on top of the Big Sky Conference in RPI with a ranking of 138 compared to 185 for Weber State (EWU was a season high 57th on 12/13 in the official NCAA RPI ratings). Prior to beating Montana on Jan. 26, Eastern had fallen behind Weber State. The next-best Big Sky teams are North Dakota (#202), Montana (#213), Idaho (#230), Portland State (#259) and Montana State (#266). Northern Colorado is 307th. 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 37th 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 8-3 in games decided by six or less and 11-5 in games decided by 10 or less). Eastern has made 75.2 percent thus far to lead the league and rank 37th in NCAA Division I. Bogdan Bliznyuk is 120th at 82.2 percent (97-of-118) and Jacob Wiley is 126th at 82.1 percent (119-of-145). They are ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in the Big Sky. Felix Von Hofe is not ranked, but has made 34-of-44 thus far (77.3 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 Double Big Sky and School Records for Overtime Periods With 10
 
Eastern's three overtime periods against Portland State on Feb. 4 brings to 10 its total for the season, doubling the previous Big Sky and EWU records of five in a single year. Eastern thus far is 5-1 in those contests, including a three-overtime game and two in double-overtime. The NCAA Division I season records are eight for overtime games and 14 for overtime periods.
 
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. Eastern beat Morehead State 88-86 on Dec. 13, but then didn't have another until Jan. 28 when Montana State prevailed 91-90 in OT. On Feb. 4, Eastern needed three extra periods to beat Portland State 130-124 and set a variety of league and school records in the process. The previous EWU 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).
 
 
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 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

 
National Player of the Week is on an Unprecedented Eight-Game Tear for an Eagle Player
 
Even higher than the likes of Rodney Stuckey, Austin McBroom and Tyler Harvey, senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley has averaged 30.9 points in his last eight games for a total of 247 points. Stuckey's best eight-game totals were 234 points (29.3 per game) during his sophomore season in 2006-07 and 224 (28.0) as a freshman, prior to heading off to the NBA where he now plays for the Indiana Pacers. McBroom's top eight-game stretch was 220 points (27.5) last season, while Harvey had a stretch of 222 (27.8) as a junior in 2014-15 and 214 (26.8) the year before.
 
Wiley now has six 30-point performances this season and 12 with at least 21, and he has had at least 27 points in seven of his last nine games. Last week's NCAA Division I Player of the Week has had at least 21 in 10 of EWU's 12 league outings. For the season, he has scored in double figures in all but two of EWU's 25 games and has seven double-doubles.
 
Ranked in the top 10 nationally, Wiley continues to surge in the NCAA Division I and the Big Sky Conference statistical rankings. For the season, he is averaging 20.4 points per game overall to rank 31st in NCAA Division I and fifth in the Big Sky on 64.9 percent shooting to rank eighth in the nation and second in the league. He's also averaging 2.8 blocked shots (first in the league and 10th nationally) and has made 82.1 percent from the free throw line (ninth in the league and 126th nationally). In addition, he is averaging 8.6 rebounds on the season (second in the league and 66th nationally) and 2.4 assists per game.
 
In league-only statistics, Wiley is leading the Big Sky in four different categories during what will be a one-year career at EWU. He leads in scoring (27.7), field goal percentage (.684) and blocked shots (2.3), and is second in rebounding (9.8), 14th in assists (2.8) and 11th in free throw percentage (79.6 percent), and has averaged 0.9 steals.
 
For Wiley, the honors caught up with the staggering numbers on Feb. 6. The senior graduate transfer from Newport, Wash., was honored that day by NCAA.com as the National Player of the Week in NCAA Division I for his epic performances in victories over Sacramento State 77-72 and Portland State 130-124 in three overtimes. In addition, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale named him as his National Player of the Week as well. Plus, Wiley was the Mid-Major Player of the Week for the second time this season as selected by College Sports Madness, and was Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the third time. He was also named the league's POW by College Sports Madness. The next day (Feb. 7), Wiley earned prestigious Oscar Robertson Player of the Week honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and honor won the previous two seasons by McBroom (2016) and Harvey (2015). No other school in the nation has had three winners of that award.
 
He scored 83 points in those victories to set one of the 11 school records and four Big Sky Conference marks he and his team were involved with. In two games he made 32-of-46 shots from the field (70 percent) and 19-of-25 free throws (76 percent), and averaged 14.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks. His 45 points against Portland State in EWU's 130-124 triple-overtime victory equaled a school record, which was equaled again in the final seconds when Bogdan Bliznyuk finished with 45. Wiley's 17 rebounds versus PSU equaled the eighth-most in school history.
 
Wiley had double-doubles in both games. Against Portland State, Wiley made 18-of-23 shots from the floor and 9-of-12 from the line to finish with 45 points and 17 rebounds. Against Sac State, Wiley scored 38 – two points better than his career high of 36 set against Weber State on Jan. 14. Before his 45-point outburst, his 38 points ranked as the eighth-most in school history (now ninth). He made 14-of-23 from the field and 10-of-13 free throws, and also had 12 rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists.
 
Eastern set Big Sky and EWU records with 130 points scored, as well as the 90 points combined by Wiley and Bliznyuk. They came just two points from the NCAA record for combined points of 92. Wiley also broke the school record for field goals made with 18, and he and Bliznyuk equaled the EWU record with 53 minutes played each. The 254 combined points by the Vikings and Eagles were also league and school records.
 
His 83 points against Sacramento State (83) and Portland State (45) are the most in back-to-back games overall and in conference play in school history, and also a record in the Big Sky. The Big Sky record was previously 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 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.
 
 
With School Record 45 Points Versus PSU, Two-Time Big Sky Player of the Week Bogdan Bliznyuk Ranks 64th Nationally in Scoring
 
A two-time Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week earlier in the season, after 25 games Bogdan Bliznyuk is ranked in the top 13 in four different statistical categories in the league, ranking eighth in points (19.1 per game), 13th in rebounds (6.0), fourth in assists (4.2) and eighth in free throw percentage (.822). He ranks 64th nationally in scoring, 120th in free throw percentage and 139th in assists.
 
Bliznyuk sank 14-of-29 field goals and 17-of-20 free throws on his way to equaling the school record with 45 points versus Portland State on Feb. 4 in a 130-124 triple-overtime victory. His 53 minutes and 29 field goal attempts were also records. He scored only seven points in the first half, had 11 in the second half, then exploded for 27 in 15 overtime minutes (4-11-12). It was his fourth double-double of the season and 13th of his career, finishing with 10 rebounds and nine assists. The only player in school history with a triple-double, he came just one stat from another triple-double for the second time of his career. He already owns the lone triple-double in school history.
 
He now has five 30-point performances in his career (all this season), with 19 of at least 20 (12 this season). He had 28 points and 10 rebounds at Montana on Jan. 26 for his highest-scoring game since netting 34 against Morehead State on Dec. 13 and his first double-double since Dec. 4. He scored 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.
 
 
Felix Von Hofe Up to 13th in Big Sky History for 3-Pointers Made, Just 23 from School Record
 
With a team-leading 71 3-pointers this season, senior Felix Von Hofe ranks 47th in NCAA Division I with an average of 2.84 per game, helping EWU rank 109th as a team in makes per game (8.1) and 67th in percentage (37.6).
 
Von Hofe has moved up to 13th in career 3-pointers in the Big Sky Conference with 237, and needs just three to move into 12th (240, Loren Leath, Sacramento State, 2006-09). He ranks second in school history, having earlier this season moved past his former teammate Parker Kelly with 210 from 2012-15. Von Hofe is now 23 from the record of 260 set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15. At his current pace of 2.84 per game this season, he would finish the regular season with 254. Von Hofe is also second in school history with 595 attempts, and his percentage of .398 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.
 
 
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 3.0 points and 2.4 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 4.2 points on 51.7 percent shooting from the field, including 28-of-54 3-pointers (51.9 percent to rank second in the Big Sky). He is a 2015 graduate of Issaquah (Wash.) High School.
 
 
Benzel Nets 12 Versus Portland State
 
Sophomore Cody Benzel came off the bench to make all four of his 3-point attempts in the first half to finish with 12 points in EWU's 130-124 victory over Portland State in three overtimes on Feb. 4. It was his fifth double figure scoring game of the season and eighth of his career, but first since scoring 11 at Seattle on Dec. 4. For the season he is averaging 5.0 points on 38-of-81 shooting for the 3-point stripe (46.9 percent to rank fifth in the Big Sky).
 
 
Eagles Starting Pair of True Freshmen, Who Combine for 23 at Montana
 
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. That starting unit is 9-5 thus far, with the two freshmen combining for 23 points in EWU's 72-60 win at Montana on Jan. 26.
 
Vulikic has started 21 of 25 games, and is averaging 3.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 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. He had 10 points and six rebounds at Montana.
 
Peatling made his starting debut versus 17th-ranked Xavier on Dec. 20 and has started every game since. He is averaging 4.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocked shots, with a high of 13 points at Montana on Jan. 26 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 57.1 percent of his shots from the field for the season (48-of-84) and 42.3 percent of his 3-pointers (11-of-26).
 
 
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!"
 
 
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

 
* The Eagles are 10-10 all-time versus UNC (7-3 in Cheney, 3-7 in Greeley), with the first meeting taking place on Dec. 20, 1971, when Eastern beat the Bears 76-68 in Greeley, Colo. Since then, all of the meetings have been with EWU as a member of NCAA Division I (since 1983-84), starting in the 2006-07 season when the Bears became a Big Sky Conference member.
 
* Last season in Greeley, the first 13 minutes went according to plan in the Big Sky Conference opener for Eastern, but Northern Colorado exploded for 78 points in the final 27 minutes to beat the Eagles 96-90 on Dec. 31. Felix Von Hofe scored 27 points for the Eagles, marking his third-straight game of at least 27. Venky Jois had his second-straight double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but EWU never led in the second half after taking a 24-18 lead in the opening 12:47. The Bears made 40-of-65 shots from the field for 62 percent, including 9-of-13 3-pointers (69 percent). In the second half alone, Northern Colorado made 66 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Eagles 22-10. Sir Washington made 3-of-6 shots from the field and 5-of-6 free throws to finish with 11 points. Eastern was within 83-81 with 2:20 to play, but the Bears scored 10 of the next 12 points to go up by 10 with 37 seconds left.
 
* Last season in Cheney, senior graduate transfer Austin McBroom led the way with his second-straight performance of 35+ points and Eastern remained unbeaten at home with a 97-80 victory over Northern Colorado in a Big Sky Conference rematch of a 96-90 Eagle loss at UNC on Dec. 31. Senior Venky Jois contributed his 35th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and the Eagles sank 56 percent of their shots in the game – including 67 percent in the second half. McBroom had 37 against UNC and coupled with his 35 points two nights earlier, finished with a combined 72 points in two games, the most back-to-back in Big Sky play in school history. McBroom made 10-of-16 shots from the field, 7-of-12 from the 3-point stripe and 10-of-11 from the free throw line, and also had six assists and six rebounds. Jois made 5-of-6 field goals and 4-of-6 free throws, and also had two blocked shots. Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 12 points in the first half, and finished with 18. He also had eight rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocked shots. Felix Von Hofe nailed a trio of 3-pointers and finished with nine points, three rebounds and four assists. Eastern fell behind 2-0, but reeled off 19 unanswered points to take an early 19-2 advantage. The lead ballooned 28 at 48-20 on a 3-pointer by McBroom with 4:12 to play, and led 51-31 at halftime. Eastern led by no less than 15 and by as many as 24 in the second half.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
In Fight for Second Place, Eastern Falls to Fighting Hawks
 
Eastern battled back from a 17-point deficit to take a second-half lead, but North Dakota pulled out a 95-86 victory Feb. 9 in Grand Forks, N.D., in a battle for second place in the league standings in a game that featured 52 fouls and 10 players with at least four. Down by as many as 17 in the first half, Eastern took a 56-55 lead with 15:05 to play. After UND regained control, one more Eagle run helped them pull within four with inside of a minute left before the Fighting Hawks closed out the win six free throws in the final 33 seconds. Eastern's dynamic duo of senior Jacob Wiley and junior Bogdan Bliznyuk combined for 51 points, with 33 and 18 respectively. Wiley also had 10 rebounds, and junior Sir Washington was the third Eagle in double figures with 14. But first-half pressure by the Fighting Hawks resulted in transition baskets and a big early lead, with Quinton Hooker pacing four UND players in double figures with 35 points. While both teams shot the ball well – 50 percent for Eastern and 53 percent for UND – free throw shooting showed a decisive advantage for the home team. Eastern sank 17-of-22 for 77.3 percent after entering the game making 75.1 percent to lead the league and rank 37th in NCAA Division I. The Fighting Hawks, a 70.0 percent shooting team, made 28-of-35 for 82.4 percent from the charity stripe.
There were 52 fouls called in the game as both teams had numerous players in foul trouble. Eastern had two players foul out and a trio finish with four, and UND had one disqualified and four players with four. Eastern also had two technical fouls called on its bench, resulting in the first ejection of head coach Jim Hayford in his 526-game collegiate head coaching career with 6:26 to play.
 
 
 Epic 3-Overtime Game Yields School Record 45 Points for Wiley AND Bliznyuk
 
Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley and junior Bogdan Bliznyuk each equaled the school record with 45 points in helping Jim Hayford win his 100th game as head men's basketball coach at Eastern with a 130-124 victory over Portland State Feb. 4 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The epic, three-overtime victory featured Big Sky and school records for points for Eastern, as well as a record for combined points. Eastern has now played 10 overtime periods this year, five more than the previous school record. Four players scored in double figures, with Felix Von Hofe scoring 14 and Cody Benzel finishing with 12. But EWU's dynamic combined for 90 of EWU's 130 points, 32 of the team's 44 field goals, and 26 of EWU's 34 free throws. Wiley finished with a double-double with 45 points and 17 rebounds, and Bliznyuk nearly had a triple-double with 45 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Wiley made 18-of-23 shots from the floor and 9-of-12 from the line, and Bliznyuk sank 14-of-29 field goals and 17-of-20 free throws. The game had lots of twists and turns, starting when EWU led 39-26 at halftime and by as many as 16 in the second half. But the Vikings scored 60 in the next 20 minutes, making 14-of-17 shots at one point in the second half en route to a blistering 65 percent for the half to knot the game at 86 heading into overtime. But in the third overtime, Eastern scored the first five points on a three-point play by Wiley and a basket by Bliznyuk to take the lead for good. Bliznyuk made eight free throws in the last 1:15 to help build a 10-point lead and ice the game for the Eagles.
 
 
Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments
 
On Loss at UND: "I liked our effort but I didn't like our execution. We got down by 17 and came back to take the lead, but we shouldn't have ever been down by 17 early. We had a defensive game plan in place, but, obviously, teams are saying that Eastern is big and their only chance is to get in a track meet with us. They are coming right at us."
 
On Playing Well Enough Offensively to Win: "Our offensive numbers against a really good North Dakota team were good enough to win on the road. But if you're not getting back and stopping them, the other team is going to have a really high shooting percentage. When we do get back and stop them, we do pretty well because we are long, are a good rebounding team and we stick to our scouting report. But that first part was all about hustle and we knew it was coming at us, we needed to get back. We didn't do it when we were at our freshest, we did it when we were inspired in the second half. Credit North Dakota, they got their transition game going and that was the difference tonight."
 
On Wiley and Bliznyuk Combining for 31 of 62 Shots: "It's the plan every night. And our shooting was 50 percent from the 3-point line, and we're choosy from there. That's our plan every night. For that to happen, we need to come at teams and see what they can do about it. We need a little slower game and we have to figure it out. Northern Colorado is going to come at us fast."
 
On Wiley's National Player of the Week Honors: "Jacob is playing at an amazing level. He is working well with his teammates, and most importantly, leading us to wins. Jacob is deserving of this recognition when you consider all he has overcome and how hard he works. He is very humble and seeks out coaching daily."
 
In Team Victory Over PSU: "In the last 35 minutes of that game – second half and three overtimes – I don't remember an offensive execution that any guy on our team missed. If it was isolation for Bogdan or post-up to Jake, other players had to have proper spacing or get the ball to them with good timing. All of our players did exactly what they were supposed to do – it was a great team win, highlighted by two amazing individual performances."
 
On Wildness of Portland State Win: "It was a classic – that was something else. It was two teams just going at it. There were some amazing individual performances and some amazing clutch baskets. There were some pressure free throws. You got back through and you start forgetting all the different, just amazing plays that took place. I've never coached a game where two guys each had 45 points, and they both had double-doubles. We just kept going to them because they were doing so well, and Portland State didn't have an answer for them. It's amazing and it's really neat to have it happen in a win. It's the kind of stat you don't want to have happen in a loss."
 
On 100th Win at Eastern: "I didn't even know it until this past week. I've coached over 500 games, and at the end of year two here I was just hoping to be around for year four. We hoped all of our younger players would develop, and they did develop into a NCAA Tournament team. This year's team has a chance for the third year in a row to have one of Eastern's top four NCAA Division I records. I don't know how hard it was for the others who won 100 games, but I'll tell you it is hard to get Division I wins. I'm very grateful for our players. Coaches put players in a position to win games, but players win games."
 
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."