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­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (16-8/8-3 Big Sky) Feb. 9 – at North Dakota, 5 p.m., Grand Forks, N.D. Feb. 11 – at Northern Colorado, 1 p.m., Greeley, Colo. 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 UND game will be televised regionally by the Midco Sports Network and by /Fox College Sports Central (Dish 440, DirecTV 608). 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:	North Dakota – 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 Eagles have become accustomed to staggering numbers, so 3,000 should come as no shock to the Eastern Washington University basketball team.
 
That's the approximate number of travel miles EWU will encounter this week when it plays at North Dakota on Thursday (Feb. 9) at 5 p.m. Pacific time and Northern Colorado on Saturday (Feb. 11) at 1 p.m. Pacific time in a pair of Big Sky Conference games. 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 will be televised in the local markets of UND (Midco Sports Network) and UNC (CET-Colorado). The UND game will also be on Fox College Sports Central (Dish 440, DirecTV 608).
 
Eastern will first travel about 1,100 miles to Grand Forks, N.D., in a battle for sole possession of second place in the league standings. Both teams are 8-3 and trailing leader Weber State (9-1) by 1 1/2 games. Eastern is 16-8 overall and has won five of its last six games, and the Fighting Hawks are 13-8 with four victories in their last five outings.
 
A 900-mile trek follows to Northern Colorado, which is currently 4-7 in the conference standings and 8-14 overall heading into its home game Thursday versus Idaho. Ineligible for the post-season tournament, the Bears suffered an 87-77 overtime loss at UND last Saturday (Feb. 4) on the same day EWU played an epic three-overtime game versus Portland State in a 130-124 win.
 
Eastern has never won in Grand Forks in four tries, and the Eagles are 3-7 all-time in Greeley. Eastern was swept on this road trip a year ago -- losing 79-71 to UND and 96-90 to UNC – but rebounded for home victories over both teams, 95-85 and 97-80, respectively.
 
"This is a very tough week for the Eagles," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford, who recorded his 100th victory as EWU's head coach in the win over PSU. "North Dakota is a very talented team. They have multiple players who are All-Big Sky caliber players, headed by Quinton Hooker. Northern Colorado has a great new coach (Jeff Linder) who has led them to some excellent wins.  We look forward to the challenge."
 
A 1,000-mile trip home follows, and the Eagles will play their final three home games of the season 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). The top five teams secure first-round byes in the Big Sky Conference Tournament March 7-11 to Reno, Nevada.
 
Led by 45 points each by National Player of the Week Jacob Wiley and Bogdan Bliznyuk, EWU's high-scoring game with PSU resulted in 11 school records and four Big Sky marks being established. Wiley earned a variety of national and league honors after averaging 41.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in two games while making 70 percent of his shots from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line.
 
"Jacob is playing at an amazing level," Hayford said of the transfer from Lewis-Clark State who began his collegiate career at Montana. "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."
 
Besides the records, there were some interesting quirks about Eastern's sweep last week. 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.
 
 
 

 
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 Saturday (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 Sunday 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.
 
 
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 100-87 record at Eastern, and is 354-171 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 13-1 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 10-1 when they make at least 50 percent and 11-2 when making 45.2 percent or better. Eastern ranks first in league games only in field goal percentage (.511) and are second in scoring margin (+7.5).
 
Recently, the Eagles have been impressive rebounding the basketball, with an 8-1 record when they out-rebound opponents. Eastern has advantages in six of the last nine 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.
 
 
Defense Continues Impressive Play in League Season
 
Eastern held Montana on Jan. 26 to 60 points, 43 percent from the field and 29 percent from the 3-point stripe (4-of-14) to continue EWU's impressive performances during league play. After 11 conference games now, Eastern is second defensively in shooting percentage overall (.431, with Idaho leading at .404) and are third in defensive 3-point shooting percentage (.400).
 
The defense for the Eagles includes the top six performances this season versus NCAA Division I foes of 62, 64, 65, 62, 68 and 60 points allowed in games versus Idaho, MSU, Montana, Northern Arizona, Southern Utah and Montana, respectively. For the season, EWU leads the league in blocked shots (5.2 per game to rank 33rd 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 eighth (76.9), fifth (.444) and fifth (.373).
 
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. Montana had stretches of 3:04, 3:00 and 2:59 without baskets, and MSU had a stretch of 4:32 without one in the second half. Sacramento State went the first 6:31 without a field goal, and in the second half went 3:47 without scoring. Portland State was scoreless for a 5:20 stretch in the first half.
 
 
Eastern Has Big Sky's Top RPI at No. 137
 
Eastern is back on top of the Big Sky Conference in RPI with a ranking of 137 compared to 169 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 Montana (#208), North Dakota (#222), Idaho (#233), Montana State (#256) and Portland State (#269). Northern Colorado is 305th. 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 39th 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 11-4 in games decided by 10 or less). Eastern has made 75.1 percent thus far to lead the league and rank 37th in NCAA Division I. Jacob Wiley is 104th at 83.1 percent (108-of-130) and Bogdan Bliznyuk is 132nd at 82.2 percent (97-of-118). They are ranked seventh 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).
 
 
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 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 Earns Pair of National Player of the Week Honors from NCAA.com and Dick Vitale for Averaging 41.5 Points & 14.5 Rebounds in Two Games
 
For Jacob Wiley, the honors caught up with the staggering numbers on Monday (Feb. 6). The Eastern Washington University senior graduate transfer from Newport, Wash., was honored Feb. 6 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 (the posting for that honor is located at: http://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2017-02-06/mbk-mens-basketball-player-week-jacob-wiley-eastern-washington).
 
In addition, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale named him as his National Player of the Week as well (http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/18630768/dickie-v-hands-weekly-awards). 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.
 
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.
 
Ranked in the top 10 nationally in two statistical categories, Wiley continues to surge in the NCAA Division I and the Big Sky Conference statistical rankings. For the season, he is averaging 19.8 points per game overall to rank 43rd in NCAA Division I and fifth in the Big Sky on 64.9 percent shooting to rank fifth in the nation and second in the league. He's also averaging 2.79 blocked shots (first in the league and 12th nationally) and has made 83.1 percent from the free throw line (seventh in the league and 103rd nationally). In addition, he is averaging 8.6 rebounds on the season (second in the league and 71st 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 (27.2), rebounding (9.7), field goal percentage (.688) and blocked shots (2.4), and is 14th in assists (2.9) and 12th in free throw percentage (80.8 percent), and has averaged 0.9 steals.
 
Even higher than the likes of Rodney Stuckey, Austin McBroom and Tyler Harvey, Wiley has averaged 30.6 points in his last seven games for a total of 214 points. Stuckey's best seven-game total was 204 points (29.1 per game) in two stretches during his sophomore season in 2006-07, prior to heading off to the NBA where he now plays for the Indiana Pacers. McBroom's top seven-game stretch was 195 points (27.9) last season, while Harvey had a stretch of 191 (27.3) as a junior in 2014-15 and 183 (26.1) the year before.
 
With five 30-point performances this season and 11 with at least 20, he has had at least 27 points in six of his last eight games. He has at least 21 in nine of EWU's 11 league outings. For the season, he has scored in double figures in all but two of EWU's 24 games and has six double-doubles. His six double figure rebounding performances include a season-high 17 versus Portland State on Feb. 4 (eighth-most in school history) and 14 against Montana on Jan. 7.
 
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).
 
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).
 
 
With School Record 45 Points Versus PSU, Two-Time Big Sky Player of the Week Bogdan Bliznyuk Ranks 59th Nationally in Scoring
 
A two-time Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week earlier in the season, after 24 games Bogdan Bliznyuk is ranked in the top 12 in four different statistical categories in the league, ranking seventh in points (19.2 per game), 12th in rebounds (6.0), fourth in assists (4.3) and ninth in free throw percentage (.822). He ranks 59th nationally in scoring, 132nd 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.
 
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 13th in Big Sky History for 3-Pointers Made, Just 25 from School Record

 
With a team-leading 69 3-pointers this season, senior Felix Von Hofe ranks 47th in NCAA Division I with an average of 2.88 per game, helping EWU rank 106th as a team in makes per game (8.2) and 79th in percentage (37.3).
 
Von Hofe has moved up to 13th in career 3-pointers in the Big Sky Conference with 235, and needs just five to move into 12th (240, Loren Leath, Sacramento State, 2006-09). He ranks second in school history, having recently moved past his former teammate Parker Kelly with 210 from 2012-15. Von Hofe is now 25 from the record of 260 set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15. At his current pace of 2.88 per game this season, he would finish the regular season with 255. Von Hofe is also second in school history with 590 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.
 
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 2.9 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 4.2 points on 51.7 percent shooting from the field, including 27-of-52 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 5.1 points on 37-of-79 shooting for the 3-point stripe (46.8 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 9-4 thus far, with the two freshmen combining for 23 points in EWU's 72-60 win at Montana on Jan. 26.
 
Vulikic has started 20 of 24 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 5.0 points, 3.7 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 57.8 percent of his shots from the field for the season (48-of-83) and 42.3 percent of his 3-pointers (11-of-26).
 
 
It's Been a Season of Honors for Jacob Wiley in His First and Only Season as an Eagle
 
Jacob Wiley earned Mid-Major Player of the Week honors, as well as Big Sky Conference Player of the Week, from College Sports Madness on Jan. 23. That day he was also chosen by the league office as Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the second week in a row. 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.
 
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 and helped earn him Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors for the first time of his career on Jan. 17.
 
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.
 
 
 
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

 
* Looking for its first-ever win in Grand Forks (currently 0-4), Eastern is now 3-6 all-time against North Dakota, including victories in two of the last three meetings. Since UND joined the Big Sky Conference in the 2012-13 season, Eastern's is 2-5 against the Fighting Hawks (2-2 home, 0-3 on the road). The first meeting with North Dakota came on Dec. 11, 1982, when EWU lost 75-71 in Grand Forks. A year earlier, the Eagles beat North Dakota 81-72 in Cheney in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
* Last season in Grand Forks, Eastern rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half to take a six-point lead in the second half, but the Eagles lost 79-71 to North Dakota on Jan. 2. Three Eagles scored in double figures, and the game featured nine lead changes and seven ties before the Fighting Hawks made 11-of-14 free throws down the stretch. North Dakota made 67 percent of its shots in the second half (16-of-24), sinking 15-of-21 from inside the 3-point stripe after intermission. For the game, North Dakota sank 53 percent from the field, including 59 percent of its 2-point shots. Felix Von Hofe led EWU in scoring for the third-straight game, finishing with a game-high 19 with five 3-pointers and six rebounds. Senior Venky Jois made 6-of-11 shots to finish with 17 points, eight rebounds and a team-leading four assists. Senior graduate transfer Austin McBroom had 17, making 4-of-10 3-pointers. Bogdan Bliznyuk made 3-of-5 shots and had two assists, but he played only 21 minutes because of foul trouble and fouled out with 6:40 to play.
* Last season in Cheney, senior graduate transfer Austin McBroom scored a career-high 35 and fifth-year senior Venky Jois added 24 to help Eastern power past North Dakota 95-85 in a battle for third place in the Big Sky Conference standings Feb. 11 at Reese Court. Eastern made 52 percent of its shots overall, including 11-of-29 3-point shots (38 percent), compared to 47 percent for the visitors. Eastern, which sank 24-of-32 free throws (75 percent), also managed a 38-30 rebounding advantage. Jois led the way on the boards with nine, and also had four blocked shots and five assists. He made all nine of his field goal attempts, including three dunks, to flirt with the school record of 10-of-10. McBroom eclipsed his previous career high of 33 by netting 35 on 9-of-17 shooting from the field (5-of-8 3-pointers) and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. He also had five assists and four rebounds. Sir Washington, Cody Benzel and Ty Gibson stepped forward to play 39 quality minutes for EWU. Washington scored eight points and had five rebounds and three assists, and Gibson hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and added three rebounds. Benzel hit a pair of baskets in the second half, including a 3-pointer. There were three lead changes and a pair of ties in the early going, but McBroom's 20 first-half points helped the Eagles lead by 10 at halftime. Ahead by seven in the second half, the Eagles went on an electrifying 18-5 run, capped by a Benzel 3-pointer with 11:30 left that gave EWU a 66-49 advantage. The Eagles led by no less than seven the rest of the way and clinched it by making 10 free throws in the final 58 seconds.
 
* 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

 
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.
 
 
Career High 38 Points For Jacob Wiley as Eagles Beat Hornets 77-72
 
Eagle Jacob Wiley equaled the eighth-most points in school history at the time en route to a double-double with 38 points and 12 rebounds as Eastern beat Sacramento State 77-72 Feb. 2 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles used runs of 8-0 and 6-0 in the second half to take the lead for good, then held off the Hornets for their 15th win of the season. The victory moved the Eagles into a second-place tie in the league standings and gave head coach Jim Hayford his 99th victory as EWU's head coach. The Hornets started a front line of 6-foot-11, 6-8 and 6-7, and brought a 6-8 player off the bench. But Wiley was still able to register his fourth 30-point performance of the season with 38 – two points better than his career high of 36 set against Weber State on Jan. 14. He made 14-of-23 from the field and 10-of-13 free throws, and also had four blocked shots and three assists. Sophomore Cody Benzel hit a 3-pointer in both of EWU's runs, which helped the Eagles open a 10-point lead with 5:51 to play. Senior Felix Von Hofe chipped in nine points and six rebounds, but it was his defense late in the game that also caught the eye of Hayford. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk was the only other Eagle scoring in double figures, finishing with 11 to go along with a team-high six assists, four rebounds and three steals.
 
 
 

Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments

 
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. I'm just really happy to get the win, be 8-3 in Big Sky play and have 16 wins. We'll let them rest and get Monday off – I think they earned it. It's a great day to be an Eagle."
 
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 Jacob Wiley: "What a neat person to coach because what is behind all of that is really hard work and character," said Hayford. "It is character he's learned through adversity in life. A lot of people might have gone the other way in life, but Jake has used that. He would be the first to give credit to a lot of different people, but ultimately it's Jake making the decisions of his life, so you see that character shine through. He's done the work and he's in the gym before everyone else, so I'm really happy to see him have these kind of games."
 
On Wiley Being Focal Point of Offense: "We are going to get Jake the ball, and we (ask other teams) 'what are you going to do about it?' If that doesn't get solved, we are going to keep going to him. And if that doesn't get solved we are going to go to it again. We take a page out of the Eastern Football playbook – if you can't stop Cooper Kupp we are going to keep throwing him the ball."
 
On Abilities of Wiley: "You can use Jake so many different ways. We use him at the low block and we use him off the drive. Then we can use him as a pressure release when teams press. And at the end of all that, if you foul him he's a really good free throw shooter."
 
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."