­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (21-10/13-5 Big Sky/2nd) March 9 – vs. Sacramento State at Big Sky Conf. Tournament Quarterfinals, 5:35 p.m., Reno, Nev. March 10 – Semifinals, 8:05 p.m. March 11 – Championship, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU) all times Pacific
Radio:	700-AM ESPN in Spokane. Larry Weir calls 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:	Big Sky Championship Game is on ESPNU
­­­Webcast:	All Big Sky Conference Tournament games through the semifinals available via http://goeags.com/sports/2016/1/5/watchbigsky.aspx?id=73 or http://watchbigsky.com
Live Stats:	http://ewustats.com for all EWU games; (CLICK HERE for link to all tourney games)
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show is Tuesday, March 7 at 6 p.m. live from the Reno Events Center  . . . 700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).
2017 Big Sky Tournament Reno Events Center  • Reno, Nevada Times Pacific First Round/March 7 (seeds #5-11) #8 Portland State (15-15) 80, #9 Northern Arizona (9-23) 67 #7 Sacramento State (13-17) 91, #10 Idaho State (5-25) 76 #11 Southern Utah (6-26) 109, #6 Montana State (16-16) 105 (3ot) Quarterfinals/March 9 #1 North Dakota (19-9) vs. #8 Portland State (15-15), 12:05 p.m. #4 Idaho (17-12) vs. #5 Montana (16-15), 2:35 p.m. #2 Eastern Washington (21-10) vs. #7 Sacramento State (13-17), 5:35 p.m. #3 Weber State (17-12) vs. #11 Southern Utah (6-26), 8:05 p.m. Semifinals/March 10 #1/8/9 vs. #4/5, 5:35 p.m. #2/7/10 vs. #3/6/11, 8:05 p.m. Championship Game/March 11 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU

For all 11 teams playing this week in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, the slate is wiped clean.
 
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team wrapped up second place in the Big Sky Conference to earn a first-round bye, and will play Sacramento State in the quarterfinals on Thursday (March 9) at 5:35 p.m. Pacific time at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada.
 
Fans can listen to the games on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com. Pre-game coverage starts a half-hour prior to tipoff. All Big Sky games through the semifinals will also be broadcast via www.watchbigsky.com, and the championship game will be televised on ESPNU.
 
The Eagles came a game shy of winning its fourth regular season Big Sky title in school history, but finished with the second-most BSC wins in school history with 13 (13-5). Eastern went on to win the Big Sky Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and 2015.
 
Eastern entered the year picked to finish seventh by the coaches and fifth by the media in the preseason polls, but far exceeded those projections. Eastern lost a pair of first team All-Big Sky Conference and All-District performers to graduation – including the school's all-time leading scorer – but have reloaded to win 21 games and lead the Big Sky in RPI at No. 146. The Eagles also boast the league's MVP in senior graduate Jacob Wiley and a second team All-Big Sky selection in Bogdan Bliznyuk.
 
Sacramento State is the No. 7 seed and beat No. 10 Idaho State 91-76 in the opening round on Tuesday (March 7). The Hornets are now 13-17 overall after finishing 9-9 in the Big Sky season, and ISU finished 5-26 overall and was 3-15 in league play.
 
"As we approach the tournament in Reno, we realize that whether we play Sacramento State or Idaho State, either team will be a worthy opponent," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford, who is taking the Eagles to the tournament for the fourth time in six years at the helm. "We will have to play our best to advance to the semifinals."
 
Eastern was 3-0 versus those two teams during the season, including a 77-72 home victory over Sacramento State in the lone meeting with the Hornets. The Eagles swept Idaho State, winning 92-85 in Pocatello on Jan. 12 and then picking up an 89-77 home win on Feb. 25.
 
The Eagles are now 21-10 in their 34th season as a member of NCAA Division I and finished 13-5 in their 30th season as a member of the Big Sky. Eastern, which has won 10 of its last 13 games and five of its last six, will be playing its first neutral site games of the season after going 15-1 at home and 6-9 on the road. Until falling at Northern Arizona 76-61 to conclude the regular season, Eastern's four league losses were by a combined 19 points (6, 3, 1. 9).
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Eagles Take 12-12 Tourney Record to Reno
 
The 2017 Big Sky men's basketball championship will take place March 7 through 11 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev. With Northern Colorado not eligible for the league tournament, seeds 6-11 play in three games on Tuesday, March 7, with those winners advancing to the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 9. The semifinals and championship game follow the next two days. Tickets and lodging information for the 2017 Big Sky Basketball Championships – including the women's tournament held concurrently -- is available at: http://RoadtoReno.com.
 
Eastern will be making its 15th Big Sky Conference Tournament appearance in 30 years as a member of the league in 2017, and has a record of 12-12 in its 24 games. Before winning the 2015 title, Eastern hadn't appeared since the 2011-12 and 2010-11 seasons, which were EWU's first since 2006. The Eagles qualified for each tournament from 1998-2006.
 
Eastern won Big Sky Conference Tournament championships and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 & 2004. The Eagles have also advanced to the National Invitation Tournament in 2003 and the College Basketball Invitational in 2016. Eastern registered the school's first NCAA Division I postseason win with a 79-72 victory over Pepperdine in the first round of the CBI.
 
Eastern head coach Jim Hayford has coached in seven previous Big Sky Conference Tournament games, with a record of 5-2 in three previous appearances. His 2014-15 squad won the title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament with a trio of victories in Missoula, Montana. Included was a come-from-behind 69-65 over the host Grizzlies in the championship game.
 
"Ultimately, you are playing for a three or four game winning streak," Hayford said prior to the season. "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 was 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."
 
 
Eagles Achieve Rare 20-Win Season, With Three-Straight Years of 18+
 
At 21-10 overall, the Eastern basketball program under head coach Jim Hayford has hit a threshold that has occurred just twice since in Eastern's 34-year history in NCAA Division I. Since 1983-84, the only other times EWU has won 20 games came in 1985-86 (20-8) and 2014-15 (26-9). This year's team is just one of five in the school's 34-year NCAA Division I history to have at least 18, including three-straight under Hayford.
 
Eastern has been in the Big Sky Conference for 30 seasons now, with a high of 14 league wins in 2014-15. Finishing 13-5 in league play, only one other time has EWU exceeded 11 league wins, that coming in 1999-00 when EWU had 12 to share the regular season league title with Montana.
 
Eastern closed the regular season with a 15-1 home record, tying the single season record of 15 set by the 1985-86 team. It was also accomplished two other times in EWU's NAIA era in the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons during EWU's school-record 31-game home winning streak.
 
Eastern's current total of 80 victories is the best four-year stretch in the school's Division I history, and the third-best overall. Eastern won 83 games from 1975-1978 and 106 from 1943-46. The Eagles have won 65 games in back-to-back-to-back seasons, which is also the best in EWU's DI history. Eastern won 80 games from 1945 to 1947 and 66 from 1976-78.
 
 
Jim Hayford Fastest to 100 Victories as Head Coach in Eastern History
 
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 105-89 record at Eastern, and is 359-173 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 17-2 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 13-2 when they make at least 50 percent and 16-3 when making 45.0 percent or better. Eastern finished ranked first in league games only in field goal percentage (.501) and scoring margin (+7.3).
 
Recently, the Eagles have been impressive rebounding the basketball, with a 12-3 record when they out-rebound opponents. Eastern has advantages in 13 of the last 17 games – including nine of the last 10 -- but in its first 14 games, Eastern had a rebounding advantage just two times. Eastern is also 16-2 when it has 36 rebounds or more, and 16-4 when opponents have 35 or less.
 
Eastern's defense has also produced a 12-2 record when opponents make 44.9 percent of its shots or less, and 10-3 when opponents score 72 or fewer. The Eagles are a perfect 12-0 when they force 12 or more turnovers.
 
 
Eastern Has Big Sky's Top RPI at No. 146
 
Eastern remains on top of the Big Sky Conference in RPI with a ranking of 146 compared to 176 for league-champion North Dakota and 193 for third-place 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 briefly. The next-best Big Sky teams are Montana (#214), Idaho (#215), and Montana State (#232). Sacramento State is 301st out of 351 NCAA Division I schools, and Idaho State is 339th. 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 In Top 33 in the Nation in Field Goal and Free Throw Shooting
 
Eastern's shooting from the field and the free throw line both rank in the top 32 in NCAA Division I and in the top four in the Big Sky Conference. Eastern's 47.7 field goal percentage is 33rd in the nation and fourth in the league, led by Jacob Wiley at 63.9 percent to rank seventh individually and second in the league.
 
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 13-5 in games decided by 10 or less). Eastern has made 76.6 percent thus far to lead the league and rank 18th in NCAA Division I. Jacob Wiley is 105th at 83.1 percent and Bogdan Bliznyuk is 147th at 81.4 percent. They are ranked eighth and 10th, respectively, in the Big Sky. Felix Von Hofe is not ranked, but has made 40-of-51 thus far (78.4 percent) and Ty Gibson has sank 25-of-29 (86.2 percent). Eastern was as high as second in the nation early in the year.
 
Eastern is also 52nd nationally in 3-point shooting at 38.0 percent to rank second in the league. The Eagles are paced by Felix Von Hofe (38.3 to rank 58th nationally), Ty Gibson (51.1 to rank second overall in the league) and Cody Benzel (45.8 to rank third overall in the Big Sky). Gibson and Benzel don't have the minimum number of attempts to be ranked nationally.
 
 
After Hiccup, Defense Returns Stronger Than Ever Versus Bears and Vandals
 
The writing was on the wall, and the defense responded at Northern Colorado on Feb. 11 with season-best performances for points and field goal percentage allowed. The 44 points UNC scored bested the previous fewest EWU allowed in a 70-47 win over Linfield, and was the best versus a Division I opponent since giving up just 60 to Montana on Jan. 26. The 28.3 shooting percentage for the Bears bettered EWU's previous best in holding Idaho to 30.5 percent on Dec. 30.
 
Eastern then allowed Idaho to make only 36.5 percent from the field and 67 total points in a 77-67 victory on Feb. 17. Prior to the UNC victory, EWU had allowed 219 points in its previous two games, which included a triple-overtime win. 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.
 
 
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 what were then 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 at the time), 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.
 
 
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 was a dogfight, and 2016-17 preseason predictions beared that out. Coming off its best back-to-back seasons in its NCAA Division I history, Eastern was picked fifth by the media and seventh by the coaches in the league's preseason basketball polls released Oct. 14.
 
While the Eagles appeared loaded and ready for another Big Sky title run, the rest of the league was 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.
 
 
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 were 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 Show Will Take Place from Reno on Tuesday, March 7
 
A special Eastern Washington University Men's Basketball Coaches Show featuring head coach Jim Hayford and host Larry Weir will take place on Tuesday, March 7, at 6 p.m. live from the Reno Events Center. Fans may listen to the show 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 on March 13 and March 20 are also possible depending on 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
 
 
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
 
 

Player Notes

 
#20 - CODY BENZEL - G - 6-4 - 175 - So. - 1L* - Spokane, Wash. / Ferris HS '14
 
2016-17: For the season, Benzel is averaging 4.7 points on 44-of-96 shooting from the 3-point stripe (45.8 percent to rank third in the Big Sky). In league games only, he leads the league at 56.8 percent (21-of-37). 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 (2/4/17) in three overtimes. It was his fifth double figure scoring game of the season and eighth of his career, but first since scoring 11 at Seattle (12/4/16).
 
 
#32 - BOGDAN BLIZNYUK - G/F - 6-6 - 215 - Jr. - 2L - Lutsk, Ukraine / Todd Beamer HS '14
 
Career: With exactly 100 career games (16th in school history), Bliznyuk is the 20th Eagle to join the 1,000-point club, currently ranking ninth with 1,349 points. The only player in school history with a triple-double, when Bliznyuk registers a double-double, good things usually happen for the Eagles. He now has six double-doubles in the 2016-17 season and 15 in his career. Eastern has won 10-straight games when he's had a double-double, and a record of 13-2 when he achieves that feat. The Eagles are 6-0 this season when he has a double-double, and one of the 13 career victories was the first triple-double in school history with 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists on Jan. 16, 2016. He now has six 30-point performances in his career (all this season), with 24 of at least 20 (17 this season).
 
2016:17 Honors: A second team All-Big Sky selection as chosen by the league's head coaches, Bliznyuk has been honored twice as Big Sky Conference Player of the Week by the league office. He joined teammate Jacob Wiley on Dec. 30 as in being honored by HoopsHD.Com as mid-season All-Big Sky Conference selections. Bliznyuk was named that organization's "Player of the Year So Far." Prior to the start of the season, he was a first team selection on the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big Sky Conference team.
 
2016-17: Bliznyuk is averaging 26.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his last five games entering the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Bliznyuk ranks in the top 10 in four different statistical categories in the league, ranking fifth in points (20.1 per game), eighth in rebounds (6.5), sixth in assists (4.0) and 10th in free throw percentage (.814). Southern Utah's Randy Onwuasor is the only other league player to rank in the top 10 in each of those four categories. Bliznyuk ranks 37th nationally in scoring and 165th in assists. Bliznyuk's scoring average (20.06) is currently ninth in EWU single season history, and became the eighth Eagle to score 600 points in a single season (he is currently seventh with 622).
 
 
#2 - TY GIBSON - G - 6-3 - 190 - So. - 1L - Issaquah, Wash. / Issaquah HS '15
 
2016-17: Was nominated by EWU for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. For the season, Gibson is averaging 5.4 points on 50.5 percent shooting from the field, including 45-of-88 3-pointers (51.1 percent to rank second in the Big Sky). He is also second in 3-point shooting in league games only, making 50.0 percent (28-of-56) which ranks only behind teammate Cody Benzel at 56.8 percent (21-of-37). Gibson made just his third career start – and first this season – against Northern Colorado (2/11/17) and set a new career high for points in a game with 21. His previous career high was 19 against Great Falls (12/8/16). He tied his career high for made 3-pointers, going 6-for-8 from beyond the arc. He has started in every game since, scoring in double figures in three of his six games as a starter. He's averaging 10.7 points on 17-of-34 shooting from 3-point range (50.0 percent) in those six outings. Earlier this season, Gibson scored 13 points in a less than four minute span in the first half and finished with what was then a career-high 19 points in EWU's 103-76 victory over Great Falls (12/8/16). 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 this season versus San Francisco (11/27/16). 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.
 
 
#34 - JESSE HUNT - F - 6-7 - 210 - So. - 1L/HS - Geraldton, Australia / Sir Francis Drake (Calif.) HS '15
 
2016-17: Was nominated by EWU for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Hunt is now averaging 2.9 points and 2.1 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). He came off the bench to contribute 21 points in just 34 minutes of action in EWU's split against Montana State (1/5/17) and Montana (1/7/17). 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.
 
 
#14 - MASON PEATLING - F - 6-8 - 220 - Fr. - HS - Melbourne, Australia / Beaconhills College HS '16
 
2016-17: Peatling made his starting debut versus 17th-ranked Xavier on Dec. 20 and has started 15 total games. He is averaging 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds, with a high of 13 points at Montana (1/26/17) and highs of nine rebounds and three blocked shots versus Idaho (12/30/16). He also had seven points versus the Vandals and has made 53.2 percent of his shots from the field for the season (50-of-94) and 39.3 percent of his 3-pointers (11-of-28). He was in the starting lineup from Dec. 20 to Feb. 9, helping Eastern go 8-6 in those 14 games.
 
 
#44 - FELIX VON HOFE - F - 6-5 - 200 - Sr. - 3L - Melbourne, Australia / Wesley Col. '12 / Australian Inst. of Sport
 
Career: Von Hofe will finish as the winningest player in the school's NCAA Division I history and is on the verge of setting the school record for games played. Eastern has won 80 games during his time at Eastern, and his 125 games played is one behind the record of 126 set by his former EWU teammate Parker Kelly (2012-15). Von Hofe is the 21st Eagle to join the 1,000-point club, currently ranking 19th with 1,030 career points. Von Hofe has moved up to eighth in career 3-pointers in the Big Sky Conference with 254, and needs just four to move into seventh (258, Scott Bamforth, Weber State, 2011-13). 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 six from the record of 260 set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15. Von Hofe now holds the school record with 637 attempts (breaking Harvey's record of 602), and his percentage of .399 is 12th. Von Hofe now has had 13 performances of at least 20 points in his Eastern career, including five 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 15 times this season (41 times in his career), and has led EWU in scoring twice in 2016-17 (11 in his career).
 
2016-17: Entering the season, he was a fourth team selection on the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big Sky Conference squad. Von Hofe has a team-leading 83 3-pointers this season to rank seventh in single season school history. He is 54th in NCAA Division I with an average of 2.77 per game, helping EWU rank 101st as a team in makes per game (8.1) and 43rd in percentage (38.3). In helping Eastern moved into a first-place tie in the Big Sky with a 91-75 win over Southern Utah (3/2/17), he scored 20 points to become the 21st player in school history go over the 1,000-point mark in his career. His scoring performance was his best since getting 22 in a league-opening win at Idaho (12/30/16), and his 6-of-11 3-point performance was also his most since that game. He had five 3-pointers and 19 total points in an 82-64 win over Montana State (1/5/17).  One game earlier, Von Hofe had a 22-point performance in a 69-67 victory over Idaho (12/30/16) 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.
 
 
#4 - SIR WASHINGTON - G - 6-3 - 180 - Jr. - 2L* - Las Vegas, Nevada / Clark HS '13
 
2016-17: Washington has scored in double figures in three of EWU's last seven games after having just four in the first 24 outings for the Eagles. He's averaged 9.1 points in those seven games. Washington made 12-of-24 (50.0 percent) of his 3-point attempts in Big Sky games, compared to 5-of-21 (23.8 percent) in non-conference outings. For the season, he is averaging 6.7 points per game, with seven double-figure performances (14 in his career). He scored 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the free throw line in EWU's 82-72 win over Weber State (2/23/17) for second place in the league standings. He scored 10 of them in the second half, and he also had five rebounds and five assists before fouling out with 3:09 to play. In his previous game he scored 17 points versus Idaho (2/17/17), the second-best performance in his career only behind the 21 he scored earlier this season versus San Francisco (11/27/16). He also had a 14-point effort at North Dakota (2/9/17).
 
 
#13 - LUKA VULIKIC - G - 6-5 - 190 - Fr. - HS - Belgrade, Serbia / Svetozar Markovic Jagodina HS
 
2016-17: Vulikic has started 21 of the 29 games he has played in, and is averaging 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. He started in every game from Dec. 20 to Feb. 9 as part of a starting lineup that went 8-6 in those 14 games. He had just two turnovers in 58 combined minutes versus Xavier (12/20/16) and Colorado (12/22/16), and he equaled his season high with 12 points versus the Buffaloes. He had 10 points and six rebounds at Montana (1/26/17).
 
 
#24 - JACOB WILEY - F - 6-7 - 220 - Sr. - TR* - Newport, Wash. / Newport HS '12 / Montana / Lewis-Clark State
 
Career: Having attended nearby Newport (Wash.) High School, this Wiley's first and only year in an Eastern graduate after transferring from Lewis-Clark State and having begun his collegiate career at Montana. He has four games worth of experience both in national and conference postseason tournaments. He played two games in the Frontier Conference playoffs in each of the past two seasons, then played in one NAIA Tournament game in 2015 and two in 2016. Although he didn't play in the Big Sky Tournament as a freshman at Montana in 2013, he played versus Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament. His 84 blocked shots this season already ranks fifth on the EWU career list.
 
Chasing Big Sky History: Wiley has compiled some of the top statistics in not only the league but NCAA Division I. And shortly, he should be achieving some Big Sky history. The only player to score at least 639 points and have at least 303 rebounds in the league's 54-year existence is Montana's Larry Krystokowiak (now head coach at Utah), who had 709 points and 364 rebounds in the 1985-86 season. Wiley is currently at 620 points and 285 boards, and could be the first to finish a season with at least 639 points/303 rebounds, plus at least 58 blocks (he currently has 86 to rank third-all-time in the league). Likewise, no previous player that has had 639/303 has also had at least a .621 field goal percentage (Wiley is currently at .639). No Eastern player has had at least 600 points and 300 rebounds, with Ron Cox having 554/328 in the 1975-76 season and 485/356 the following year as a senior. Former Eagle Venky Jois had 525/278/56/.679 last season, and 518/238/69/.610 as a junior.
 
2016-17 Honors: Wiley was selected by the leagues head coaches as the Big Sky Conference MVP and a first team all-league choice. He is EWU's third player in 30 years in the Big Sky to earn MVP honors, joining Alvin Snow (2004) and Rodney Stuckey (2006). Wiley earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors in four different weeks, was honored once as Mid-Major Player of the Week, won a tournament MVP honor, and garnered a variety of National Player of the Week accolades for his record-breaking efforts earlier this season in a home sweep of Sacramento State (2/2/17) and Portland State (2/4/17).
 
2016-17: For the season, Wiley is averaging 20.0 points per game overall to rank 38th in NCAA Division I and sixth in the Big Sky on 63.9 percent shooting to rank seventh in the nation and second in the league. His scoring average is currently 10th in EWU single season history, and he is just the seventh Eagle to score 600 points in a single season (he is currently eighth with 620). He's also averaging 2.77 blocked shots (first in the league and eighth nationally), with a school-record total of 86 to break the previous record of 69 set by Venky Jois in 2015. He's also ranked third all-time in the league, just seven from second (93, Slim Millien, Idaho State, 2005-06) and nine from the record (95, Brian Qvale, Montana, 2010-11). Wiley has made 83.1 percent from the free throw line (eighth in the league and 105th nationally). In addition, he is averaging 9.2 rebounds on the season (first in the league and 40th nationally) and 2.3 assists per game.
 
In league-only statistics, Wiley led the Big Sky in four different categories during what will be a one-year career at EWU. He leads in scoring (24.6), rebounding (10.3), blocked shots (2.5) and field goal percentage (.659). He was also 10th in free throw percentage (81.7 percent), and has averaged 2.6 assists and 0.6 steals in 18 league games.
 
Wiley now has seven 30-point performances this season and 15 with at least 20, and he has had at least 27 points in eight of his last 15 games. He had at least 20 in 13 of EWU's 18 league outings. For the season, he has scored in double figures in all but four of EWU's 31 games and has 10 double-doubles, with a total of 12 double-figure rebounding performances.
 
At Lewis-Clark State: 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. He was an Academic All-Frontier Conference selection while at L-C State.
 
At Montana: 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.
 
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Since Eastern became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season, the Eagles are now 32-14 versus Sacramento State, and the two schools did not play against each other prior to that. The Eagles have won 25 of their last 35 games against the Hornets, and have a 20-3 record versus Sacramento State in Cheney, are 11-11 in Sacramento and 1-0 on a neutral court. That neutral site game came in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament in 2015 in Missoula, when the Eagles won 91-83. Felix Von Hofe came off the bench to score 23 points with seven 3-pointers made, helping EWU lead by as many as 26 in the second half. At one point, the Eagles made 16-of-17 shots from the field, including seven of its last eight in the first half and their first nine of the second half. Besides winning the lone meeting this season by a 77-72 score in Cheney, Eastern swept the Hornets last season with a 74-67 win in Cheney and a 93-88 victory in Sacramento.
 
* Earlier this season in Cheney, 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.
 
* Eastern is 45-29 all-time against ISU, including a 42-28 record since becoming a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season (14-19 on the road, 27-8 at home, 1-1 at neutral sites). The Eagles have won 13 of the last 15 meetings, with an eight-game winning streak snapped in the 2013-14 season when the Bengals prevailed 72-83 in Pocatello. Eastern won 65-57 at home in the 2014-15 season, extending EWU's home winning streak versus ISU to 13 games dating back to a 65-63 loss on March 1, 2003. Eastern also won later in the year in Pocatello by an 85-81 score, but then lost its home-court winning streak in the lone meeting in 2015-16 with a 75-71 loss at Reese Court.
 
* Earlier this season in Pocatello, the Eagles had three impressive stretches on defense, and their offense had their second-best shooting performance of the season and a 78-percent performance from the free throw line, as Eastern picked up a precious league road victory by beating Idaho State 92-85 Jan. 12 at Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho. The Eagles used runs of 9-0 in the first half and 11-0 and 10-0 in the second half to open up comfortable leads during a 59-percent shooting night. Eastern held the Bengals scoreless for stretches of 4:09 and 5:02, and then a game-deciding stretch of 4:42 without a field goal.  Idaho State ended up making just 43 percent from the field in the second half, but had had a 12-of-17 shooting stretch in the first half that was highlighted by a stretch of eight-straight made baskets. The Bengals ended the game making eight of their last 12, but still made only 10-of-30 3-pointers in the game for 33 percent. Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley led the way for the Eagles with what was then a career-high 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 12 of his 19 points in the second half, including all 10 in a game-deciding 10-0 run. The Eagles opened a 14-point lead with 5:41 left after the run, and led by as many as 15 and no fewer than five the rest of the way. Eastern iced the game by making 11-of-14 free throws in the last 1:47, and finished the game 18-of-23. Junior Sir Washington made 4-of-6 shots from the field and 5-of-6 from the line to finish with 15. True freshman Mason Peatling had a season-high 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Senior Felix Von Hofe chipped in nine points, hitting 3-of-7 3-point attempts.
 
* Earlier this season in Cheney, the Eagles achieved more milestones on Senior Day at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., registering an 89-77 victory over Idaho State Feb. 25 in the final regular season home game for a trio of Eagle seniors. As a result of the win, the Eagles secured a first-round bye in the upcoming Big Sky Conference Tournament. Senior four-year letterwinner Felix Von Hofe was among the three players to be honored in pre-game ceremonies. The others were senior graduate transfer and Big Sky Most Valuable Player candidate Jacob Wiley and Julian Harrell, who played just two games this season because of a shoulder injury requiring surgery. Wiley poured in 11 of EWU's first 13 points to help EWU jump out to a 13-3 lead, and he finished with 19 in the first half and 38 in the game, to go along with a game-high 15 rebounds. He and Bogdan Bliznyuk combined for 62 of EWU's points, with Bliznyuk finishing with 24. Bliznyuk had 10 rebounds, the 10th-straight game EWU has won when he's had a double-double. Von Hofe added 14 with a pair of 3-pointers. Eastern had advantages in most statistical categories, but made only 6-of-27 3-pointers for 22.2 percent. Eastern made 22-of-30 shots inside the 3-point arc for 73.3 percent.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
Eagles Rally From an Early 20-Point Deficit, But NAU Spoils Eastern's Bid for Big Sky Title
 
Eastern rallied at times in the second half, but a 20-point deficit in the first half was too much to overcome as Eastern ended the Big Sky Conference regular season with a 76-61 road loss at Northern Arizona March 4 at the Walkup Skydome. Had the Eagles won, they would have won a share of its fourth regular season Big Sky title in school history. Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 28 and senior Felix Von Hofe had 15 to lead EWU, but senior Jacob Wiley was held to six shots and five total points. Northern Arizona out-shot EWU 43 percent to 35 percent and out-rebounded the Eagles 46-29. After a furious rally from 25 down to nearly beat Idaho two days earlier, Northern Arizona came out on fire against the Eagles and surged to an early 34-14 lead. The Lumberjacks had runs of 9-0 and 8-0 en route to making 48 percent of their shots from the field in the first half, including 5-of-8 three-pointers. Meanwhile, Eastern's inside and drive games were shut down by NAU, and EWU attempted only four two-point shots in the first half. The Eagles missed them all and hit 6-of-21 3-point shots. Eastern trailed 37-20 at halftime. The Eagles cut the lead to 10 at 51-41 with 9:52 on back-to-back 3-point field goals by Von Hofe and Cody Benzel, but Eastern missed its next shot with a chance to cut the lead to seven. That started a stretch of five-straight misses for EWU, as the Eagles went 3:37 without scoring and NAU held a 15-point lead with 6 1/2 minutes to play. Bliznyuk finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists, making 9-of-24 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws.
 
 
Eagles Earn Opportunity to Play For Big Sky Title After 91-75 Win Over Southern Utah
 
Eastern used runs of 11-0 and 7-0 in the second half to pull away from Southern Utah for a 91-75 victory March 2, but the even better news that night came from Grand Forks, N.D., where league-leading North Dakota was upset by Sacramento State 57-53. As a result, the Eagles and Fighting Hawks sat atop the Big Sky standings at 13-4 apiece with one game to play in the regular season. Senior Felix Von Hofe scored 20 points with six 3-pointers to become the 21st player in school history go over the 1,000-point mark in his career. His scoring performance was his best since getting 22 in a league-opening win at Idaho. He, Jacob Wiley and Bogdan Bliznyuk combined for 70 of EWU's 91 points. Wiley had a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds – his 10th double-double of the season – and Bliznyuk had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Wiley and Bliznyuk combined for all of EWU's points in a 7-0 run to give EWU a comfortable 73-61 lead with 3:56 to play, about six minutes after EWU used an 11-0 run to take the lead for good. Trailing 54-50 in the second half, EWU outscored the Thunderbirds 41-21 the rest of the way. Eastern made all 23 of its free throws in the second half and made 12 3-pointers, helping the Eagles to a 57 percent shooting night. Bliznyuk made his last 15 free throws after missing the lone EWU free throw attempt in the first half.
 
 

Jim Hayford Comments

 
On Team After NAU Loss: "They are crazy disappointed. They showed fight all the way down to the end, but we just dug too big of a hole. We win together and we lose together. We are the No. 2 seed, and if we won we would have been the No. 2 seed. It would have been nice to hang a banner, but we are 21-10 and that's a great regular season. But now it's the postseason. My guess is we'll see a similar defense again and we're going to have to have every man step up and shoot the ball well."
 
On NAU: "First you need to credit the other team – they had a great game plan. They looked at where our production was, and knew Wiley and Bliznyuk combined for 45 points per game and 80 percent of those are five feet from the basket. They loaded up in the key and dared us to shoot from the outside. We didn't have a good enough shooting night. It hurts – those guys don't want to miss those on purpose, but at the end of the day you are playing for a championship. They dared us to shoot outside and in the first half we went 6-of-21 from three and finished 11-of-34. We made an adjustment which at least got us more twos than threes in the second half. Our guys believed we would win and they have confidence in themselves. That's why they were taking those shots, we just weren't making them. Again, NAU was going to see what we could do from the outside and then they did a great job from the free throw line and didn't give us momentum."
 
On Staying in the Area In Lieu of Returning to Cheney: "We are doing it instead of taking multiple flights back and forth. All the players are great in their classes. We'll get rested and have three practices down here. We'll kind of let the sunshine heal our aches and pains, and get hungry for what we can do in Reno. We'll fly up to Reno on Tuesday and get used to being there, then look forward."
 
On Southern Utah Win: "That's the closest 16-point road win I've ever been a part of. Our team played really well – we put the ball in Bogdan's hands down the stretch and he obviously delivered. We were 23-of-24 from the free throw line – we missed our first shot of the night and didn't miss again. We shot the ball very well against their 1-3-1 zone. Felix had a big night and that's what you expect from a senior coming down the home stretch of the season. Ty Gibson gave us some really good minutes defensively when Sir Washington was in foul trouble. Jake was big on the boards. It was just a great, solid team win. We defended a lot better in the second half -- we weren't satisfied with our defense in the first half. They had a lot of unguarded players shooting shots looking at the rim. We buckled down and handled their pressure well. Bogdan made some great decisions, and we was good attacking the rim too. What do you say about a guy 15-of-15 from the line in the second half? That's clutch."
 
On Last Year for Wiley: "A year ago we were wondering how we were going to replace Venky Jois – arguably the best post player who ever came through Eastern Washington. At Senior Day last season, there was a guy sitting up in the stands saying this is where he wanted to go and this is what he wanted to do. He came and worked his tail off all summer, and then went on our foreign tour to Australia, and Jake said 'I like this offense, it works for me.' And then his coach says, "I like this post player, this works for me.' It was like love at first sight. He just keeps getting better each week and he's a big part of why we have such great chemistry. Imagine somebody getting these types of numbers with an ego thinking about himself. It just shows you he's a mature man to have this kind of success. It was a match made in heaven – if there was a guy sitting in the stands today watching Jake, I have a scholarship for him if he can come do what Jake did."
 
On Beating Weber State on Feb. 23: "The measuring stick as we were building our program was Weber State. Randy Rahe is a great coach and has a great program there. To be in a tie with them with three games to go – second in the league a half-game behind North Dakota – I'm just really proud of a lot of people. I know in the last three years, once we got this program where we have it right now, we've won three of the last five against them. It didn't seem possible early."
 
On Effort, Concentration and Determination: "There are three things we are preaching – the first one is effort and they bring great effort. The next one is concentration and the last one is determination. It doesn't matter who we are playing next – top or bottom of the standings – our team wants to get better and they are going to bring that effort, that concentration and that dedication. That's why they keep getting better."
 
On Bliznyuk: "Bogdan is an amazing young man – he's a great student, a great member of his family and a great teammate. He was very honored when we made him a team captain this year, and he's taken that extremely serious. He leads by example and is one of our hardest workers. What he says is really meaningful, and all of his teammates have a genuine love and appreciation for him. He has multiple skills – he can shoot it better than he has this year but he has a great drive game and post-up game. He's kind of a bully. Idaho is a really physical team, for him to come up with 13 rebounds shows he has some strength."
 
On Wiley's National Player of the Week Honors on Feb. 6 & 7: "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'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."