­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (0-1/0-0 Big Sky)   Friday, Nov. 9 – at #14/16 Oregon – 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 – Green Bay – approx. 4:45 p.m. 2K Empire Classic Benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project   all times Pacific
Radio:	700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area. Larry Weir calls the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff
Internet Radio:	https://tunein.com/radio/Eastern-Washington-Eagles-Sports-Network-s273711/
Radio  Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio
TV:	Oregon – Pac-12 Networks Green Bay - None
­­­Webcast:	Oregon -  https://pac-12.com/live Green Bay – http://watchbigsky.com
Live Stats:	Oregon - http://ewustats.com Green Bay - http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	The first show hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans will take place Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. and is aired live on 700-AM ESPN. The show will take place live at Barrelhouse Pub and Pizza in Cheney.

 If the preseason national rankings are any indication, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team will see much of the same this Friday (Nov. 9) in Eugene, Ore.
 
Coming off a season-opening loss at nationally-ranked Syracuse on Tuesday (Nov. 6) in the first of two preliminary games of the 2K Empire Classic Benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project, Eastern continues its 2018-19 season at Oregon at 6 p.m. Pacific time at Matthew Knight Arena.
 
 
The Ducks, the favorite to win the Pac-12 Conference title, are ranked 14th in the Associated Press preseason poll and 16th in the USA Today Coaches rankings. The Orange entered the EWU game ranked 16th and 14th, respectively, and came away with a 66-34 victory.
 
The Oregon game is televised by the Pac-12 Networks. In addition, all Eastern games are carried live on 700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area, with Larry Weir calling the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff.
 
"It was a good experience playing at Syracuse going into the Oregon game," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "They do a lot of different things defensively and they have length. Maybe we got the rust off and some of the shock and awe of coming in against a talented Syracuse team. We want our players to get focused and go into Oregon and have a great performance."
 
Eastern returns seven total letterwinners from the 2017-18 team, including four starters. However, the Eagles lose the Big Sky and EWU all-time leading scorer in Bogdan Bliznyuk, who was the league MVP and an honorable All-America selection last year after finishing with 2,169 points in his career.
 
The Eagles closed the 2017-18 season with a 20-15 record in their 35th season as a member of NCAA Division I after finishing 13-5 in the league during their 31st season as a member of the Big Sky. Eastern made its fourth-straight national postseason appearance when the team competed in the 2018 College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
 
A year ago Oregon was 23-13 overall (10-8 Pac-12) and advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Among UO's top returning players are 6-foot-2 guard Payton Pritchard, who averaged 14.5 points and 4.8 assists a year ago.
 
In their season opener on Nov. 6, the Ducks jumped out to a 45-29 halftime lead and beat Portland State 84-57. Oregon made 62 percent of their shots in the first 20 minutes and 54 percent in the game, and had four players score in double figures. Pritchard led the way with 22 points and three assists, and 7-foot-2 Bol Bol, the son of the late Manute Bol who played in the NBA for Golden State and Philadelphia, had a double-double with 12 points and 12 boards, plus had three blocked shots.
 
The Ducks held PSU to 29 percent shooting from the field, including just 5-of-35 from the 3-point stripe. Against Syracuse, Eastern sank only 22 percent which included a 6-of-38 performance on 3-pointers. However, the silver lining for the Eagles was holding the Orange to 3-of-17 shooting from the 3-point stripe for 17.6 percent, and 38.7 percent overall.
 
"We're hoping we can get to Oregon and make some shots, and do a better job of getting on the free throw line and making shots there," said Legans. "It's going to be a tough one but it's going to be a lot of fun."
 
After the Oregon game, Eastern will host Green Bay on Nov. 16 and either UMKC or Morehead State on Nov. 17, respectively, as part of a sub-regional of the 2K Empire Classic benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project. The Eagles will also host powerhouse South Dakota State on Dec. 18, and Corban University on Dec. 21.
 
After the 2K Classic sub-regional at Reese Court, the Eagles play their next five games on the road –- Washington, Seattle, North Dakota State and Stanford. Last season, in just the third game under Legans, Eastern upset Stanford 81-67 on Nov. 14, 2017.
 
 
Links to EWU Men's Basketball Information
 
A .pdf version of the 2018-19 EWU Fact Book & Archives: https://goeags.com/sports/2016/1/7/MBB_Other%20Links-Archive.aspx
More Information on Eastern Men's Basketball: https://goeags.com/index.aspx?path=mbball
Big Sky Conference Championship Information: http://bigskyinboise.com
 
 
 

 
Game/Season Notes

 
 
Five Eagles Made Eagle Debuts Versus Syracuse
 
Four Eagles, including starting redshirt freshman Kim Aiken Jr., made their collegiate debuts when Eastern played at Syracuse on Nov. 6. For Aiken, it was the first start of his career in his Eagle debut, finishing with five points.
 
Coming off the bench for EWU were redshirt freshman Tanner Groves and true freshmen Elijah Jackson and Austin Fadal. All three scored their first points and had their first rebounds of their careers as Eagles, as did junior college transfer Tyler Kidd. A redshirt last season after transferring from Skagit Valley Community College, Kidd made 3-of-8 shots from the field – including 3-of-5 3-pointers – to finish with a team-high nine points. He also had a pair of rebounds, an assist and a steal.
 
Besides Aiken, the rest of EWU's starting lineup against Syracuse included seniors Ty Gibson and Jesse Hunt, as well as sophomores Luka Vulikic and Jack Perry. Eastern played without three players – Mason Peatling, Jacob Davison and Steven Beo – plus Gibson played just eight minutes after suffering an injury in the first half.
 
Aiken averaged 25.3 points and 11.5 rebounds as a high school senior in the 2016-17 season, and scored 1,730 points (18.4 per game) and had 1,038 rebounds (11.0) in his career. Groves earned All-State honors while at nearby Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash., and averaged 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocked shots as a senior. Kidd earned all-defensive honors in the Northwest Athletic Conference and averaged 14.1 points as a sophomore at Skagit Valley Community College.
 
Jackson is out of Chief Sealth High School in Seattle, earning All-Metro League honors as a senior, then winning the long jump and triple jump at the 2018 State 3A Championships. He had high school bests of 23-6 in the long jump, 46-4 3/4 in the triple jump and 6-6 in the high jump. Those marks would have all placed in the top 12 at the Big Sky Conference Championships in 2018.
 
Fadal averaged over 18 points and six assists in his high school career, but a knee injury in December of his senior season ended his high school career. He then played one season at Hillcrest Prep in Arizona where he was one of the eight finalists nationwide for the National Prep Hoops Offensive Post-Graduate/Prep School Player of the Year.
 
 
Eastern Picked Fourth in Big Sky Preseason Polls
 
Montana is the consensus favorite, but the Grizzlies are just one of several league championship contenders Eastern will face in the 2018-19 season. The Eagles were picked to finish fourth behind defending champion Montana, Weber State and Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference preseason polls announced on Oct. 18 by the league office.
 
Eastern received 261 votes in the media poll to trail Northern Colorado by 19, and were 67 tallies ahead of Montana State. The coaches had Eastern seven points behind UNC and eight points ahead of No. 5 Portland State.
 
"The Big Sky will be good again – it's really talented from top to bottom," said second-year EWU coach Shantay Legans. "So it's going to be a fight for us."
 
Montana was a unanimous choice to repeat as champs, receiving 33 of 35 first-place votes in the media poll and all but one of the votes cast by the coaches. Picking up the other first-place votes and ranking second in both polls was perennial Big Sky power Weber State.
 
"Montana is the favorite because they have most of their players back," said Legans. "And Weber State is also bringing back some guys and has some good, young players coming in. Northern Colorado should be right at the top again, and Montana State has Tyler Hall so they'll be a challenge."
 
League play begins Dec. 29, but Big Sky foes won't be the other league favorites the Eagles will face. In their respective preseason polls in their leagues, Oregon (Pac-12) and South Dakota State (The Summit League) have been picked to win titles. Syracuse (Atlantic Coast Conference) under veteran head coach Jim Boeheim will be among the favorites after its run to the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16" a year ago.
 
"With our schedule we'll be able to see how we stack up against teams picked to win their conference," said Legans, whose team will play seven of its 11 preseason games on the road. "That's how we like it."
 
One of EWU's home games will be against South Dakota State on Dec. 18, and the Jackrabbits feature one of the best players in NCAA Division I basketball in Mike Daum. The 6-foot-9 senior forward averaged 23.9 points and 10.3 rebounds a year ago."
 
 "They say he is one of the top 20 players in the country, and it will be a lot of fun to play them at home," Legans added. "They are maybe one of the top five mid-major programs in the country and are very talented."
 
 
Big Sky Conference Preseason Rankings
 
Media Poll (Rank – Team – Points): 1. Montana - 383 (33); 2. Weber State - 346 (2); 3. Northern Colorado – 280; 4. Eastern Washington – 261; 5. Montana State – 194; 6. Idaho – 192; 7. Portland State – 189; 8. Idaho State – 176; 9. Southern Utah – 128; 10. Sacramento State – 115; 11. Northern Arizona – 46. First place votes in parenthesis
 
Coaches Poll (Rank – Team – Points): 1. Montana - 100 (10); 2. Weber State - 90 (1); 3. Northern Colorado – 70; 4. Eastern Washington – 63; 5. Portland State – 55; t6. Montana State – 53; t6. Southern Utah – 53; 8. Idaho State – 50; 9. Idaho – 34; 10. Sacramento State – 27; 11. Northern Arizona – 10. First place votes in parenthesis
 
 
Preseason Schedule Includes Teams from Seven Different Conferences
 
It will be another year of challenge after challenge when the Eagles embark upon their 2018-19 non-conference schedule, including four home games at Reese Court. Eastern will play 11 games – four at home and seven on the road – prior to the start of Big Sky Conference play on Dec. 29. Three of the road games will be at Pac-12 Conference foes, as well as a cross-country trip to play EWU's season-opener at Syracuse on Nov. 6.
 
In all, Eastern's non-conference schedule will include teams from seven different conferences – ACC, Pac-12, Horizon, Ohio Valley, Western Athletic, Summit and the West Coast. The 11 non-conference opponents EWU will play or could potentially play combined for a 202-170 overall record last season, and were 90-92 in their respective leagues.
 
Along with Syracuse, South Dakota State also advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished 28-7 after winning the Summit League title with a 13-1 record. Washington, Stanford and Oregon all played in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), winning first-round games before bowing out in the second round.
 
Seattle and San Francisco joined EWU in the 2018 CBI. Both Eastern and the Redhawks – coached by former Eagle head coach Jim Hayford – fell in the first round. But the Dons advanced all the way to the championship series versus North Texas where USF won 72-62 in the opener but lost 69-55 and 88-77 in the next two games.
 
In all, 10 of EWU's 21 NCAA Division opponents appeared in postseason NCAA Division I Tournaments. Montana represented the Big Sky in the NCAA Tournament, while Portland State and Northern Colorado both played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
 
 
Eagles 1-25 Versus Ranked Teams
 
The game versus Syracuse was Eastern's 26th game versus a ranked opponent, and EWU is now 1-25. The last time EWU faced a ranked opponent came against No. 17 Xavier on Dec. 20, 2017, and earlier in the 2017-18 season lost 85-52 to No. 21 Texas.  
 
Eastern head coach Shantay Legans remembers well the only time the Eagles defeated a ranked opponent back in 2001. The Eagles are now 1-25 versus nationally-ranked teams, and he was in the gym that night on Nov. 15, 2001, when Eastern beat 10th-ranked St. Joseph's 68-67 at the BCA Classic in Berkeley, Calif. The next night, Eastern lost to 56-27 to host Cal, whose starting point guard was Legans. He had five points, an assist and a rebound in 20 minutes of action versus EWU.
 
In the 2014-15 season Eastern lost 77-68 to No. 22 SMU on Nov. 22, 2014; 81-77 to No. 17 Washington on Dec. 14, 2014; and then 84-74 to No. 22 Georgetown on March 19, 2015. Before that, EWU lost 82-65 to No. 15 Connecticut on Dec. 28, 2013, and 77-69 on Nov. 11, 2011, to a Gonzaga team ranked 23rd in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches' polls. The Gonzaga game was the head coaching debut at Eastern for Jim Hayford.
 
Eastern lost to Washington 98-72 on Nov. 16, 2010, and 86-57 to Gonzaga on Nov. 30, 2010, in EWU's other recent games against nationally-ranked teams. Washington was ranked 17th by Associated Press and 15th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, and Gonzaga was 24th by the coaches.
 
In the 2009-10 season, the Eagles fell 94-52 to Gonzaga on Dec. 28, 2009. The Bulldogs were ranked 22nd by ESPN/USA Today, but were just out of the top 25 at No. 26 by Associated Press. The 2008-09 season was the first time since 2002-03 that Eastern did not play a nationally-ranked team. The Eagles played 12 such games in the five seasons before that.
 
Eastern's list versus nationally-ranked teams includes three games in the 2004-05 season alone as well as three the year before. Seven of the games came under former head coach Mike Burns and five others came under Ray Giacoletti from 2000-2004.

11/9/18 vs. #14 Oregon
11/6/18 vs. #16 Syracuse – L, 34-66
12/20/16 vs. #17 Xavier – L, 56-85
11/17/16 vs. #21 Texas – L, 52-85
3/19/15 vs. #22 Georgetown – L, 74-84
12/14/14 vs. #17 Washington – L, 77-81
11/22/14 vs. #22 SMU – L, 68-77
12/28/13 vs. #15 Connecticut  – L,65-82
11/11/11 vs. #23 Gonzaga – L, 69-77
11/30/10 vs. #24 (ESPN/USA Today) Gonzaga - L, 57-86
11/16/10 vs. #17 Washington - L, 72-98
12/28/09 vs. #22 (ESPN/USA Today) Gonzaga - L, 52-94
12/5/07 vs. #3 Kansas - L, 47-85
11/9/07 vs. #10 Washington State - L, 41-68
12/15/06 vs. #22 Oregon - L, 74-100
11/24/06 vs. #16 Washington - L, 83-90
12/19/05 vs. #8 Gonzaga - L, 65-75
12/16/05 vs. #11 Washington - L, 74-91
12/28/04 vs. #14 Arizona - L, 45-79
12/21/04 vs. #13 Gonzaga - L, 70-83
12/5/04 vs. #14 Washington - L, 56-89
3/19/04 vs. #3 Oklahoma State - L, 56-75
12/31/03 vs. #16 Gonzaga - L, 49-70
11/21/03 vs. #14 Oklahoma - L, 59-69
11/15/01 vs. #10 St. Joseph's - W, 68-67
11/25/00 vs. #4 Michigan State - L, 61-83
1/21/85 vs. #10 DePaul - L, 50-72
***Indicates back-to-back games versus ranked opponents.
 
 
League Schedule Features 20 Games for the Third Time in League History
 
As expected, the 2018-19 schedule of games in the Big Sky Conference for the Eagles will have a few twists and turns. It includes 20 league games for the first time since the 2013-14 and 2012-13 seasons. Those were the only years in the league's 55-year history the schedule has included 20 conference games.
 
The departure of North Dakota left the league with 11 members, making for a challenge in scheduling 20 games for each team in a span of 11 weekends. Travel partners – such as Idaho paired with EWU – were retained as much as possible, but the "lone wolf" is always prevalent when scheduling an odd amount of teams.
 
Most notably, Eastern will play four games on Monday, including three at home at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.  The Eagles will also host Montana and Montana State in back-to-back games, but those will come nine days apart.
 
However, the good news for the Eagles is that their road travel schedule is as good as could be expected. The lone Monday road game is at Northern Colorado -- four days after the Eagles play at nearby local rival Idaho.
 
"Scheduling 11 teams in a 20-game schedule is definitely a difficult task," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "But we are pleased with how it came out for us. It's definitely different playing on Mondays, but we'll embrace the challenges and fight to win the league title."
 
The Big Sky Conference Championship, which will take place in Boise, Idaho, for the next three years, is scheduled for March 13-16, 2019 at CenturyLink Arena.
 
 
Eastern Will Be Involved in Big Sky Versus Summit League Challenge Series in 2018-19
 
North Dakota's final year of membership in the Big Sky was in 2017-18 before moving to the Summit League, but the Eagles will play the Fighting Hawks again in the future as part of a four-year rivalry series between the two leagues announced recently. Members of the Big Sky Conference and Summit League have agreed to a four-year men's basketball series involving four teams from each league, which begins during the 2018-19 season.
 
Each school will play one home game and road contest against separate schools from the other league during each of the four seasons. Big Sky schools participating are Eastern, Montana State, Montana and Idaho. The Summit is represented by North Dakota State, North Dakota, Omaha and South Dakota State.
 
Eastern played South Dakota from the Summit League in the 2017-18 season, but the Coyotes are not among the schools taking part in the series. Montana State Director of Athletics Leon Costello and Bobcat coach Brian Fish were among those initiating the process between the eight schools. The rundown of games for the next four seasons is:
 
2018-19 -- Eastern Washington at North Dakota State, South Dakota State at Eastern Washington, North Dakota at Montana State, Montana State at Omaha, Montana at South Dakota State, North Dakota State at Montana, Omaha at Idaho, Idaho at North Dakota.
 
2019-20 -- Eastern Washington at North Dakota, Omaha at Eastern Washington, Montana State at North Dakota State, South Dakota State at Montana State, Montana at Omaha, North Dakota at Montana, North Dakota State at Idaho, Idaho at South Dakota State.
 
2020-21 -- North Dakota State at Eastern Washington, Eastern Washington at South Dakota State, Montana State at North Dakota, Omaha at Montana State, South Dakota State at Montana, Montana at North Dakota State, Idaho at Omaha, North Dakota at Idaho.
 
2021-22 -- Eastern Washington at Omaha, North Dakota at Eastern Washington, Montana State at South Dakota State, North Dakota State at Montana State, South Dakota State at Idaho, Idaho at North Dakota State, Montana at North Dakota, Omaha at Montana.
 
 
 
 
Brackets Set for Big Sky Tourney in Boise
 
The move from Reno to Boise has also resulted in a change in the brackets for the 2019 Big Sky Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships  resented by My Place Hotels. Tickets and lodging for the event s available now at: http://BigSkyinBoise.com.
 
The tournaments are set to take place March 11-16 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Eastern's women's team could start as early as Monday, March 11, while the men wouldn't begin play until Wednesday, March 13, at the earliest. The women's tournament will be held March 11-15, while the men's championship will take place March 13-16. The tournament champions will receive automatic berths to the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.
 
For the fourth-straight season, all Big Sky members will compete in the conference tournament with the field featuring 11 teams for both the men and women in 2019. The top five teams in the final regular season standings will earn a bye to the quarterfinal round of the Big Sky Championship. The six-day event will be held in the state of Idaho for the first time since 1994 when former Big Sky member Boise State served as the championship host.
 
The three first round games of the Big Sky women's championship will start Monday afternoon before four quarterfinal matchups follow on Tuesday for the women. A five-game Wednesday slate features a trio of men's first round games, leading up to the women's semifinals in the evening. 
 
The men's tourney continues Thursday with the quarterfinals. Friday's action consists of the women's championship game, which will air on Eleven Sports, while the men's semifinals follow that night. The week-long event wraps up Saturday with the men's championship game on ESPNU at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
 
CenturyLink Arena is a 5,300-seat facility located in downtown Boise that has been the home of the Idaho Steelheads hockey team since opening in 1997. The arena hosts an average of 100 events annually and has welcomed over 5.5 million attendees in 20 years. It also hosts numerous concerts, trade shows, and conventions each year. CenturyLink Arena is attached to the Grove Hotel, Boise's only four-diamond hotel.
 
The 2019 championship will be the fourth neutral site basketball championship in the Big Sky's history after holding the event in Reno, Nevada, the previous three seasons.
 
To stay up-to-date with the Big Sky Conference, follow us on Facebook at /BigSkyConf or on Instagram and Twitter @BigSkyConf. Fans can also follow Big Sky men's and women's basketball on Twitter, @BigSkyMBB and @BigSkyWBB.

 
Basketball Coaches Shows Begin Nov. 13
 
Basketball Coaches Shows begin Tuesday, Nov. 13, and will take place at Barrelhouse Pub and Pizza in downtown Cheney throughout the 2018-19 season. Barrelhouse Pub and Pizza is located at 122 College Ave. in Cheney, and the public is always invited to attend the shows live.
 
The shows begin at 6 p.m. and will feature men's head coach Shantay Legans, with special guests including head women's coach Wendy Schuller. Players and assistant coaches from both the men's and women's programs will be featured on the shows, which will continue through March 11.
 
Hosted by veteran Eagle radio play-by-play announcer Larry Weir, the shows may be heard on 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM, tunein.com and via Tunein's mobile phone app (search for Eastern Washington). EWU football and men's basketball games may also be heard via those methods.
 
After Nov. 13, shows will also take place on Tuesday, Dec. 11 and Tuesday, Jan. 8, before moving to Mondays on Jan. 14. The shows will take place each Monday thereafter, except for Feb. 4 and Feb. 18 because of games the Eagles play those nights.
  
 

Series Notes

 
* Eastern and Oregon have met twice before, including on Dec. 15, 2006, when the 22nd-ranked Ducks beat EWU 100-74. They met again on Nov. 17, 2011, and Oregon prevailed 73-65. Both meetings were on the road. In the meeting in 2011, Eastern led 39-34 at halftime and by as many as nine in the second half and seven with 11:33 left. But the Ducks went on a 7-0 run to knot the game, then took the lead for good with 5:37 to play and led by as many as eight in the final 1:34.
 
* Since Eastern moved to NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season, EWU is now 3-42 against the Pac-12 Conference, having gone 1-2 versus the league in the 2017-18 season. Eastern snapped its 21-game losing streak versus the Pac-12 with a 67-61 victory at Stanford on Nov. 14, 2017. Entering this year, the only current member of the Pac-12 Eastern has never played is Arizona State. A year ago, Eastern fell to Washington 79-69 on Nov. 12, 2017 and Utah 85-69 on Nov. 24, 2017. Coupled with an 11-55 record versus Washington State, 1-14 mark versus Washington and a 1-15 record against other current members of the Pac-12, the Eagles have a 13-84 record all-time against that league.
 
* Eastern's 62-58 win at Washington in the 2002-03 season on Dec. 14, 2002, snapped a five-game losing streak versus Pac-12 Conference opponents dating back to Eastern's 83-82 overtime win versus Washington State on Dec. 22, 1997, in Kennewick, Wash. That victory over WSU was Eastern's first-ever win over a Pacific 8 or Pacific 10 Conference opponent since the inception of the conference in 1968. It was also Eastern's first win over Washington State since Dec. 1, 1952, when the Eagles pulled out a 72-71 overtime road win, which is EWU's last win in Pullman in the series. The Cougars had led the all-time series 50-10 and had won 17-straight games over the Eagles prior to that EWU victory in 1997.
 
* When Eastern plays Green Bay on Nov. 16, it will be facing the Phoenix for the third time but for the first time in nearly 25 years. Eastern is 1-2 versus Green Bay, with the last meeting coming on Dec. 30, 1993, when the Eagles lost 58-44 in the first round of the Great Northern Classic hosted by UWGB. Eastern also lost on the road 67-45 on Jan. 12, 1987 and won at home Nov. 23, 1985, by a 60-45 score.
 
* On Nov. 17, Eastern will play either Morehead State for the second time or UMKC (Missouri-Kansas City) for the third time. Eastern beat Morehead State at home 88-86 in overtime on Dec. 13, 2016, and won on the road over UMKC by a 65-54 score on Dec. 3, 2007. Eastern also lost to the Kangaroos in Cheney by a 68-61 score on Dec. 18, 2008.
 
 
 
 

More Player Notes

 
Sharpshooting Duo Climbs EWU Three-Point Charts
 
Cody Benzel and Ty Gibson return for their senior seasons with current totals of 102 and 98 games of experience, respectively. Benzel has started 27 games in his career, averaging 13.5 minutes and 4.8 points (6.6 as a junior) per game. Gibson has started 39 career games and has a 4.5 scoring average (6.3 as a junior) in an average of 17.4 minutes per game.
 
Both players are three-point threats with Benzel ranking ninth in school history with 145 3-pointers, shooting at a 41.1 percent clip to rank 10th all-time at EWU. Gibson has made 119 3-pointers and is 13th in school history with 39.9 percent accuracy.
 
Add in BYU transfer Steven Beo, and the Eagles will have three proven top-notch shooters in the league. Beo played in 31 games as a freshman for BYU in 2016-17 after averaging 27.7 points as a junior and 26.7 as a senior at Richland (Wash.) High School.
 
Benzel and Gibson, as well as forward Jesse Hunt, were named to the NABC Honors Court for the 2017-18 school year. Gibson is majoring in professional accounting, and has a 3.99 GPA at EWU after graduating from Issaquah (Wash.) HS in 2015. Benzel is a 2014 graduate of Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., and has a 3.19 GPA as a marketing major. Hunt has a 3.61 GPA as a management major, and is formerly from Australia and graduated from Sir Francis Drake HS in California in 2015. Gibson and Hunt have also all earned Big Sky All-Academic
 
 
Jesse Hunt Made Most of Five Starts in 2018-19
 
Now a senior, a foot injury limited Jesse Hunt to just 20 games and five starts in the 2017-18 season, including just four brief appearances in EWU's last 19 games of the season. Before initially injuring the foot on Jan. 5, 2018, in a practice, Hunt had started the last five games he played, helping lead the Eagles to four victories and averaging 14.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. He made 25-of-43 shots overall (58.1 percent), 7-of-11 from the 3-point stripe (63.6 percent) and 16-of-20 from the free throw line (80.0 percent) in those five games, and had registered his career high for scoring in the first four games.
 
Playing for the first time in more than a month, Hunt logged six minutes against Montana on Feb. 15, 2018, in his first action in 10 games before aggravating a foot injury in that game. He returned for the Big Sky Conference Tournament and had a total of four points and five rebounds in EWU's first two games. But he once again aggravated the injury in the title game, also versus Montana, and missed EWU's College Basketball Invitational game versus Utah Valley.
 
Hunt scored a career-high 14 points and had eight rebounds in his first start of the season against CSUN on Dec. 17, then had his second double-double of the season with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Providence three days later. He equaled his career high with 16 points at Northern Colorado on Dec. 29 when he also had a career-high four blocked shots and eight rebounds in a career-high 29 minutes of action. He played 29 minutes at North Dakota and finished with 16 points and eight boards, then had 11 points and four rebounds in just 16 minutes because of foul trouble against Portland State on Jan. 4 – a day before his injury.
 
For the season, Hunt averaged 18.3 minutes, 7.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and had nine blocked shots, while making 49.5 percent of his shots from the field and 80.6 percent from the free throw line. In his 83-game career (17 as a starter), Hunt has averaged 12.0 minutes, 3.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and has 29 blocks.
 
 
Vulikic Back After Injury-Shortened 2017-18 Season
 
Sophomore Luka Vulikic started Eastern's first eight games at point guard in the 2017-18 season before a foot ailment resulted in him redshirting. He averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in an average of 25.6 minutes per game, that after coming off a freshman season in which he started 22 of 32 games and averaged 2.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 assists.
 
A bout of planter fasciitis plagued the Serbian, and it was announced in February that Vulikic would redshirt as an injury hardship. He scored in double figures three times in the eight games he played, scoring 10 points each versus Walla Walla (11/10/17) in the team's opener, at Washington (11/12/17) and then Utah (11/24/17). He had a career-high seven assists versus the Utes in a game he also had five rebounds.
 
 
Trio of Newcomers Contribute Significantly, Including Two as Starters
 
Jack Perry started EWU's last 27 games as a true freshman in 2017-18, and scored in double figures in four of his last nine games. He had a career-high 18-point performance against Northern Arizona on March 3, 2018, in which he made a career-high six 3-pointers in nine attempts, then followed that with 14 points in EWU's quarterfinal win in the Big Sky Tournament. He also had a 15-point performance against Idaho State on Feb. 24, 2018, with five 3-pointers, and a career-high eight rebounds at Weber State one game earlier on Feb. 22. On the season he averaged 6.8 points and 2.4 assists per game while making 45.1 percent from the field and 56-of-130 3-pointers (43.1 percent to rank sixth in the Big Sky). His clutch 3-pointer with 15 seconds left helped clinch EWU's 81-74 win over Portland State on Jan. 4, 2018, then he hit another clutch trey with 1:06 left in EWU's 81-76 victory against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18, 2018.
 
Redshirt freshman Jacob Davison made the first start of his career at Seattle on Dec. 3 and started seven-straight games. He came off the bench in the last 21 and averaged 7.1 points on the season. His debut season ended with seven points, a career-high four steals and three rebounds in EWU's loss to Utah Valley in the College Basketball Invitational. He scored 41 points and had 14 rebounds in three Big Sky Tournament games, including 16 in both the semifinals and championship game. He scored in double figures seven times in his last 13 games, including 14 points in EWU's regular season finale versus Northern Arizona and 17 at Weber State on Feb. 22. He scored 15 at Utah on Nov. 24, 2017, when he had his third double-figure scoring performance in a four-game span. He came off the bench to score 20 against Georgia State on Nov 20, 2017, and had 11 one game earlier versus UNLV.
 
 
Peatling Finishes With Five Double-Doubles in Sophomore Season
 
Mason Peatling, who earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a sophomore, put together a stretch of three-straight double-doubles in January of 2018 after re-joining the starting lineup mid-way through the season. He had the fourth double-double of the season and of his career with 19 points and 13 rebounds in an 84-79 win over Montana State on Feb. 17, 2018, then had his fifth with 11 points and 10 boards in Eastern's regular season finale versus Northern Arizona. His point total against the Bobcats was his career high, and Eastern was 4-1 when he had a double-double.
 
He closed his sophomore campaign with five points, five rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and a steal against Utah Valley in College Basketball Invitational. In three games in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, he scored 30 points and had 17 rebounds and four blocked shots. In a win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 27, 2018, he had 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, making 6-of-11 shots from the field and finishing with two blocked shots. Peatling had the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds in EWU's overtime loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 20, 2018, then had 11-11 versus North Dakota on Jan. 25, 2018.
 
For the season, Peatling averaged 7.7 points in 31 games (26 as a starter), and averaged 5.6 rebounds (17th in the Big Sky) and 1.2 blocked shots per game (fifth). His averages were 8.7 points, 7.4 rebounds (seventh) and 1.5 blocks (fourth) in conference play. In his 65-game career (43 as a starter), he's averaged 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds with a total of 43 assists, 50 blocks and 40 steals. He hit double figures in scoring 11 times in 2017-18 and 15 in his career thus far, and has had at least 10 rebounds six times in his career, all during his sophomore season.
 
Making his first start since Dec. 12 after missing four games because of a hand injury, Peatling embraced his return to the starting lineup on Jan. 6, 2018, against Sacramento State. It took barely over seven minutes for him to hit the double-figure mark, as he finished with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in 13 minutes of action. Prior to being sidelined with his injury, he scored a career-high 19 at South Dakota on Dec. 10, 2017, and had 11 points and six rebounds one game earlier at San Francisco.
 
 
 
 

More Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Opener: "I have to give it to Syracuse – they played well. Defensively we did do a good job of holding a team like that under 40 percent and holding them under 20 percent from three. We gave up a great opportunity to come in here and try to get a win with numbers like that. We just needed some better performances from some guys and I have to put them in positions to be successful. Eag Nation stay with us –we'll be back and we'll play really good and tough in the next game we play at Oregon."
 
On Turnovers: "You see turnover after turnover, and I look at what I can do more. Our team played hard and I put them in bad situation. I thought the Syracuse press would be okay, but we didn't do the best job of handling it. I have to do a better job of getting them prepared, and next game we'll play much better. I feel positive about what we did. We had 14 offensive rebounds, but only 11 assists and 19 turnovers, and 33 points off those turnovers, isn't very good."
 
On Playing Without Three Players: "It's tough, but at the same time there are other players on scholarship and I have to make sure they are ready to go in situations like this. We have to have the attitude of next man up. Tonight it got away from us early and we couldn't fight back to get back into the game. Once we missed some shots and turned the ball over it just started going down the other way. We have to do a better job in timeouts of getting guys ready to play and break that press."
 
On Tyler Kidd: "He played well – he even went against their 7-foot-2 guy one time. He shot well and was our energy guy. We needed a couple of those players in this game. I thought Elijah Jackson came in and played pretty well in his first game as a freshman."
 
 
On Preseason: "Our entire non-conference schedule is tough and we play some really good teams. As we go through our season, it's getting us ready for the conference season. No matter how it turns out, when we start Big Sky play we'll be 0-0 and we have to be good then. We have a mature team with some great senior leaders and we will make sure our players understand exactly what this preseason means."
 
On Progress of Returning Players: "We have six of our top seven players back, and we look forward to getting all those guys on the same page. We've had some injuries early, which is a setback but it's giving our younger players a lot more reps than they usually would. But even with all that experience we're really young. We have three seniors who do a great job leading, and their roles will expand offensively as the season moves forward. We have some great young talent, and the experienced players are showing them how it works."
 
On His First Year as Head Coach: "The support has been great back home. Everybody and the athletic department was right behind us every single step of the way. It's been a tremendous first year for me and I couldn't be happier. I want to thank everybody for believing in this team and being part of something special this year. I'm sorry we couldn't win the tournament and get to the dance, but we'll be back next year. We want everybody to support these players because they deserve it – they work their tails off on the court and in the classroom. Supporting them is huge to our team and means a lot. I'm excited about our future and our athletic department."
 
On Big Sky Success: "What's cool and exciting about the whole postseason situation is that the Big Sky had six teams with 20 wins, and that's the most in 55 years. Being able to play against so many tournament-caliber teams got us prepared for the run we went on. We were 20 minutes from representing the Big Sky in the big dance. Being able to play those teams and especially playing on the road gets you prepared for postseason play, and we're excited to still be playing."
 
On Success of Team Despite Championship Loss: "I told the team in the locker room to keep their heads up – they did everything they possibly could this year. We had injuries, but they kept battling. They never hung their heads, never complained about anything or were upset about the travel early in the season. They were always asking 'what's next?' When you get a group of players like that and you enjoy coaching, it's not a job – it's fun."
 
On Loss in Big Sky Title Game: "Our success is going to continue. We're really proud of this team and way they competed – it was amazing. If our fans saw our locker room after the game it would have broken their hearts. At the same time, our players are great kids and they all have great things ahead of them. I'm disappointed and I'll probably look at this game a 1,000 times. I'm sure there are things we could have done a lot better."
 
On Underclassmen: "Our young guys are going to learn from the championship game loss and they'll come out and do a great job next season. We'll get back here next year because I know we'll have a good team. We'll miss our seniors, but I'm looking forward to getting back to this same exact position and playing this same exact team."
 
On 20 Victories: "It's a big thing for our program to get to 20 wins. The guys deserve it and they did everything we asked them to do all season long. To be able to play for a championship is what you are trying to do when the season starts."
 
On Peatling's Honorable Mention Accolade: "Mason had a monster conference season. He's a big reason we won 13 league games, and our win against Northern Colorado was a key in helping us finish third. He kicked everybody's butt on the boards that day -- he tried to outrebound them by himself."
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
Pressure by No. 14/16 Syracuse Leads to 66-34 Defeat of EWU
 
Nationally-ranked Syracuse turned 19 Eastern turnovers into 33 points and went on to open the 2018-19 college basketball season with a 66-34 victory over the Eagles Nov. 6 in the famed Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Eastern led early 3-2 and trailed by just three 6:11 into the game, but couldn't overcome a nearly 10 minute scoreless stretch and trailed 28-10 at halftime. The Orange, ranked 16th in the Associated Press preseason poll and 14th in the USA Today Coaches rankings, put the game away by scoring 20 of the first 23 points of the second half to open a 48-13 advantage. The silver lining was that Eastern held Syracuse to 3-of-17 shooting from the 3-point stripe for 17.6 percent, and 38.7 percent overall. The game was the first of two preliminary games of the 2K Empire Classic Benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project. The Eagles next play Oregon, ranked 14th by AP and 16th by the coaches, on Friday (Nov. 9) at 6 p.m. in a game televised by the Pac-12 Networks. Eastern was led in scoring by junior Tyler Kidd with nine points, but no other Eagle scored more than five. Senior Jesse Hunt finished with seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots for the Eagles, and sophomore Luka Vulikic had four assists and six boards. The Eagles sank just 22 percent of their shots in the game, compared to 39 percent for the Orange. Eastern made only 17.4 percent (4-of-23) in the first half, making one of 11 3-point attempts. For the game, Eastern was only 6-of-38 from the 3-point stripe for 17.1 percent. Syracuse had a 33-8 advantage in points off turnovers, and were led by 6-foot-8 Oshae Brissett with 20 points. The biggest lead for the Orange was 37 points with 6:27 left in the game.