­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (12-13/7-5 Big Sky) Feb. 15 – Montana ­– Cheney, Wash. – 6:05 p.m. Feb. 17 – Montana ­State – Cheney, Wash. – 2:05 p.m. 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:	http://www.tunein.com  (search for Eastern Washington University)
Radio  Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio
TV:	None for Montana, but MSU game is televised internationally by Eleven Sports.
­­­Webcast:	All EWU home games and all Big Sky Conference games are available via Pluto TV and http://watchbigsky.com
Live Stats:	http://ewustats.com for all EWU home games, plus Idaho road game.
Weekly Coaches Show:	Shows hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans take place Mondays at 6 p.m. at Barrelhouse Pub & Pizza in Cheney. They are aired live on 700-AM ESPN.

Protecting the home court is crucial this week, but a win over the Grizzlies would be golden.
 
After a pair of weekends on the road, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team returns to Reese Court this week to play its lone meetings this season against Montana and Montana State. The game versus the unbeaten league-leading Grizzlies is 6:05 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday (Feb. 15), followed by a visit from the Bobcats on Saturday (Feb. 17) at 2:05 p.m. Pacific time.
 
There is no television broadcast of the Montana showdown, but the MSU game will be broadcast live internationally by Eleven Sports. All of EWU's remaining regular season games will be available via http://watchbigsky.com via Pluto TV. 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 and may also be heard via http://www.tunein.com (search for Eastern Washington University). A mobile phone app is also available via tunein radio.
 
Montana is running away with the league race at 13-0, while EWU and MSU are mired smack dab in the middle of the battle for perhaps the last of four first-round byes in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. This week's meetings are the lone games against those two league foes this season.
 
"We're fighting, and we are going to fight tooth and nail," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "It's going to be a lot of fun. Fans need to need to come out and watch because it's a fun style of basketball, and our guys deserve it. They put their hearts out there every single time they play the game."
 
A win over the Grizzlies would not only boost EWU in the standings, but could also provide a significant tiebreaker advantage at the end of the year. If teams are tied in the league standings and have split their season series, the next tiebreaker would be against teams in descending order of finish in the league. Therefore, a win over the Griz would be a rare occurrence this season.
 
Now 12-13 overall, Eastern is fourth in the league standings at 7-5, just ahead of 7-6 Northern Colorado. Heading into this Thursday's action in the Big Sky, Montana remains unbeaten at 13-0, with Weber State second at 10-2. Idaho (9-3) is now two games ahead of Eastern, with EWU and UNC followed by Idaho State (6-6), Montana State (6-7) and Portland State (5-7). The Big Sky Conference Tournament is March 6-10 in Reno, Nevada, and the top four teams receive first-round byes and won't have to play until March 8 in the quarterfinals.
 
Montana is 20-5 on the season to rank in the top 20 in NCAA Division I in winning percentage (.800), and have an 11-0 home mark after a 71-69 overtime victory over Sacramento State on Saturday in Missoula. The Grizzlies, who are 7-0 on the road in league games, are ranked 20th nationally in turnover margin at +3.6 per game. They average 16.3 turnovers forced and give the ball up just 12.7 times per game, while averaging 8.0 steals to rank 21st. Eastern is currently 39th in the nation in fewest turnovers with a league-leading average of just 11.5 per game.
 
The Bobcats play at Idaho before taking on the Eagles, and are 13-13 on the season after falling at home to Portland State 80-77 Saturday in Bozeman. The Grizzlies enter action this week 8-4 on opponent home courts this season (1-1 neutral), while the Bobcats are 3-9 on the road and 9-3 at home (2-0 neutral).
 
The Eagles are now 53-10 (84 percent) at Reese Court in the past five seasons since 2013-14. However, the Eagles saw their 12-game home court winning streak snapped against Idaho on Jan. 12, having not lost at home since falling to Montana on Jan. 7, 2017.
 
This could be a week of milestones for Eastern all-time leading scorer Bogdan Bliznyuk, who has been battling flu-like symptoms recently. Now with 1,925 points in his illustrious career, he is only two points from moving into the No. 8 position and just 19 from moving into the top five. Only four players in league history have hit the 2,000-point mark, with the record currently at 2,102. Bliznyuk will also have sole possession of EWU's games played record against UM when he plays in his 129th game as an Eagle.
 
Back practicing for the Eagles is Jesse Hunt, who was posting big scoring and rebounding numbers before injuring his foot in practice on Jan. 5. He's missed the last nine games and his return could help provide spots of rest for Bliznyuk, who is averaging more than 35 minutes during league play. Legans also announced recently that point guard Luka Vulikic (planter fasciitis) will redshirt as an injury hardship after playing in Eastern's first eight games but none since Dec. 3.
 
"I'm hoping we will get Jesse Hunt back this week," said Legans. "It's unfortunate he couldn't play against Idaho but he's back and running. That's another body we can put out there and give Bogdan a little rest."
 
The Eagles are coming off a third-straight appearance in a national postseason tournament, and were 22-12 overall a year ago. Eastern finished 13-5 in the Big Sky to finish second behind regular season champion North Dakota, and then the Eagles advanced to the semifinals of the league tournament.
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
6-foot-6 Point-Forward Bogdan Bliznyuk Two Points from No. 8 and 19 from Top Five in League History
 
As he continues to climb towards the top of the league's all-time scoring list – and the milestone of 2,000 points -- there are at least seven more opportunities for Big Sky Conference Player of the Year candidate Bogdan Bliznyuk to leave his mark. Just two points from ranking No. 8 in league history and only 19 from the top five, he has already broken EWU's career scoring record. He's also broken an EWU record held by a former 10-year NBA veteran, and another mark held for 45 years.
 
Bliznyuk now has 1,925 points in his illustrious career, and ranking No. 8 on the Big Sky list is Steve Conner from Boise State with 1,927 from 1974-78. Conner is followed closely by No. 7 Steve Hayes from Idaho State with 1,933 from 1973-77, No. 6 Damian Lillard from Weber State with 1,934 from 2008-12 and No. 5 Tanoka Beard with 1,944 from 1989-93. A distant fourth is Larry Krystokowiak from Montana with 2,017 points from 1982-85 and Bruce Collins from Weber State with 2,019 from 1976-80.
 
Krystokowiak, now head coach at Utah, is one of only four players in the 55-year history of the league have hit the 2,000-point mark. If the Eagles play just the minimum of seven games left this season and he maintains his average of 19.9 points per game, Bliznyuk would finish third in league history with 2,064 points. If Bliznyuk matches his 22.1 average in league games, he would finish with 2,079 to rank third and finish 13 behind the record of 2,102.
 
With 40 points against Sacramento State on Feb. 1, Bliznyuk moved up to ninth in league history as he passed Montana State's Nate Holmstadt with 1,864 points from 1995-99. Earlier this season, Bliznyuk broke the previous school record of 1,803 set by Venky Jois (2013-16). Bliznyuk is just the third player since 2000 to crack the Big Sky's top 10, joining Weber State's Jeremy Senglin (2013-17) and Lillard. Senglin scored 2,078 points to rank only behind the record 2,102 Orlando Lightfoot from Idaho scored in three seasons from 1991-94.
 
Bliznyuk broke the school record on Jan. 25 in a 95-71 victory at home versus North Dakota with a 3-pointer barely a minute into the game to give EWU a 7-2 lead. Eastern head coach Shantay Legans called a timeout so his accomplishment could be acknowledged, then the Eagles used the energy to open a 30-8 lead while making 12 of their first 15 shots.
 
Bliznyuk moved up four spots on the Big Sky list against UND to 11th in the 55-year history of the Big Sky, then moved into 10th one game later. Besides passing Jois, Bliznyuk passed the 1,810 points by Jim Potter from Idaho State from 1992-95, the 1,819 by Donn Holston from Idaho State from 1984-87, the 1,827 by Michael Ray Richardson from Montana from 1984-87 and the 1,841 by Tom Domako from Montana State from 1985-88.
 
On EWU's all-time listings, Ron Cox had 1,741 points from 1974-77 and held the school record for 39 years – about 14,300 days – until broken by Jois on March 3, 2016 in an Eagle loss. Thus, Jois owned the record for just 693 days. Against San Francisco on Dec. 7, Bliznyuk passed Irv Leifer (1,550 from 1942-47), who held the Eastern record for 30 years after playing for EWU from 1942-47. He then passed the 1,564 points of his former teammate Tyler Harvey (2013-15). Previously, Bliznyuk passed 10-year NBA veteran Rodney Stuckey (1,438 points from 2006-07) in EWU's first game of the season, and then Dave Hayden (1,461 points from 1970-73) against Washington.
 
With 427 free throws made in his career, Bliznyuk has also broken the record of 386 held by Stuckey, who played a total of 10 years with the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers in the NBA. Bliznyuk broke the record when he was 13-of-13 from the line against Portland State on Jan. 4, and also made 16-of-16 versus Northern Arizona on Jan. 18 (Harvey holds the school and Big Sky records with a 20-for-20 performance). Bliznyuk currently ranks fourth in school history with 83.4 percent accuracy rate from the free throw line. He enters the Idaho game on Feb. 12 having made his last 52 in a row, dating back to the second half of the North Dakota game on Jan. 31.
 
Bliznyuk has a school-record 1,391 field goal attempts, breaking the 45-year record on Jan. 18 against NAU when he moved past the 1,286 Hayden had from 1970-73. In addition, Bliznyuk has equaled the games played record of 128 set by his former teammate Felix Von Hofe from 2014-17. Von Hofe, now living back in Melbourne, Australia, was at EWU games on Jan. 25 and 27. Bliznyuk is ranked in the top 10 in school history in several other categories, and against Providence on Dec. 20 moved passed Eagle legend and former Big Sky MVP Alvin Snow (2015-17) into seventh in assists (Snow had 318 and Bliznyuk has a current total of 371 to rank fourth all-time at EWU).
 
This season, Bliznyuk has made 50.3 percent of his field goals (13th in the Big Sky and 90.0 percent of his free throws (second in the Big Sky, 18th in NCAA Division I) to average 20.0 points (fourth, 51st nationally) through 25 games. He is also averaging 6.7 rebounds (sixth) and 3.8 assists (fourth) to rank as the only player in the league to be in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding and assists. He now has two performances in his 128-game career of at least 40 points, 10 with at least 30, 38 with at least 20 and 90 scoring in double figures, including the school record scoring total of 45 set as a junior. He's had 10 or more rebounds 19 times and double figures in assists twice. He also ranks tied for seventh in school history with 40 points at Sacramento State on Feb. 1 when he sank 15-of-18 shots. Plus, he had the lone triple-double in school history as a sophomore.
 
He earned his second Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor of the season and fourth of his career on Jan. 29. On a record-setting week when he became the school's men's basketball career scoring leader while also climbing five spots into the top 10 on the Big Sky Conference scoring chart, he led the Eagles to a weekend sweep over North Dakota (95-71) and Northern Colorado (67-65). He averaged 27.0 points on a sizzling 65.7 shooting percentage (23-of-35) from the floor, and also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per outing.
 
On Jan. 1, Bliznyuk was one of five players in the league named by HoopsHD.com to its mid-season All-Big Sky team. He was also selected on Dec. 19 as the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week after a 30-point effort in an overtime loss at Wyoming and a near triple-double in a 28-point victory over CSUN. In two games he averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. On Nov. 8, Bliznyuk was selected to the Lou Henson Award preseason Watch List by Colllegeinsider.com. The award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I mid-major player, and the initial watch list featured 51 players from across the country.
 
Bliznyuk concluded his junior season with 701 points, becoming just the fourth player in school history to hit that mark (Jake Wiley, a senior on the 2017-18 squad, ranks fifth in school history with 694). A senior, Bliznyuk was a second team All-Big Sky Conference selection a year ago, and was the league's Freshman of the Year in 2014-15. He also earned second team All-District 6 honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He is formerly from Lutsk, Ukraine, and graduated from Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Wash., in 2014.
 
 The Eagles finished the season with five Big Sky Conference records and 14 EWU marks, most broken as the result of EWU's 130-124 triple-overtime victory over Portland State on Feb. 4. Wiley and Bliznyuk set the most intriguing record when both scored a school-record 45 points in that game versus the Vikings.
 
Bliznyuk has played in seven Big Sky Tournament games (5-2 record), with Bliznyuk averaging 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He scored 32 points with eight rebounds in the 2017 semifinals, and had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the quarterfinals.
 
Led by Bliznyuk, the Eagles in 2017-18 feature a team with size throughout their lineup. They were bolstered by the addition of 7-footer Benas Griciunas, a senior graduate transfer from UNC Charlotte. A 6-foot-6 point-forward, Bliznyuk was named to the preseason All-Big Sky team, and is one of 10 returning players to the Eagle roster. The Eagles return eight letterwinners from last year, including a trio of returning starters -- Bliznyuk, Mason Peatling and Luka Vulikic. The others are Cody Benzel, Grant Gibb, Ty Gibson, Jesse Hunt and Sir Washington, with Jacob Davison and Joshua Thomas returning as a 2016-17 redshirts.
 
 
Bliznyuk Has Made 52 Free Throws in a Row
 
The Eagles have been a solid free throw shooting team this season and are currently second in the league and ranked 26th in NCAA Division I (76.6 percent, as well as tops in league games only at 82.2 percent). Senior Bogdan Bliznyuk is second in the league and 18th nationally at 90.0 percent, including 56-of-57 (98.2 percent) in league games only to lead the Big Sky.
 
Bliznyuk enters action this week having made 52 consecutive free throws dating back to EWU's game at North Dakota on Dec. 31. There is no known record for EWU and the Big Sky, but the NCAA single season record is 73 set by Gary Buchanan from Villanova over a 21-game stretch in the 2000-01 season. The career record of 85 came between Feb. 15, 2001, and Jan. 18, 2003, by Darnell Archey from Butler during a 57-game stretch.
 
 
Eagles No. 41 in Nation in Fewest Turnovers
 
After a seven-game stretch to start league play in which EWU had between 11 and 20 turnovers in each game, the Eagles have returned to lead the league in fewest turnovers per game. The Eagles have allowed only 11.5 per game to rank 39th in NCAA Division I. Prior to the start of league play, the Eagles were averaging just 11.0 per game to lead the league, but had performances of 16, 20 and 17 in their first seven league games.
 
 
Benzel's 3-Point Percentage Ranks Second in the Big Sky
 
Junior Cody Benzel ranks second in the Big Sky Conference in 3-point shooting overall at 49.1 percent (54-of-110), including 39-of-78 (51.3 percent) in league games only to rank third. Benzel, whose career percentage of 44.7 percent is third best in school history, also ranks second in league games only with an average of 3.3 treys per game. Benzel has averaged 2.3 3-pointers per game to rank seventh in the league, and is the third-leading scorer on the team with a 7.4 average (10.3 in league games only). Benzel has had six games in double figures and a pair with at least 20.
 
Junior Ty Gibson has averaged 1.8 3-pointers per game to rank just out of the top 15 in the league. One of the team's co-captains, Gibson is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.0 per game and has scored in double figures nine times this season to rank second on the team. As a team, Eastern is third in the league in 3-pointers per game (8.8) and fourth in percentage (.363). In league games only, Eastern averages a Big Sky-best 9.0 treys per game.
 
In individual field goal shooting, Bogdan Bliznyuk is 13th in the league at 50.3 percent, and is also fourth in scoring (19.9), fourth in assists (3.8) and sixth in rebounding (6.7). He's the only player to rank in the top three in the league in all three categories, both overall and Big Sky games only. Bliznyuk has an average of 4.3 assists in Big Sky games only to rank second in the league. Mason Peatling is fifth with an average of 1.2 blocked shots per game, and he has averaged 1.8 in conference play to rank second. His average of 7.2 rebounds per game in league games is sixth and his average of 5.1 overall is just outside the top 20.
 
 
Eastern 6-0 When it Makes 50 Percent from the Field
 
The Eagles have made at least half of their shots in six of their last 14 games, including a season-best 57.1 percent performance against Sacramento State on Feb. 1 when Bogdan Bliznyuk made 15-of-18 shots on his way to a 40-point night. For the season, Eastern is now 11-2 when they out-shoot their opponents and 1-11 when they don't.
 
Eastern made significant shooting improvement since late December after starting the year making only 39 percent through nine games. The Eagles have improved that to 45.0 percent for the season. Eastern has had its top 13 shooting performances of the year in the last 16 games, and the team's three-point shooting has also improved from 30.2 percent after nine games to a current mark of 36.3. In league play, the Eagles have sank 47.6 percent of their shots from the field overall and 38.8 percent from the 3-point arc, and lead the Big Sky with an average of 9.0 treys per game during league play.
 
Defensively, Eastern had its best performance of the season in holding Sacramento State to 54 points on 41.1 percent shooting from the field on Feb. 1 in a 20-point Eagle win. The Hornets made only 2-of-15 3-pointers, EWU's second-best defensive effort of the season behind the 2-of-16 performance by Stanford in EWU's 67-61 victory there on Nov. 14. In 12 league games thus far, the Eagles are holding opponents to 33.9 percent from the 3-point line and 43.8 percent overall, ranking fourth and fourth in the league, respectively.
 
What Eastern accomplished in the first three months of the season, the reverse happened Jan. 18 and 20. For the first time this season, Eastern was out-shot at Northern Arizona on Jan. 18 and won a game. In the next game in an overtime setback to Southern Utah, the Eagles suffered their first loss when they've had a better shooting percentage. Eastern made 48.9 percent compared to 50.9 percent to the Lumberjacks, then made 40.0 percent against the Thunderbirds while holding them to 35.6 percent. Eastern also out-shot Idaho 40.7 percent to 39.7 percent on Feb. 9 but suffered a 66-62 setback.
 
 
Punctuated by Performances Against Sac State, Balanced Minutes and Balanced Scoring is Key for Eagles
 
Eastern head coach Shantay Legans has gone to his bench often, continuing in league play what the Eagles started in the preseason while utilizing eight different starting lineups along the way. With eight different players scoring in double figures in two home games in early January, the Sac State game on Jan. 6 was the punctuation mark on EWU's balance this season.
 
For the season, Eastern is averaging 24.6 points per game from its bench (614 total), compared to an average of 19.0 by its opponents (475 total). Ten Eagles are averaging between 13.4 and 34.0 minutes per game, and one other is averaging 8.7. For the season, Bogdan Bliznyuk is averaging a team-leading 19.9 points per game, but 10 others are averaging between 4.1 and 9.1.
 
Versus Sac State, 80 of Eastern's 82 points were scored by players not named Bliznyuk, Gibson and Hunt. Bliznyuk and third-leading scorer Ty Gibson combined for only two points in the first half and were scoreless in the second half. In addition, second-leading scorer Jesse Hunt didn't play because of a foot injury suffered the day before in practice and has been out ever since. However, five other Eagles did score in double figures, with all five of them entering with season scoring averages of between 4.5 and 5.4 points per game. Those five had entered the game with just a collective total of nine double-figure scoring performances in EWU's first 16 games of the season. Eastern had career-high performances from starter Cody Benzel (25 on 7-of-10 shooting from the 3-point stripe) and substitute Benas Gricinunas (16), as well as 14 points from true freshman Jack Perry, 12 by sophomore Mason Peatling and 10 by senior Sir Washington.
 
All 11 players who were available against Providence on Dec. 20 scored to contribute toward EWU's season-best output of 94 points, and each had at least one rebound. Against Cal State Northridge on Dec. 17, five players scored in double figures as the Eagles at the time had their best shooting percentages (.516 overall and .500 from the 3-point stripe), as well as a season-high 22 assists. Five different Eagles had at least three assists, and three Eagles had at least six rebounds.
 
Eastern had a season-high 40 bench points in a 21-point win versus Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 22, jumping out to a 19-point lead in the first half and leading 39-16 at intermission. Eastern led by as many as 28 in the second half and no less than 19 in the final minutes in the 83-62 win. That helped give EWU a 39-point turnaround in two games, having lost to Georgia State by 18 points two days earlier on Nov. 20 in its MGM Resorts Main Event opener.
 
 
Trio of Newcomers Contributing Significantly, Including Two as Starters
 
True freshman Jack Perry has started EWU's last 17 games, and had his fourth double-figure performance of the season with 11 against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18. He had a 14-point, six-assist effort in EWU's 82-67 win over Sacramento State on Jan. 6, and had his first two first double-figure scoring performances of the season with 13 at South Dakota on Nov. 10 and 17 two nights later at Wyoming when he also had a season-high seven assists. On the season he's averaging 5.9 points and 2.7 assists per game while making 44.5 percent from the field and 30-of-77 3-pointers (39.0 percent. His clutch 3-pointer with 15 seconds left helped clinch EWU's 81-74 win over Portland State on Jan. 4, then he hit another clutch trey with 1:06 left in EWU's 81-76 victory against Northern Arizona on Jan. 18.
 
Redshirt freshman Jacob Davison made the first start of his career at Seattle on Dec. 3 and started seven-straight games. He is now coming off the bench and has averaged 5.4 points on the season. He had his best scoring game in more than two months in finishing with 12 against Sacramento State on Feb. 1. He made 5-of-7 shots with a pair of 3-pointers to finish with his fourth double-figure scoring performance of the year and first in league play. It was his most since scoring 15 at Utah on Nov. 24 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, and had 11 one game earlier versus UNLV.
 
And true freshman forward Richard Polanco has provided an offensive boost, averaging 8.7 minutes and 4.1 points. He's scored in double figures three times this season and has made nearly half of his shots from the field (38-of-81 for 46.9 percent) and 72.0 percent of his free throws (18-of-25).
 
 
Senior Sir Washington Averaging 8.9 Points in Conference Play; Benzel at 10.3
 
Four-year letterwinner Sir Washington has picked up his scoring pace in the Big Sky Conference season. After averaging only 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in the 12 preseason games he played, the senior has averaged 8.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in conference play. He sank only 30.4 percent of his shots overall (17-of-56) in the preseason, but has made 41.3 percent (38-of-92) of his field goals and 22-of-31 free throws (71.0 percent) in conference play thus far. His pair of free throws with eight seconds left gave EWU a 67-65 win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 27, in a game in which is also had a key tip-in and defensive rebound in the final three minutes.
 
Scoring at least 10 in five of EWU's league games, he had a 12-point effort at Portland State on Feb. 3 in which he also had four rebounds and three assists. Now with 20 double figure performances of his career, he had a season-high 15-point performance in an overtime loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 20. He ranks ninth in school history with 113 career games played (25 as a starter) while averaging 5.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
 
Junior Cody Benzel has also picked up his scoring pace, and is averaging 10.3 points in league play after owning a 4.5 average during non-conference play. He's made 39-of-78 3-point attempts (51.3 percent) in Big Sky games, compared to 16-of-42 (38.1 percent) prior to that. Benzel has scored at least 15 points in five of his last nine outings, including a career-high 25 against Sacramento State on Jan. 6 and 21 against Portland State on Feb. 3.
 
 
With Three Double-Doubles, Peatling Back to Pre-Injury Form
 
Sophomore Mason Peatling has provided some big games since joining the starting lineup, and put together a stretch of three-straight double-doubles from Jan. 20 to Jan. 27. In a win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 27 he had 17 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. He had his seventh double figure scoring performance of the season as he made 6-of-11 shots from the field and had 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, then had 11-11 versus North Dakota on Jan. 25. For the season, Peatling has averaged 6.8 points in 21 games (17 as a starter), and has averaged 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game (fourth in the Big Sky). His averages are 7.8 points, 7.2 rebounds (fifth in the league) and 1.8 blocks (second) in conference play. In his 55-game career (34 as a starter), he's averaged 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds with a total of 31 assists, 39 blocks and 29 steals.
 
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 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 and had 11 points and six rebounds one game earlier at San Francisco.
 
 
Nearing His Return, Junior Jesse Hunt Has Made Most of Five Starts
 
Sidelined against Sacramento State on Jan. 6 with a foot injury suffered the day prior in practice, junior Jesse Hunt is expected to make his return soon. He had started the last five games he played prior to his injury, 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.
 
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.
 
For the season, Hunt is averaging 21.3 minutes, 9.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and has eight blocked shots, while making 50.5 percent of his shots from the field and 83.3 percent from the free throw line. In his 79-game career (17 as a starter), Hunt has averaged 12.3 minutes, 3.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and has 28 blocks.
 
 
Honored Academically Within Past Year, Eagles Post 3.43 GPA in Fall Quarter
 
Despite a road-heavy second half of the quarter for the Eagles, EWU basketball players posted a collective 3.43 grade point average in the fall.  "This is very impressive, especially considering the amount of days we were on the road this quarter," praised Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "Our guys work hard, and our coaches and administration do a great job of making sure they have all the support they need."
 
In the offseason, the Eastern men's basketball team was honored with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award announced last summer. It was the fourth consecutive year EWU has won that award. In addition, a trio of players – including returning senior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk – were honored on the NABC Honors Court.
 
The team award was won by 209 colleges and universities for having a team cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and above for the 2016-17 season. Teams in NCAA Division I, II, II and NAIA Division I and II were eligible. Eastern and Gonzaga were the only NCAA Division I schools in the state of Washington to be honored, and were joined by Central Washington from NCAA Division II and Northwest College from the NAIA. Eastern, Idaho State and Montana were the only Big Sky Conference schools to be recognized.
 
Players on EWU's 2016-17 team included Academic All-America nominees Ty Gibson and Jesse Hunt, as well as their fellow Big Sky Conference All-Academic selections Jacob Wiley (Big Sky MVP), Bogdan Bliznyuk (second team All-Big Sky), Mason Peatling, Mario Soto and Luka Vulikic. Other members of the squad included Julian Harrell, Felix Von Hofe, Sir Washington, Cody Benzel, Michael Wearne, Grant Gibb and Geremy McKay, with Jacob Davison and Joshua Thomas redshirting.
 
Besides Bliznyuk, former Eagles Julian Harrell and Mario Soto were selected on the Honors Court. Recipients of the award must be a varsity player, and academically a junior or senior while earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher.
 
Bliznyuk is from Lutsk, Ukraine, and graduated in 2014 from Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Wash. He is a marketing major at Eastern, and currently has a 3.31 grade point average at EWU. A three-time member of the Big Sky All-Academic team, Bliznyuk is one of five returning players who earned that honor in the 2016-17 season. The others are Gibson, who has a near-perfect 3.99 GPA, Hunt (3.62 GPA), Peatling (3.94 GPA) and Vulikic (3.41 GPA).
 
 
Home Games Cherished in Second-Toughest Preseason in 31 Years
 
With just three home games in the preseason, the first season at the helm has been road-heavy and a challenging one for Shantay Legans and his first team, with 10 of 13 preseason games away from home. In fact, the only time in 31 seasons as a member of the Big Sky Eastern has had a more road-heavy preseason schedule was in the 1988-89 season when EWU played 11 of 14 games away from home. That team was 1-10 away from home and 3-11 overall heading into conference play (EWU finished 8-22 overall and 5-11 in the league).
 
Seven of EWU preseason losses were on the home court of its opponents, which finished their pre-conference schedules 69-27 (72 percent) on the season and 50-6 (89 percent) at home. The Eagles recorded a huge win at Stanford (67-61 on Nov. 14) and barely lost at Wyoming (93-88 in overtime on Dec. 17). After 36-straight days without a home game, Eastern returned to Reese Court where the Eagles had won 84 percent of their games (46-9) in the previous four years since the 2013-14 season.
 
This season is also just the second time in school history EWU has played three Pac-12 Conference opponents in the same year, with 2011-12 the other season and included losses to Oregon, Washington State and UCLA. In the 2017-18 season, Eastern will play eight opponents who played in national postseason tournaments last season, including five in the non-conference portion of EWU's schedule.
 
Three Pac-12 Conference opponents and a stretch of 36-straight days without a game at home were the task EWU took on. Three other teams in NCAA Division I also have such a streak:
39 – Penn (Nov. 18 vs. PSU-Brandywine; Dec. 27 vs. Delaware State)
39 – Harvard (Nov. 12 vs. UMass; Dec. 21 vs. Boston University)
37 – New Mexico State (Dec. 12 vs. vs. Eastern New Mexico, Jan. 18 vs. Seattle U.)
36 – Eastern Washington (Nov. 10 vs. Walla Walla; Dec. 17 vs. CSU-Northridge)
 
In all, Eastern has played teams from 10 different conferences this season, with all but two of its games versus NCAA Division I opposition. Seven opponents won at least 20 games a year ago – Georgia State, Utah, San Francisco, South Dakota, Wyoming, North Dakota and Weber State. Utah and South Dakota advanced to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), Georgia State advanced to the College Insider Tournament (CIT) and San Francisco and Wyoming joined EWU in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The other three postseason opponents came from the Big Sky Conference – North Dakota in the NCAA Tournament and Idaho and Weber State in the CIT.
 
Eastern's long road stretch was rare, but not unprecedented in 110 years of basketball at Eastern. The 10 games (2-8 record) without a home game is the second-longest stretch, ranking only behind the 1988-89 team which played 11-straight away from home (1-10) while going from Dec. 3 to Jan. 12 without a home game. That team went 39 days without playing at home and the 1981-82 squad had a stretch of 37 days (5-4 in nine games away from home). This year's team went 36 days – Nov. 10 to Dec. 17 – without playing at home at Reese Court, where the Eagles are 46-9 (84 percent) in the last four-plus years (since the 2013-14 season). Since joining NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season, Eastern has had eight month-long stretches without a home game, and prior to that had seven known such streaks.
 
The Eagles began their road trip against the University of Washington in Seattle on Nov. 12 – two days after playing at home on Nov. 10 versus Walla Walla. The first leg of EWU's road stretch included 4,432 airline miles, while the other trips in the road stretch included 3,449 air miles. That's a total of 7,881 air miles, not including ground travel and a bus trip to and from Seattle for the game versus the Redhawks.
 
 
1,000 Broadcast Milestone Reached Dec. 3 by Broadcaster Larry Weir
 
Long-time Eastern Washington University radio announcer Larry Weir called his 1,000th Eagle men's basketball or football game on Dec. 3 in EWU's game at Seattle. He was the 2015 and 2016 State of Washington Sportscaster of the Year, and was honored at Eastern's home game versus Providence on Dec. 20.
 
Weir recently concluded his 27th season as the football voice of the Eagles and is in his 25th calling men's basketball for EWU, whose games are broadcast on 700-AM ESPN. Through the Dec. 3 game, Weir had missed just 27 out of 706 men's basketball games, calling a total of 679 to go along with 321 out of a possible 322 football games. Through Feb. 9, his total is at 1,017.
 
Weir first began calling games in the 1991-92 season, and the only football game he missed in that span was a 2005 playoff game at Northern Iowa when he was broadcasting Eastern's basketball games in Alaska. Weir is in his 25th season calling men's basketball action for the Eagles (from 1991-2009 and again from 2012-present). Weir's tenure has included calling games coached by seven men's basketball coaches and five in football. The 2017-18 season marks his first year working with EWU coaches Aaron Best in football and Shantay Legans in basketball.
 
 
Now in Cheney, Basketball Coaches Show Are Mondays
 
Featuring a new location, the next Eastern Washington University basketball coaches show take place Mondays throughout the season at 6 p.m. Pacific time and will be broadcast live on 700-AM ESPN.
 
The public is invited to attend the live shows, which are now taking place at Barrelhouse Pub and Pizza in Cheney, Wash., just a few blocks from the EWU campus. They begin at 6 p.m., and feature head men's basketball coach Shantay Legans, host Larry Weir and other special guests, including women's head coach Wendy Schuller.
 
Barrelhouse is located at 122 College Ave. in downtown Cheney, and is owned by Mike Lyons. The restaurant features specialty pizzas, calzones and other appetizers, as well as a large variety of draft beer and a full bar. It also has a large assortment of televisions tuned to each day's top sporting events.
 
 

 
Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Idaho Loss: "We came up one play too short. It was great game and a lot of fun. It was going back and forth and there were a lot of lead changes and ties. Players on both sides stepped up and made big shots. It was a great game and I have to give credit to Idaho. They played terrific and very tough, and they made plays when they needed to."
 
On Difference in the Game: "Their offensive rebounds and losing the 50-50 balls hurt us. When you lose those battles, it shows that Idaho came in a lot tougher than us. When we had it, our effort and energy kept us in the game. For them to get 17 offensive rebounds and hit 10 3-pointers, for us to have a shot to win it was huge for us. We're getting better piece-by-piece, but it was a hard one to take today."
 
On Bogdan Bliznyuk: "He was sick all week and went to see the doctor this week, but hasn't been able to practice. He can't run without coughing and was throwing up at halftime. We have to get him healthy and get our team some rest. It's tough because he is a competitor and it's hard to take him out – he doesn't want to come out. You have to roll with him – he's our stud and our stallion. He keeps us in games and played solid today. He had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and did everything we ask of him. He gets bodied a lot and it takes its toll on him. I'd rather have him at 100 percent, but at the same time his numbers were pretty good."
 
On Bliznyuk's Scoring Record: "His historic accomplishment is a true testament to his character, drive and work ethic. And that's not to mention he is also a great student, with a 3.31 GPA. As our team's captain, he is a great role model and ambassador for the EWU men's basketball program and our University. I couldn't be more proud."
 
On Development of Players in His Program: "Development is important, and it's important for our recruits to see that. A lot of players have talent. The way we play we give players freedom for creativity on the offensive end. When you get a player as creative as Bogdan or Jake Wiley, they are talented but sometimes you just need to give them the confidence. We want to make sure we are a place where we are always providing encouragement. When Bogdan came here he wasn't a great 3-point shooter, but he is now – guys can't leave him early. Tyler Harvey came as just a catch-and-shoot guy, but he left being able to put the ball on the floor. We have a lot of young coaches and we like to get in the gym with them as much as our 20-hour limit allows us. We have built a culture of guys working on their game together, and working in the gym is important. They go really hard and focus, and that's what we've been building for the last four or five years."
 
On Bliznyuk: "He comes out and works hard every day, is the last guy in the gym and always encourages his teammates. I haven't ever heard him say anything negative toward another player – he's always uplifting. We have freshmen and sophomores who have seen how he's done it. He's had some great mentors along the way and he's taken things from everybody, and now he's given back to all his teammates."
 
On Bliznyuk Being a Coach on the Floor: "It makes it easy, especially for my first year. I told him, 'Thank you for getting us this job, because if you weren't so good for four years I wouldn't have it.' There is a lot of trust here in him – he has the rights to call plays. He's a captain and a leader, and for me it means a lot to have so much trust in him. He helps everything – defensively, offensively and options for us to run on offense. He's huge for us – he's like another coach on the floor."
 
On Sir Washington: "Sir is stepping up as a senior. He is playing with a lot of composure and freedom and has confidence. That is what we need. He has been playing super hard."
 
On Cody Benzel: "He's been playing great. The thing that got him into the starting lineup and his minutes up is his defense. He's been doing a great job defending the other team's best shooters. He came out and took defense to heart, and wanted to show us he could defend. Since then he's been playing great basketball and has helped us out tremendously both offense and defense. He's been on fire since then."
 
On Jack Perry: "I'm on him the whole game to talk more and to lead more, but he's a freshman and he's learning. But when he gets these open looks, he's a great shooter and a smart player. He gets guys involved and he's a great defender. He's more of a pass-first guy, but I don't mind if he shoots 10-15 shots because he's that good of a shooter. We're lucky to have him. He does a lot of things right and his father is a good coach back in Australia. Jack comes battle-tested and it's great having him. He is confident every time he's on the court and he understands exactly what is going on. It's like having another coach out there, and he's doing everything the right way. We have a lot of different options we can go with."
 
On Strength of League: "There are lot of good coaches, and recruiting is starting to pick up and they are getting good players from all over the world. It's a tough league because every team has three or four really tough players and are well-coached. There are a lot of skilled players and the depth of the league is wild."
 
On Captains: "Bogdan and Ty are our captains and they keep our team level-headed – not too high and not too low. They keep us steady, and it makes it easy to coach with them on our team."
 
On Bliznyuk's Abilities: "Bogdan has been the personification of what we want our EWU program to look like. He is the perfect student-athlete and deserves all the accolades he receives. He shows that hard work and determination pays off. We talked about it before the season started that he was going to be double-teamed and he has to make sure he's making the pass. He's making the pass and that's exactly what we're looking for. He's doing a great job of leading our players, getting them in the huddle and talking to make sure we are doing everything the right way. He's a great captain."
 
On Academic Honors: "This is just a testament that we are more than just a talented basketball team. It also shows that academics are the highest priority for our student-athletes at Eastern Washington. I am proud of our players for finishing the year strong in the classroom, and setting an example for the incoming student-athletes."
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Eastern is 21-50 against the Grizzlies since becoming a member of NCAA Division I in 1983-84, including a 10-27 record in Missoula, 11-21 in Cheney and 0-2 on neutral courts. Montana leads the overall series 67-42. The Eagles have actually won as many times in Missoula (2017, 2015 twice) as they have at home (2014, 2011, 2010) in the last eight seasons. Eastern has lost the last two meetings in Cheney dating back to a 69-62 EWU triumph on Jan. 9, 2014, but have won three of the last four meetings in Missoula. Until winning 75-69 on Feb. 4, 2015, the Eagles had lost their last 12 meetings in Missoula, dating back to a 71-52 Eagle win on Feb. 7, 2004. The Grizzlies returned the favor by handing Eastern a 77-76 home loss on Feb. 28, 2015. The Eagles would also beat the Grizzlies on their home floor in the 2015 Big Sky Conference Championship game, giving the Eagles a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Including EWU's three-game sweep there to capture the 2015 Big Sky Conference Tournament title, EWU has won five of its last six games at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula (including three of four versus UM). Overall, Eastern has lost 22 of the last 29 meetings against the Griz, including all three meetings in the 2011-12 season and two more in 2012-13.

* In last season's meeting in Cheney, Montana was given the opportunity to win the game at the free throw line as Eastern suffered its first home setback of the season in a 65-59 loss Jan. 7 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. After a key defensive play went against the Eagles with 52 seconds to play, the Grizzlies made their last six free throws and EWU missed its last four field goal attempts in a game that featured seven ties and 17 lead changes. Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 21 points and had six rebounds and six assists to lead the Eagles, with former Grizzly Jacob Wiley finishing with 10 points and a 14 rebounds. Jesse Hunt came off the bench to contribute eight points, hitting all three of his shots from the field. Sir Washington chipped in seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. In a game that was statistically even in most respects, the only difference was at the line where Montana made 16-of-24 and EWU sank 7-of-8. In the second half alone, the Grizzlies were sent to the line 20 times (making 15) while EWU had just six charity shots (made all six). After a stretch of eight lead changes and three ties early in the second half, Eastern hit a series of huge baskets during a 5-of-5 shooting stretch that gave EWU a 51-45 lead with 8:07 left. Hunt had a pair of 3-pointers, Washington hit a trey, Wiley had an emphatic dunk and Bliznyuk made a driving layin during EWU's hottest shooting stretch of the game. Eastern led 53-48 with 5:18 to play, but back-to-back 3-pointers turned the tide for the Griz. Eastern took two more leads before Montana made seven of eight free throws in the final 52 seconds. With 52 seconds remaining, the Eagles felt they had forced Walter Wright into a traveling call, but instead, Washington was called for a foul and Wright made both free throws to give the Griz a 60-59 lead. A missed 3-pointer by Bliznyuk with 33 seconds to play was followed by two more UM free throws, then Felix Von Hofe missed a 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining, followed by two more Griz free throws.

* In last year's victory in Missoula, Bogdan Bliznyuk had a double-double with 28 points and 10 rebounds, and a pair of true freshmen chipped in 23 points to lead Eastern to a 72-60 victory over Montana on Jan. 26, 2017. Bliznyuk made 11-of-16 shots from the field, and then-true freshman Mason Peatling had what was then a career-high 13 points. Fellow first-year players Luka Vulikic and Jacob Wiley each scored 10. Thanks to a 15-point performance in the first half by Bliznyuk and a half-ending 9-4 run, Eastern took the lead for good and led by as many as 16 in the second half. Eastern had a 15-6 advantage in points off turnovers in the game and made 50 percent of its shots, and closed out the win by making nine free throws and four field goals in the final 6:44. The Eagles out-rebounded the Griz 36-27 for only Eastern's sixth rebounding advantage of the season in 21 games, improving to 6-0 in those games. Eastern had a commanding 20-9 advantage in the second half, and out-rebounded the Griz 30-13 after Montana took an early 14-6 advantage on the boards.

 
* Eastern has now won eight of the last 11 meetings against MSU, but lost to the Bobcats 91-91 in overtime the last time the two teams played on Jan. 28, 2017, in Bozeman. Eastern has won 18 of the last 30, and is 11-3 at home in that span. Eastern, in fact, has not lost to the Bobcats at Reese Court since a 60-56 Bobcat win on Feb. 24, 2011. The Eagles are 39-45 all-time against MSU, including a 31-36 record as a member of NCAA Division I (21-12 in Cheney, 10-24 in Bozeman). The records include two MSU forfeits in the 1993-94 season.

* In the last EWU-MSU match-up in Cheney, Jacob Wiley scored what was then a career-high 25 points with a near triple-double, and two big scoring runs fueled by defense helped EWU to an 82-64 on Jan. 5, 2017, at Reese Court. Felix Von Hofe added 19 points with five three-pointers and Jesse Hunt came off the bench to score what was then a career-high 13 points in the 10th win of the season for the Eagles. Eastern made a season-best 60.4 percent from the field, but it was its defense that made the difference as MSU made only 38 percent in the game. Montana State missed 11-straight shots at one point and went 11:23 without a field goal as EWU used a 21-3 run to turn an 8-4 deficit into a 25-11 lead in the first half. Eastern held the Bobcats to 27 percent shooting and just 22 points in the first half for the second-best defensive half of the season for EWU. In the second half after Tyler Hall led MSU's rally, a 9-0 Eagle run and a four-minute stretch without a field goal for the Bobcats helped Eastern turn a one-point lead into a double-digit advantage. Eastern led by no less than eight the rest of the way, despite a game-high 33 points by Hall, who at one point scored 17-straight MSU points. Wiley sank 10-of-15 shots from the field and 5-of-7 free throws. He also had 10 rebounds, a career-high seven assists and three blocked shots. Von Hofe made 5-of-7 of his shots from the 3-point stripe and both of his two-point shots. Hunt entered the MSU game averaging just 2.2 points per game and had scored seven points in his previous five games, but he shattered his previous career high of eight points. He also had seven rebounds, one from his career high. Cody Benzel added nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point stripe. Bogdan Bliznyuk played only 25 minutes because of foul trouble, and finished with eight points, three assists and a pair of steals.

* A year ago in Bozeman, Eastern was outscored 7-2 from the free throw line in overtime and Montana State survived for a 91-90 Big Sky Conference victory on Jan. 28, 2017. Jacob Wiley scored 34 points for the Eagles and Sir Washington had 13, including 3-pointers with 6.7 seconds left and at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. Eastern led the entire first half, but after that it was a thriller, with the game featuring 13 ties and an additional three lead changes. Eastern's last lead in the game came with 9:14 to play, but EWU could never get over the hump despite a stretch of making 12-of-15 shots from the field until Felix Von Hofe and Ty Gibson both missed potential game-winning shots in the final seconds. Wiley made 15-of-18 shots from the field and 6-of-9 free throws, and had nine rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocked shots. Washington sank 4-of-7 shots from the field, including 3-of-4 3-pointers, in finishing with 13. Bogdan Bliznyuk added 13 points.
 
 

 
Recent Game Recap

 
In Thriller with 20 Lead Changes, Vandals Edge Eagles 66-64
 
With six lead changes in the final 2:46, it was an instant classic. But the 20th lead change of the game was Idaho's as the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team fell 66-62 to Big Sky Conference preseason favorite Idaho Feb. 9 at the Cowan Spectrum in Moscow, Idaho. The EWU-UI rivalry once again provided plenty of drama with a season-high 20 lead changes and five ties, but Idaho took the lead for good on a basket with 25 seconds to play. There were six lead changes in the last 2:46 alone as the two teams traded a barrage of baskets, but Eastern's Bogdan Bliznyuk had a potential game-tying layin blocked with six seconds to play. In the 10 meetings since Idaho re-joined the Big Sky Conference in the 2014-15 season, EWU is 6-4 and the average winning margin for the winning team is just 6.2 points (62 points total). The victory helped Idaho take a two-game lead for third place in the Big Sky Conference standings ahead of fourth-place EWU and Northern Colorado. Although sick and throwing up at halftime, Bliznyuk led the way for the Eagles with the 19th double-double of his career, finishing with 16 points and 13 rebounds. However, he sank just 6-of-18 shots from the floor, including just 1-of-5 from the 3-point arc. Cody Benzel sank five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, and four other Eagles scored at least six points. Idaho led for more than five minutes before the 15th lead change of the game with 2:46 to play on a basket by Mason Peatling gave EWU a short-lived lead. There were lead changes at 2:30, 2:14, 1:12, :43 and then at :25 as the Vandals finally took the lead for good. Eastern's Sir Washington missed a pair of free throws with 12.8 seconds to play before Bliznyuk's final shot was blocked. The Vandals were aided by 17 offensive rebounds leading to 10 second-chance points, and used that advantage to outscore the Eagles 40-35 after intermission. Nate Sherwood scored 23 for the Vandals, including 19 in the second half. The Eagles had two impressive defensive stretches in the first half to turn a 5-0 deficit into a 29-26 halftime lead. Eastern held the Vandals 3:35 without scoring then there were six ties and a pair of lead changes when EWU went on a 10-0 run to take a seven-point advantage. During that stretch, Idaho went 5:10 without scoring and 6:41 without a field goal.