­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (1-5/0-0 Big Sky) Saturday, Dec. 8 – at North Dakota State – 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13 – at San Francisco ­– 7 p.m. all times Pacific
Radio:	The NDSU game will be on KXLY 920-AM with Bob Castle calling the play-by-play. All other Eastern games are on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area. Larry Weir calls the play-by-play Broadcasts both days 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:	MidCo Sports Network/ESPN+
­­­Webcast:	CLICK HERE for NDSU Game http://watchbigsky.com or Pluto Channel 234 for EWU home games
Live Stats:	NDSU & EWU Home Games: http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. (subject to change) and is aired live on 700-AM ESPN. The show will take place live at Barrelhouse Pub and Pizza in Cheney.

It's finals week at Eastern Washington University, and the Eagles still have some work to do on the road before it can return to Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
With Shantay Legans coaching his 300th game as an Eagle, the EWU men's basketball team plays for the first time in a week when they travel to Fargo, N.D., to face the Bison of North Dakota State on Saturday (Dec. 8) at 5 p.m. Pacific time. Both teams will be looking for their first victories in three weeks when they clash.
 
The game will be televised in the North Dakota region by the MidCo Sports Network, and will also be available via ESPN+. Because of EWU's football game that afternoon, the radio broadcast will be on KXLY 920-AM in the Spokane area, with Bob Castle taking over the headset as play-by-play broadcaster. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff.
 
"We have a lot of opportunities and it's exciting to see our guys progress," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "We have a great group of players and it's going to turn for us. We have to play better offensively and make some shots, but there is a lot of confidence in this group."
 
Legans was an Eastern assistant for eight years under a pair of head coaches before becoming EWU's 10th coach at the NCAA Division I level in 2018-19. He is 146-153 in nine-plus seasons on the coaching staff, including a 21-20 record as a head coach. Last year, the 20 wins by Legans were the most by a first-year Eastern coach in EWU's NCAA Division I era.
 
North Dakota State is 2-7 on the season, and hasn't won since beating Towson 76-51 on a neutral court on Nov. 18. The team's other victory was an 82-63 home win over UC Santa Barbara. The Bison, who most recently lost to Iowa State 81-59 on Dec. 3, has played just once at home thus far.
 
Two players average in double figures for NDSU, and four more average between 7.3 and 9.9 points. Junior guard Vinnie Shahid averages 10.9 points and 2.8 assists, and had nine points, five rebounds and three assists against Iowa State. Junior forward Deng Geu averages 10.8, with the 6-foot-8 Geu coming off the bench in all nine games to also block 11 shots. He scored 10 points versus the Cyclones, while Rocky Kreuser led the way for the Bison with 13. A 6-10 forward, Kreuser averages 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds.
 
Eastern is coming off a pair of losses in Seattle, falling Nov. 27 at Washington 83-59 and Dec. 1 at Seattle by an 88-68 score. Led by the averages of 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds by senior Jesse Hunt, the Eagles are looking to improve its current record of 1-5 by finding some better shooting on the road. Hunt has made 54.3 percent overall and 50.0 percent from the 3-point line (12-of-24), but as a team the Eagles are shooting at just a 34.7 percent clip overall and 28.9 percent from the arc.
 
The Eagles are looking for their first victory since splitting a pair of overtime games in the Cheney sub-regional of the 2K Empire Classic Benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. Eastern lost 82-78 to Green Bay on Nov. 16, then knocked off UMKC (Missouri-Kansas City) 87-80 in the consolation game the next day. Hunt had double-doubles in both games to earn all-tournament honors, then scored 15 to lead the Eagles in an 83-59 loss at Washington. He's averaging nearly a double-double this season with averages of 14.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
 
Eastern has played without a pair of players – Mason Peatling and Steven Beo – the entire season thus far, plus sophomore Jacob Davison and senior Ty Gibson have also missed time. Davison has averaged 6.8 points in four games played thus far, and Gibson is averaging 7.2 after missing all of one game and most of another.
 
This week's outing continues a stretch of five-straight games on the road for EWU –- Washington, Seattle, North Dakota State, San Francisco and Stanford. Last season, in just the third game under Legans of his head coaching career, Eastern upset Stanford 81-67 on Nov. 14, 2017.
 
Having not played at home since Nov. 17, the Eagles will finally get to play at home when they host powerhouse South Dakota State on Dec. 18 at 6:05 p.m. at Reese Court. Three days later on Dec. 21, EWU closes its pre-Christmas schedule by hosting Corban University at 2:05 p.m. Corban replaced Walla Walla on EWU's schedule after the Wolves canceled their 2018-19 season on Oct. 24.
 
"We have some huge games coming up for us," said Legans. "North Dakota State is really good and has beat some good teams so far. San Francisco is playing unbelievable basketball, and then we play Stanford, who will have a bullseye on us after last year's game. Then we have a couple of home games to finish off our preseason schedule. We're playing the best teams around we can play and it's a lot of fun. I love this team and their fight, and they are going to continue to fight throughout the season."
 
Eastern returns seven total letterwinners from the 2017-18 team, including four starters. However, the Eagles lost 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).
 
 
 

Game/Season Notes

 
Eastern-NDSU Game Part of the 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. 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. This week's game versus North Dakota State is part of that series, as well as EWU's next home game versus South Dakota State on Dec. 18.
 
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.
 
 
 
Jesse Hunt Averaging 14.8 Points and 8.0 Rebounds With Trio of Double-Doubles
 
Senior Jesse Hunt is coming off his third double-double in four games and fifth of his career, and is averaging 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds on the season. He scored 26 with 10 boards in a loss at Seattle on Dec. 1. He sank 9-of-16 shots from the field overall, 3-of-7 from the 3-point stripe and 5-of-7 free throws in the second-highest scoring game of his career.
 
Hunt has been the catalyst for the Eagle on offense thus far through six games, with shooting percentages of 54.3 percent overall and 50.0 percent from the 3-point range. However, the rest of the team is shooting at 30.3 percent, and just 26.0 percent from the arc.
 
Hunt had back-to-back double-doubles – including a 32-point outing in an EWU victory -- to earn All-Tournament honors at the Cheney Sub-Regional of the 2K Empire Classic Benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. He then followed that performance by leading the Eagles with 15 points at Washington on Nov. 27.
 
He scored 15 of EWU's 22 points down the stretch en route to his second-straight double-double and give the Eagles an 87-80 victory over the University of Missouri Kansas City on Nov. 17 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. In finishing with 32 points, he doubled his previous career high of 16 and achieved a new career high with 12 rebounds. Hunt hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and his efforts also included two other baskets in the final 2:02 of regulation to provide most of EWU's offense down the stretch. He then scored eight of EWU's 18 points in overtime. He sank 12-of-16 shots from the field with a trio of 3-pointers, and also had four assists.
 
"Jesse was there and knocked down the shot," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans on his team getting to overtime. "Our guys spaced the floor and Jesse came up big. Jesse had a great game. For he and Ty (Gibson) to get 20 rebounds between them was huge."
 
One game earlier in a semifinal loss to Green Bay, Hunt finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, plus had three assists and a pair of blocked shots. In the two games, he averaged 23.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 blocked shots per game, while making 65.5 percent of his shots overall (19-of-29), 4-of-6 from the 3-point stripe and 5-of-9 free throws.
 
Through six games as a starter this season for the 1-5 Eagles, he's averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game while making 54.3 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent from the 3-point arc (12-of-24) and 57.1 percent from the line. He's played in 89 career games with 23 starts, and has averages of 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds. He nearly had a double-double at Oregon on Nov. 9 when he finished with nine points and eight rebounds.
 
 
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. Against Oregon one game later, Groves and Jackson both made their first 3-pointers as Eagles.
 
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. Gibson did not play versus Oregon and was replaced in the lineup by Cody Benzel, who finished with a team-high 16 points.
 
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, as Eastern will play 11 non-conference games – four at home and seven on the road – prior to the start of Big Sky Conference play on Dec. 29.
 
Eastern opened the year by suffering a pair of season-opening losses to nationally-ranked opponents in the first of two preliminary games of the 2K Empire Classic. Eastern fell 66-34 to Syracuse on Nov. 6 before falling to Oregon 81-47 three nights later. The Ducks, the favorite to win the Pac-12 Conference title, were ranked 14th in the Associated Press preseason poll and 16th in the USA Today Coaches rankings. The Orange, which advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, entered the EWU game ranked 16th and 14th, respectively.
 
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).
 
 
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.
 
 
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 presented by My Place Hotels. Tickets and lodging for the event are 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 Continue Dec. 11
 
Basketball Coaches Shows began 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

 
* The Eagles have played just seven games total versus their next five opponents, and five of those games came against one of those schools. Eastern has never played North Dakota State or South Dakota State, and beat Stanford 67-61 last season in EWU's only all-time meeting versus the Cardinal. However, EWU has played five games against San Francisco, sporting a 3-2 record versus the Dons. Eastern has also played once versus Corban, but that came back on Dec. 15, 1987, when the school was then known as Western Baptist. The Eagles narrowly won in overtime 75-67 at Reese Court.
 
* Eastern's 3-2 all-time record against San Francisco includes a 96-90 victory two seasons ago in Cheney, and an 81-71 loss a year ago in San Francisco. The three prior meetings were in San Francisco, and Eastern lost 66-48 on Dec. 1, 1995, won 81-76 on Dec. 11, 2014, and won 81-77 on Dec. 1, 2015.
 
 
Looking Back . . . Despite Big Night by Bliznyuk and Furious Rally, Hot Start by USF Gives Dons 81-71 Win
 
Eastern won the second half with its best-scoring half of the season, but a hot start by San Francisco spoiled a huge performance by Bogdan Bliznyuk as the Eagles fell to the Dons 81-71 at venerable War Memorial Gym on Dec. 7, 2017. Eastern trailed by 26 in the first half, but rallied and out-scored the Dons 47-36 in the second half. Thanks to runs of 8-0 and 10-0 after intermission, the Eagles cut the lead to six on two occasions in the last 5:43 before the Dons held on for the win by making their last 10 free throws in the final minute. Bliznyuk scored 31 points and had 10 rebounds, while Mason Peatling scored 11 and Ty Gibson added 10 for the Eagles. True freshman Jack Perry, making the first start of his career, had six points and six rebounds. It was a tale of two halves, as USF sank 44 percent of its shots and made 7-of-9 (78 percent) of its 3-pointers in the first half, compared to 25 percent shooting by the Eagles on 1-of-7 (14 percent) from the arc. In the second half, Eastern held the Dons to 33 percent shooting and 1-of-5 (20 percent) treys. Eastern heated up to make 45 percent and 8-of-20 3-pointers for 40 percent. In the game, the Dons finished 39 percent from the field and 43 percent from the 3-point line, and EWU finished at 36 percent overall and 33 percent from long distance.
 
* In the meeting in Cheney on Nov. 27, 2016, Eastern made its last eight shots of the game to complete a comeback from a 15-point deficit in a 96-90 victory over USF as part of the Eastern Classic at Reese Court. Eastern, which made 55 percent of its shots from the floor, took its first lead of the game with 4:09 remaining. The Eagles closed out the win by making its last eight field goal attempts – including six 3-pointers – as well as its last six free throws. Ty Gibson, Cody Benzel, Felix Von Hofe and Sir Washington all hit critical threes down the stretch, and Washington had another key basket as well and a pair of assists and two free throws on his way to a career-high 21 points. The two teams combined for 31 3-pointers, with Eastern making 13 and the Dons sinking 12 of their 18 in the first 20 minutes. Six different Eagles made treys, and seven players had triples for USF. Bogdan Bliznyuk equaled his career high (at the time) with 32 points for EWU, and Von Hofe had 21 on 8-of-12 shooting from the field with five 3-pointers. Washington sank 7-of-10 shots from the field, both of his 3-pointers and 5-of-6 free throws, and also had six rebounds and three assists. Gibson came off the bench to finish with 10 points, making 2-of-3 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws in the final 12 seconds.
 
 
Looking Back . . . In One of Biggest Wins in School History, Eastern Defeats Stanford 67-61
 
The third time was the charm for first-year Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. In just the third game of Legans' short head coaching career, the Eagles pulled off one of the biggest victories in school history by beating Stanford 67-61 Nov. 14, 2017, at famed Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Eastern made 11-of-25 3-point field goals compared to just 2-of-16 by the Cardinal. Runs of 12-0 before halftime and 9-0 after intermission helped the Eagles take the lead for good in the first half and hold a double-digit lead for most of the second half. Eastern made 8-of-14 free throws in the last 1:14 to survive a comeback attempt by the Cardinal and snap a 21-game losing streak versus Pac-12 opponents. Senior Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 23 points to lead the Eagles in scoring, and had five rebounds and a pair of assists. Ty Gibson sparked Eastern in the first half with 11 points, Jesse Hunt finished with 10 with eight boards and Jack Perry came off the bench to score seven. Seven-foot graduate transfer Benas Griciunas had his first double-figure rebounding performance as an Eagle with 10, and also chipped in six points. Eastern had a 12-0 run in the first half and 9-0 run in the second half that propelled them to the win. In the run before intermission, Gibson had a pair of 3-pointers and another basket to score eight of EWU's points. A 3-pointer by Bliznyuk with 9:52 left during the run gave Eastern the lead for good. Eastern led 19-13 with 8:13 left and 33-27 at halftime. After intermission, Eastern led just 33-31 before a 3-pointer by Griciunas and a pair of 3-point plays by Bliznyuk gave EWU a 42-31 advantage with 17:35 to play. Eastern didn't succumb to the pressure of leading a Pac-12 team on the road, and the 3-point shot was Eastern's friend down the stretch. Perry hit treys with 11:10 and 8:04 left in the second half to spark an 8-2 Eagle run, then Sir Washington hit one with 5:18 to play to keep EWU's lead at 10. The Eagles made eight free throws in the final minute of the game, but also missed six in the last 1:12 to keep Stanford's hopes alive. Bliznyuk sealed it by making all four of his in the last 10 seconds. Eastern's defense did its part as well, holding the Cardinal without a field goal from 6:35 to 1:56 in the second half during an 0-of-6 stretch for Stanford. For the game, Stanford made just 33.9 percent of its shots compared to 38.6 percent for the Eagles. Stanford had a slight 45-41 rebounding advantage, and also had three less turnovers than EWU.
 
 

More Player Notes

 
Sharpshooting Duo Climbs EWU Three-Point Charts
 
Seniors Cody Benzel and Ty Gibson have both played in more than 100 games for the Eagles, with current totals of 107 and 102 games of experience, respectively. Benzel has started 31 games in his career, averaging 13.9 minutes and 5.0 points (6.6 as a junior) per game. Gibson has started 43 career games and has a 4.7 scoring average (6.3 as a junior) in an average of 17.8 minutes per game.
 
Both players are three-point threats with Benzel ranking eighth in school history with 157 3-pointers, shooting at a 40.6 percent clip to rank 13th all-time at EWU. Gibson has made 126 3-pointers and is 16th in school history with 39.4 percent accuracy. Sophomore Jack Perry is currently 10th on the percentage list at 41.7 percent.
 
Add in BYU transfer Steven Beo, and the Eagles will have four 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. He has yet to make his Eagle debut.
 
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
 
 
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's back as a starter in the 2018-19 season and after six games has led the Eagles with an average of 3.8 assists per game while chipping in averages of 6.0 points and 4.8 rebounds.
 
He scored a career-high 18 points against Seattle on Dec. 1, sinking 7-of-12 shots from the floor and 4-of-6 free throws. His previous career high was 12 set twice, including Nov. 22, 2016 versus Seattle when he also had 11 rebounds. In his 46-game career (36 as a starter), Vulikic is averaging 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
 
In the eight games he played in 2017-18, he averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in an average of 25.6 minutes per game. That came after 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 of 2018 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.
 
 
Pair of Sophomores Contribute Significantly as Freshmen Last Season
 
Sophomore 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. So far in 2018-19 he has started all six games and averaged 5.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. His 41.7 percent accuracy from 3-point range in his career currently ranks 10th on EWU's career leaders list.
 
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.
 
Sophomore Jacob Davison missed EWU's first two games in 2018-19 because of an injury, but returned to play versus Green Bay and UMKC on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, respectively. He had an 11-point performance in his season debut, then scored eight points and had two assists in the next game. He had five rebounds in both outings, and through four games thus far he is averaging 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists. In his 38-game career (eight as a starter), he's averaged 7.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists.
 
Davison played significantly as a redshirt freshman a year ago. He 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
 
A player who has yet to see action in 2018-19 is Mason Peatling, who earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a sophomore. He 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.
 
 
Eagles Add Trio as Letter of Intent Signees
 
Eastern signed in November a trio of players – including the brother of a current member of the team – to letters of intent to attend EWU and play basketball for the Eagles next year. The players signed include 6-7 guard/forward Jacob Groves, whose brother Tanner Groves is a redshirt freshman for the Eagles. Jacob is currently a senior at Shadle Park High School in nearby Spokane, Wash., and Tanner graduated from the school in 2017. The other players signed are 6-6 guard/forward Tyler Robertson from Melbourne, Australia, a member of his country's Australian national youth teams, and Abdullahi Mohamed, a 6-foot-8 power forward from West Seattle High School.
 
Groves averaged over 16 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior at Shadle Park, making 60 percent from the field overall and 47 percent from the 3-point stripe. He scored a season-high 26 points and hit six 3-pointers in a 53-51 win over Kellogg (Idaho) High School.
 
 "Jacob has continued to improve his long-range shooting stroke, and he is growing into his 6-7 frame," said Legans. "He's a home-grown student-athlete, and it will be very exciting to see Tanner and Jacob play side-by-side for the Eagles over the next few years."
 
A 3.8 student in high school, he has volunteered at the Washington Family Ranch and participated in highway clean-ups. He intends on majoring in education at EWU and has an interest in becoming a physical education teacher. His parents are Randy and Tara Groves, and he also has another brother named Dylynn.
 
 "He's also had great success in the classroom and community," added Legans. "He has had a terrific career at Shadle Park and has made great strides while showing tremendous growth as a player. He has a very unique combination of size and skill, and has a great shooting touch that gives him the ability to become a prolific 3-point threat in the Big Sky. His skill level on the court, combined with his IQ and toughness, is going to make him a major contributor."
 
Tanner, a 6-foot-9 forward for EWU, has scored 10 points with five rebounds in 28 minutes through two games this season for EWU.
 
"Having Jake join his brother Tanner here at EWU next year is going to be a great fit, both on the floor and in the locker room," Legans said. "We've had some amazing shooters from Spokane lately with Parker Kelly and Cody Benzel, and Jake fits that mold perfectly. He is one of the best shooters in the state and with his size, that should translate very well to the college level."
 
Robertson played on his country's FIBA U18 team last summer, and has been part of the State and National high performance programs since 2014. He helped Australia national teams win championships at the 2017 U17 Oceania Championship and the 2018 U18 Asia Cup, while helping Australia qualify for the World Championships in 2019. Robertson also played on a team representing the state of Victoria for four years, helping the team win a silver in 2015 (as vice-captain) and gold in 2016, 2017 (as captain) and 2018. He'll be with the team as well in February of 2019.
 
"Tyler is going to be a tremendous addition to our family," said Legans. "He is joining a long line of Aussies from Melbourne in our program and will make his mark as an exceptional playmaker and shooter. His size, skill, and versatility is going to make him a matchup nightmare in our league."
 
Robertson has played 12 years of club basketball starting when he was 6-years-old. He played five years for the Dandenong Rangers, the same club several other Eagles have played on in the past, including current Eagle Jack Perry. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 he played in the Victorian Youth Championship League for Dandenong, serving as team co-captain in 2018. He played in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) in 2017 & 2018 for Dandenong under the coaching of Darren Perry.
 
His school team has won the Champions Cup the past four years as the top team in the state of Victoria. He played for Rowville Secondary in 2015 and with Box Hill Senior Secondary in 2016, 2017 & 2018. The 2017 Box Hill team won the Australian School Championship.
 
Mohamed averaged over 15 points and nine rebounds per game as a junior at West Seattle, and was also a factor on the defensive side of the ball. He was born and raised in West Seattle, and will graduate in 2019.
 
 "We are excited to welcome Abdul to the program," said Legans. "Some of the best players in EWU history have come from West Seattle and we're excited to have a one of Abdul's caliber come play here. Abdul has big goals both on and off the basketball court and will fit right in with our culture."
 
"Abdullahi has an extremely high basketball IQ, which is why he is going to fit in perfectly with our family here at Eastern Washington," said Legans, who has begun his second year at the helm of the Eagles program. "His skill level on the court, combined with his intelligence and toughness, is going to make him a major contributor in the years to come. Abdullahi has also set his goals high in academics."
 
He enjoys volunteering with neighborhood children, and has a 3.0 grade point average. He tutors his classmates and teammates in math and science, and hopes to major in engineering at EWU.
 
"Abdullahi excels on and off the court, and has consistently done well in the classroom," added Legans. "He is known as a leader on the court, but his ability to lead off the court and set an example in the classroom has been most impressive. Abdullahi has very lofty goals for his future and has said how he wants to rebuild East Africa and bring stability to that country by providing youth with tools to further develop its economy."
 
His parents are Bashir Mohamed and Burhan Farah, and he has three brothers (Abdirahim, Ahmed and Yusuf), and a sister (Fatuma), who he closely mentors in basketball as well. His father has been in Somalia for the past 2 1/2 years taking care of his elderly mother. Abdullahi's mother works three different jobs to provide for her family, and also makes a huge impact on the African community in Seattle public schools.
 
 
 
 
 
 

More Team Notes

 
Eastern Honored For Fifth-Straight Year by the NABC for Academics
 
For the fifth consecutive year, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team has been honored with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award announced July 11, 2018. The award was won by 184 colleges and universities for having a team cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and above for the 2017-18 season. Teams in NCAA Division I, II, II and NAIA Division I and II were eligible.
 
Eastern, Gonzaga and Seattle were the only NCAA Division I schools in the state of Washington to be honored, and were joined by Seattle Pacific from NCAA Division II. Eastern, Idaho State and Sacramento State were the only Big Sky Conference schools to be recognized.
 
"We have and always will make academics a priority within our program," said second-year head coach Shantay Legans, who also spent eight seasons as an Eagle assistant coach. "Our players continue to take care of business in the classroom and on the court, and are setting the bar high for our next group of newcomers."
 
Players on EWU's 2017-18 team included Academic All-America nominee, Big Sky MVP and four-time league All-Academic selection Bogdan Bliznyuk. Others on the team who won Big Sky All-Academic accolades were Cody Benzel, Ty Gibson, Benas Griciunas, Jesse Hunt, Mason Peatling and Jack Perry. Other members of the squad included Sir Washington, Jesse Hunt, Jacob Davison, Richard Polanco, Grant Gibb and Joshua Thomas, with Luka Vulikic, Steven Beo, Kim Aiken Jr., Tanner Groves, Brendan Howard and Tyler Kidd redshirting.
 
The Eagles finished 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.
 
 
Big Sky-Best Six Eagles on 2017-18 NABC Honors Court
 
Six Eastern Washington University men's basketball players – the most in the Big Sky Conference – have been honored on the 2017-18 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court announced on July 17, 2018.
 
Graduated forward Bogdan Bliznyuk is a repeat winner, and joined fellow senior Benas Griciunas on the squad. The remainder were underclassmen -- Cody Benzel, Ty Gibson, Jesse Hunt and Grant Gibb.
 
"We are very proud of those players," said Eagle head coach Shantay Legans. "To lead the league in the number of selections receiving this honor is a tribute to the hard work our players put into being true student-athletes, and the emphasis our program, athletic department and university put towards academics."
 
The six selections were the most EWU has had a single season, bettering the four the Eagles had in the 2014-15 school year. Of the 22 selections in school history, 20 of them have come in the six seasons starting in 2012-13. Besides Bliznyuk, repeat winners have included Venky Jois, Tyler Harvey, Daniel Hill and Julian Harrell.
 
The Honors Court recognizes those men's collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom.  To qualify, the recipients must have junior or senior standing academically, and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2017-18 academic year. They must have also matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
 
NABC Honors Court Recipients: 2017-18 - Cody Benzel, Bogdan Bliznyuk, Grant Gibb, Ty Gibson, Benas Griciunas, Jesse Hunt; 2016-17 - Bogdan Bliznyuk, Julian Harrell, Mario Soto; 2015-16 - Julian Harrell, Venky Jois; 2014-15 - Tyler Harvey, Daniel Hill, Venky Jois, Fred Jorg; 2013-14 - Tyler Harvey, Daniel Hill, Martin Seiferth; 2012-13 - Jordan Hickert, Kevin Winford; 2008-09 - Andy Genao, Benny Valentine.
 
 
Legans Has Most Coaching Wins for a Rookie in 75 Years
 
First-year head coach Shantay Legans is the 18th coach in Eastern history, and has made history of his own. His 20 wins are the most by a first-year Eastern coach in EWU's NCAA Division I era, besting Ray Giacoletti with 17 in the 2000-01 season. Joe Folda also won 17 games in 1982-83 as an interim head coach during Eastern's rise from NAIA to NCAA Division I. Thus, you have to go back to the 1942-43 season when Bob Brumblay won 27 games in his debut season to find a rookie Eastern coach with more than 18 victories, which is also the only time it's happened.
 
Legans was an Eastern assistant for eight years before becoming EWU's 10th coach at the NCAA Division I level. Legans spent six years on the staff of Jim Hayford (now head coach at Seattle), and two previous seasons under former head coach Kirk Earlywine (now an assistant at Idaho). Legans was associate head coach under Hayford for the final three of those eight seasons.
 
He has been a part of Eastern teams from the 2013-14 through 2017-18 seasons which have win totals of 15, 26, 18, 22 and 20 games. The three 20-victory seasons are among the top four win totals in EWU's 35-year history in NCAA Division I. The combined 101 wins in five seasons, 86 victories in four seasons, 66 in three and 44 in two are also the most since EWU became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season. The same can be said of EWU's stretch of league victories -- 10, 14, 10, 13, 13 -- in that five-year span.
 
A former player at Cal and Fresno State, he was married on May 10, 2014, to former Eastern women's basketball player Tatjana Sparavalo. Their daughter, Zola Lee, was born June 16, 2016, and their son, Maksim (Mak) Lee, was born March 23, 2018.
 
 
Perry, Benzel and Peatling Join Bliznyuk in Top 10 in League Statistics
 
Bogdan Bliznyuk made 52.8 percent of his field goals (12th in the Big Sky, 70th in NCAA Division I) and 90.2 percent of his free throws (second in the Big Sky, 11th nationally) to average 21.2 points (third, 25th nationally) through 35 games. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds (sixth) and 3.9 assists (second) to rank as the only player in the league to be in the top 15 in scoring, rebounding and assists – he was actually in the top six in all three. In league games only, Bliznyuk averaged 22.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists, and broke the NCAA Division I single season record for consecutive free throws by making 77-straight from Dec. 31 to March 8. Bliznyuk finished as the owner of 16 school records, and led the Eagles to national postseason tournaments in each of his four seasons.
 
With a late-season surge as a true freshman, Jack Perry finished ranked sixth in the Big Sky in 3-point shooting overall at 43.1 percent (56-of-130). Cody Benzel was 12th overall at 41.6 percent (67-of-161), including 50-of-112 (44.6 percent) in league games only to rank fifth. Benzel, whose career percentage of 41.9 percent is 10th-best in school history, also ranked fourth in league games only with an average of 2.8 treys per game. Benzel averaged 2.0 3-pointers per game to rank 11th overall in the league. Ty Gibson, one of the team's co-captains, averaged 1.7 3-pointers per game to rank 14th in the league.
 
Mason Peatling was fifth overall with an average of 1.2 blocked shots per game, and he averaged 1.5 in conference play to rank fourth. His average of 7.4 rebounds per game in league games was seventh and his average of 5.6 overall was 16th.
 
As a team, Eastern finished fourth in the league and 69th in NCAA Division I in 3-pointers per game (8.9), and was fourth in the Big Sky in percentage (.374). The Eagles also led the league and ranked 46th in the nation with just 11.5 turnovers committed per game.
 
In league games only, Eastern averaged 9.4 treys per game to lead the Big Sky, highlighted by a regular season-ending season-high of 16 3-pointers against Northern Arizona on March 3, coming just four from the school record of 20. Benzel and Gibson each had a pair, but Perry had a career-high six (6-of-9) on his was to career-high 18-point scoring night. Redshirt freshman Jacob Davison sank 4-of-6 and finished with 14 points.
 
Benzel finished with the 11th-most 3-point field goals in school history with 67 in the 2017-18 season. Gibson finished 16th with 61 and Perry was 19th with 56.
 
 
 

More Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On 1-5 Start: "We have a great group of players and it is going to be a lot of fun throughout the season. There are some ups and downs, and I promise there will be more ups than downs. I like our chances as we move forward and into the Big Sky."
 
On Shooting: "Shooting is a huge part of the game. They are going to start to get it. We have great shooters and have great determination and character. We just have to start knocking down some shots and I have no doubt in my mind we are going to get there. We have a great bunch of players and the assistant coaches are working hard making sure they are working on their games. I have nothing but confidence that they'll get there."
 
On Inside Game: "We have to continue to get downhill and get to the basket. We have some young freshmen who do a great job of getting to the rim. We have to mix our 3-point game mixed in with some easy shots. We missed some easy threes tonight, so if we can get a balance of both we are going to be a pretty good team. Our record doesn't indicate that right now, but we've had some tough games. Playing Seattle at their place is like playing one of the top four teams in the Big Sky. We came out and lost, and these preseason games are preparing us for those league games."
 
On Playing Challenging In-State Opponents: "Players like it and they want to play against the best. When you come to Eastern you are going to get a chance to do that. Our preseason really speaks for itself – we play everybody we possibly from within this state and it's a lot of fun. The players love it and gain a lot of experience. We have a lot of players from the state of Washington, so it's exciting to play games in front of their friends and families. It's awesome and we'll try to do it every single year."
 
On Confidence Growing After UMKC Win: "Our guys are starting to play with a lot of confidence. Our team last year started the same way because we pushed defense so hard early in the season. We feel like if we can hang our hat on the defensive end, scoring will come and guys will get better. We want to peak at the end of the year. We shot 43 percent and made nine threes, but we're getting our numbers up. We got some great performances from a lot of players."
 
On Process: "We're just trying to get better every game, and it's going to be a long process. We are playing a lot of good teams with a lot of size. We have some key injuries right now to some important players on our team, so we're looking to see what freshmen can play well. Other players have to step up and we had a couple of players do that."
 
On Losing First Two to Ranked Teams: "We got taught a lesson by two really good teams. We are going to take these back and get better and get smarter. We'll use this experience to move forward and be the best team we can be. We're trying to make that happen by Big Sky play. It's going to be fun to watch Oregon and Syracuse as the season goes along and to say we played them. Hopefully we get the opportunity again -- these are two NCAA Tournament teams."
 
On Opportunities: "We're playing against great teams and in great venues. I talk to our team about the opportunity they are being given at such a young age. We have freshmen out here playing that we thought might redshirt at some point. We want to make sure they are ready to go, but sometimes these freshmen need time to get better. At the same time, I like the fight we've had – we play hard. Some of the guys are playing different positions, some aren't even playing the positions they've played all year long. There are no excuses -- you have to come out here and play the game and put for the effort to try and win these games."
 
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 was 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. I'm sorry we couldn't win the tournament and get to the dance, but we'll be back. 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 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. Was 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."
 
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 Recaps

 
Eagles Hang Tough But Fall at Seattle 88-68
 
Despite another big night by senior Jesse Hunt, Eastern fell to Seattle 88-68 on Dec. 1 in an annual clash of NCAA Division I rivals from within the state of Washington. In the team's second game in Seattle in five days, Hunt scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds as Eastern returned to face the Jim Hayford-coached Redhawks. Hunt had his fifth double-double of his career – third this season – in finishing 9-of-16 from the floor, 3-of-7 from the 3-point stripe and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Sophomore Luka Vulikic had a career-high 18 points for EWU to go along with three rebounds and a team-high three assists. Eastern sank 58 percent of its shots in the second half, but couldn't rally from a 14-point halftime deficit. The Redhawks actually used a 59 percent shooting half of their own to lead by as many as 20 with 11:07 in the second half. Eastern was out-shot 52 percent to 45 percent for the game, with the main difference coming in the first half. Eastern sank only 34 percent, including just 2-of-17 from the 3-point stripe. Seattle was at 46 percent in the first half, making 5-of-11 3-pointers. In the second half, Eastern was 3-of-11 from the 3-point stripe and 12-of-15 inside of it to finish at 58 percent. For the game, Eastern was 21-of-30 inside the 3-point arc for 70 percent, but was just 5-of-28 from long range for 18 percent.
 
 
Eastern Falls to Fast-Starting Huskies 83-59
 
In a game which featured rosters dotted with talent from the state of Washington, the University of Washington Huskies used a fast start and hot shooting to upend Eastern 83-59 on Nov. 27 in a non-conference men's basketball game at Bank of America Arena in Seattle, Wash. Both teams sank 12 3-pointers, but it was Washington's early 24-6 lead and 26-4 advantage in points in the paint that led to the fifth victory in seven tries for EWU. The Eagles, who were led by the 15 points of Jesse Hunt, fell to 1-4 with the loss.  Eastern, which hadn't played since Nov. 17 when it beat UMKC (Missouri-Kansas City) 87-80 in Cheney, used an 11-0 run with two 3-pointers by Cody Benzel and another by Jacob Davison to cut the lead to seven in the first half and 35-25 at halftime. But Washington went on a 12-0 run in the second half to put the Huskies up by 24 and put the game away. Washington led by as many as 27 late in the game and had a 26-2 advantage in fast-break points. The Eagles made just two of its 13 shots (15 percent), but bounced back to make 30 percent in the first half. A stretch of 13-straight misses in the second half resulted in a 29 percent shooting night for the Eagles, while UW made 52 percent. Washington sank nine of its first 13 shots, and made 52 percent in each half. Eastern held UW leading scorer Jaylen Nowell to just eight points, but Dominic Green hit 7-of-10 3-pointers to lead the Huskies with a career-high 25 points. Green is a senior from Renton, Wash., and Nowell is out of Seattle's Garfield High School, while five other Huskies are from the state. Eastern has nine players on its roster from Washington. Senior Ty Gibson (Issaquah), junior Tyler Kidd (O'Dea/Skagit Valley CC) and true freshman Elijah Jackson (Chief Sealth) are Eagles from high schools in the Seattle area who have played this season.
 
 
Hunt's Career Night Leads Eagles Past Kangaroos 87-80 in 2K Empire Classic Consolation
 
Jesse Hunt put the Eagles on his back and it paid off. The senior scored 15 of EWU's 22 points down the stretch and Eastern beat the UMKC (University of Missouri Kansas City) 87-80 in overtime on Nov. 17 in the consolation game of the sub-regional of the 2K Empire Classic at Reese Court.  It was Hunt's second-straight double-double and fourth of his career. He doubled his previous career high of 16 and achieved a new career high with 12 rebounds. Hunt hit a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and was named to the all-tournament team for his efforts, which also included two other baskets in the final 2:02 of regulation to provide most of EWU's offense down the stretch. He then scored eight of EWU's 18 points in overtime. Senior Ty Gibson scored 16 with a career-high eight boards for the Eagles, and sophomore Jack Perry chipped in 11. Eastern fell behind 67-66 with 30.4 seconds left and 69-66 with 10 ticks remaining, but Hunt's heroics saved the day for EWU, which made 5-of-6 shots in the overtime period compared to 3-of-7 for UMKC. The Eagles sank 46.2 percent of its shots from the field, compared to only 37.9 percent for UMKC. At the point EWU led 57-47, the Eagles had made nearly 50 percent for the game, but cooled off to 41 percent before Jesse Hunt's 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. Eastern was 5-of-6 in the extra period. Eastern also out-rebounded the Kangaroos 47-39.