­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (4-12/2-3 Big Sky) Saturday, Jan. 19 – Montana State ­– 2:05 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 – at Portland State ­– 7:05 p.m. all times Pacific
Radio:	Eastern games are on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area. Larry Weir calls the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff
Internet Radio:	https://tunein.com/radio/Eastern-Washington-Eagles-Sports-Network-s273711/
Radio  Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio
TV:	Montana State game is televised regionally on SWX; No TV for PSU Game
­­­Webcast:	http://watchbigsky.com or Pluto Channel 234 for EWU home games (Pluto Channel 232 for PSU)
Live Stats:	http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next scheduled show hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. and is aired live on 700-AM ESPN. The show will take place live at Barrelhouse Pub and Pizza in Cheney.

Eastern will have plenty more time to savor its last victory, but head coach Shantay Legans prefers to embrace the extra rest and practice time afforded his team.

With a full eight days between games, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team plays its second-straight game at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., when Montana State visits EWU on Saturday (Jan. 19) for a Big Sky Conference showdown at 2:05 p.m.

The game will be aired live regionally by SWX. All Eastern games are carried live via radio 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.  Fans can also watch the webcast of all league games via PlutoTV and at http://watchbigsky.com.

The Eagles knocked off Montana 78-71 last Thursday (Jan. 10) to help EWU improve to 2-3 in the league and 4-12 overall. A win over the Bobcats would further help get the Eagles back in the league championship hunt. The Bobcats had won their last three games before falling 73-70 on Jan. 14 at home versus Northern Colorado is a battle of 4-1 teams. Montana State is now 7-9 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky.

"It will give us eight days to get some rest and get in the gym to shore up some things offensively and defensively," said Legans. "We don't need to change a lot, but we'll make sure our players are keeping up academically. During this time of year we get on the road a lot and we have to make sure we are doing everything we need to academically, as well as getting in the gym."

 Versus the Grizzlies, Eastern had a season-best shooting night by making 52.9 percent of its 3-pointers (9-of-17) and 48.0 percent overall. The team featured six performances with double figures in scoring or rebounding, including 13 points by junior Tyler Kidd in his first start as an Eagle at point guard. Eastern is now 4-0 this season when it makes at least 45 percent of its shots from the field and 0-12 when it doesn't.

 "We don't have to coach energy or having them play harder – they are doing that on their own," said Legans. "It takes a game like Montana for some shots to go in to get some confidence. I think our team may have turned a corner and I liked winning a game heading into an eight-game stretch with no game."

The Bobcats feature senior high-scoring guard Tyler Hall, who is just one point behind former Eagle Bogdan Bliznyuk for the Big Sky career scoring record (2,168 for Hall, 2,169 for Bliznyuk). Hall is averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season. Junior guard Harald Frey is averaging 14.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

Northern Colorado beat EWU at home 75-63 on Jan. 2, then lost its first conference game of the season at Montana by an 88-64 score just two days after EWU knocked off the Griz. Besides UNC, the lone common opponent for the Eagles and Bobcats thus far has been Idaho, a team MSU beat 77-67 in Moscow where EWU fell 74-71.

Eastern had lost its last two games prior to the win over UM, including a roller-coaster of a ride at Idaho on Jan. 3 when the Eagles lost despite scoring runs of 16-9, 11-2 and 15-4. Eastern had a 14-2 run in the second half against UNC, but a 19-point halftime deficit and 24-point hole in the second half was too much to overcome.

Following the MSU game, Eastern plays a pair of games on the road next week, starting Thursday (Jan. 24) at Portland State at 7:05 p.m. The Eagles play at Sacramento State two days later, also at 7:05 p.m. The Vikings are 1-3 in the league and 6-9 overall heading into games this week at Southern Utah and Northern Arizona. The Hornets play the same two foes, and are 0-4 in the league and 6-7 overall thus far.
After missing EWU's first 10 games of the season with an injury, junior Mason Peatling has been EWU's leading scorer in five of six games since and has also led in rebounds three times. An honorable mention All-Big Sky selection a year ago, Peatling is averaging 18.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in five league games thus far. He's shooting at a 60.7 percent clip in league play, making 5-of-9 3-point attempts and 15-of-21 free throws (71.4 percent).

 Eastern senior Jesse Hunt, who will play in his 100th career game when the Eagles take on MSU, has four double-doubles this season and averages of 14.3 points, a team-leading 8.3 rebounds to rank second in the league and 2.9 assists per game. Sophomore Jacob Davison is averaging 10.4.

Senior guard Cody Benzel averages 7.1 points with a team-leading 34 3-pointers made. Luka Vulikic averages 6.6 points, 2.9 assists and 3.6 rebounds, with Kidd gradually increasing his averages to 6.1 points and 1.9 assists while scoring in double figures in four of the last six games.

"That's what I envisioned last spring after last season," said Legans of the balanced scoring versus Montana. "This is such a huge win for us, but we have to keep building on this. We can't have any letdowns. We have to make sure we stay focused."

 However, Eastern is still being out-shot 47.2 percent to 39.4 percent overall this season, including 38.5 percent to 31.7 percent from the 3-point stripe. The Eagles are 2-2 when out-shooting opponents from the field, but are 2-10 when they are out-shot.

Eastern is now 4-3 at home at Reese Court, and is 50-9 overall there in the last four-plus seasons (85 percent). In the previous four seasons, EWU has gone 46-6 at Reese Court, including an 11-1 mark last season and 15-1 record in 2016-17.

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

 
Eagles Have Used 10 Different Starting Lineups, Including Five in Last Seven Games
 
Now that Mason Peatling is back and Tyler Kidd has earned increased playing time, the Eagles have been tinkering with their starting lineup. Eastern used its fifth starting lineup in seven games when the Eagles beat Montana 78-71 on Jan. 10, and EWU has used a total of 10 different lineups in 16 games this season. Kidd made his first start of his EWU career and was joined in the starting lineup by Peatling, Jesse Hunt, Jacob Davison and Cody Benzel. Hunt has started a team-high 16 games this season, Davison has started 11 of 14, Peatling has started all six he has played and Benzel has started eight games and come off the bench in eight others.
 
 
Peatling is Back and Averaging 18.8 points in League Play Thus Far
 
After missing EWU's first 10 games with an injury, Mason Peatling but has been EWU's leading scorer in five of six games since and has also led in rebounds three times. An honorable mention All-Big Sky selection a year ago, Peatling is averaging 18.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in five league games thus far. He's shooting at a 60.7 percent clip in league play, making 5-of-9 3-point attempts and 15-of-21 free throws (71.4 percent).
 
He had one of six double-figure performances for the Eagles on Jan. 10 when the Eagles beat preseason favorite Montana 78-71 at Reese Court in Cheney. Hitting his shooting stride in the last two games, he sank 6-of-8 shots from the field and 5-of-6 free throws in just 20 minutes because of foul trouble to finish with a team-high 17 points. He also had three steals and scored seven points during a 20-3 run for EWU which included perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the line. That run spanning halftime helped the Eagles overcome an early 11-point deficit and take a 10-point lead. Eastern had a season-best shooting night by making 52.9 percent of its 3-pointers (9-of-17) and 48.0 percent overall.
 
One game earlier versus Northern Colorado he finished with 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, plus had nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two assists. The 6-8 junior, who earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a sophomore, made his season debut as a starter versus Corban in a 92-73 Eagle win on Dec. 21. He played 18 minutes and finished with four points on 2-of-6 shooting, seven rebounds and four assists. He followed that with a career-high 25 against Weber State in an 84-72 loss, making 9-of-17 shots from the field with a trio of 3-pointers made in four attempts. He also had six rebounds – five on the offensive end – and a pair of assists. He eclipsed his previous high of 19 versus South Dakota and Montana State in the 2017-18 season.
 
Peatling then scored 16 in a 65-55 win over Idaho State. He was 7-of-9 from the field and also had eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots against ISU. He had a key three-point play with 2:53 left to give EWU its biggest lead of the game at the time.
 
In his 71-game career (49 as a starter), he's averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds with a total of 58 assists, 56 blocks and 48 steals. He hit double figures in scoring 11 times in 2017-18 and 20 in his career thus far, and has had at least 10 rebounds six times in his career, all during his sophomore season. He also had all five of his career double-doubles in the 2017-18 season.
 
Peatling, 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 at the time, 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
 
Recently Named to HoopsHD.Com Mid-Season All-Big Sky Team, Jesse Hunt Averaging 14.3 Points and 8.3 Rebounds With Four Double-Doubles
 
Senior Jesse Hunt has had had a trio of 20-point outings this season, with four double-doubles to give him six in his career. Recently he was selected to the HoopsHD.com mid-season All-Big Sky team after leading the Eagles in scoring and rebounding during the preseason.
 
He is currently averaging 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists on the season. He is second in the Big Sky in rebounding and is 10th in scoring and 11th in assists. Hunt has shooting percentages of 46.6 percent overall and 41.2 percent from 3-point range (eighth in the Big Sky; 21-of-51).
 
He has opened league play with averages of 11.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists in five games. He is coming off his seventh double figure rebounding performance of the season with 15 rebounds in a 78-71 victory over Montana on Jan. 10 to eclipse his previous career high of 12 set earlier this season versus UMKC and South Dakota State.
 
He finished with eight points and career highs of 12 points and eight assists while going against South Dakota State All-American Mike Daum on Dec. 18. In addition, Hunt scored 27 points in a December outing versus Stanford, making 9-of-15 shots from the floor and finishing with four rebounds.
 
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, and had a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds at Seattle on Dec. 1.
 
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.
 
Hunt has played in 99 career games with 33 starts, and has averages of 5.3 points and 3.7rebounds. He nearly had a double-double at Oregon on Nov. 9 when he finished with nine points and eight rebounds. He has now had 19 career double-figure scoring performances in his career to go along with nine performances with 10 or more rebounds.
 
 
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."
 
Big Sky foe Montana won't the only 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.
 
 
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 Included Teams from Seven Different Conferences
 
It has already been another year of challenges, as Eastern played a total of 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 included teams from seven different conferences – ACC, Pac-12, Horizon, Ohio Valley, Western Athletic, Summit and the West Coast. The 11 non-conference opponents EWU played combined for a 194-149 overall record last season, and were 86-78 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.

 
Next Basketball Coaches on Jan. 14
 
Basketball Coaches Shows 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. Remaining shows are on 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/11, 2/25, 3/4 and 3/11 (if travel to Big Sky Tournament permits). There are no shows on 2/4 and 2/18 because of EWU games those days.
 
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.
 
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.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Eastern has now won nine of the last 12 meetings against MSU, including an 84-79 Eagle victory at home in 2018. Prior to that, EWU lost to the Bobcats 91-90 in overtime on Jan. 28, 2017, in Bozeman. Eastern has won 19 of the last 31, 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 40-45 all-time against MSU, including a 32-36 record as a member of NCAA Division I (22-12 in Cheney, 10-24 in Bozeman). The records include two MSU forfeits in the 1993-94 season.
 
* In last year's meeting in Cheney, Bogdan Bliznyuk and Mason Peatling combined for 44 points and 22 rebounds as Eastern prevailed late in the second half to beat Montana State 84-79 Feb. 17, 2018, in a key Big Sky Conference game at Reese Court. Jack Perry and Cody Benzel each added 11 points in a game that featured 10 ties and 15 lead changes. Eastern took the lead for good with 1:58 to play on a three-point play by Bliznyuk, and didn't trail for the last 9:25. The Eagles sank 14-of-15 free throws in the second half to seal the win. Bliznyuk nearly had a triple-double with 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Peatling had his fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 boards. Eastern sank 50 percent of its shots in the game, while MSU cooled off to 44 percent after making half its shots in the first half. For the second-straight game, Eastern won the rebounding battle, just the ninth and 10th times this season EWU has had an advantage on the boards. Eastern erased MSU's last lead with 9:25 left on a basket by Bliznyuk. That ignited an 8-0 Eastern run, and Bliznyuk's two free throws at the 6:37 mark gave EWU a 69-62 advantage. Montana State tied it, but Bliznyuk's three-point play with 1:58 left on a rebound basket off his own miss gave EWU the lead for good. Eastern used runs of 9-0 and 8-0 in the first half to lead by as many as seven, but the Bobcats scored 12 of the last 14 points to take a 40-38 halftime lead.
 
* Since Eastern became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season, the Eagles are now 23-23 versus Portland State. All of the meetings have come since the 1996-97 school year when PSU joined the Big Sky Conference, and Eastern is 15-8 in Cheney and 7-14 against PSU in Portland (1-1 on neutral courts) since then. The Vikings have a 26-24 edge in the overall series. Eastern is 2-1 against PSU in the Big Sky Tournament, winning 78-72 in the quarterfinals in 2018 in Reno, 81-75 in the 2006 quarterfinals in Cheney and losing 80-74 in the 1999 quarterfinals in Ogden, Utah.
 
* In the 2018 Big Sky Conference Tournament, the Eagle defense was the big winner in the rubber match of the season series, holding Portland State without a field goal for a 9:51 stretch in the first half as the third-seeded Eagles beat the No. 6 Vikings 78-72 in the quarterfinals on March 8, 2018, at the Reno (Nevada) Events Center. In a battle of one team outstanding at taking the ball and another outstanding at taking care of it, Eastern used a 12-0 run to take a 20-point lead in the first half, helped by a 6:31 scoreless stretch by the Vikings. They missed eight-straight shots and had seven turnovers during their nearly 10 minutes without a field goal, and EWU led by 16 at halftime. Eastern led by as many as 21 in the second half and 19 with inside of seven minutes left before PSU rallied with a 16-2 run to cut the lead to five with 1:12 to play. But on his way to 35 points, Big Sky MVP Bogdan Bliznyuk had a three-point play with 46 seconds to left and three more free throws in the last 37 seconds to clinch EWU's seventh-straight win. Portland State entered the game ranked in the top three in NCAA Division I in turnover margin, turnovers forced, steals and offensive rebounds, leading to the third-best scoring average at 86.3 per game. Eastern, meanwhile, entered ranked 41st in fewest turnovers allowed and 23rd in free throw percentage. It was EWU's defense that stole the show, forcing 10 turnovers and committing just seven itself in the first half. Eastern also out-shot the Vikings 52 percent to 36 percent in the first half, and 52 percent to 38 percent in the game. Bliznyuk hit his first four shots – all 3-pointers – and had 17 of his 35 points in the first half. He finished the game 11-of-14 from the field with 4-of-5 3-pointers, and made 9-of-11 free throws. His NCAA single season record for consecutive free throws ended at 77, but he moved into second on the Big Sky's all-time scoring list with 2,095 and is just seven from the record of 2,102. Jack Perry finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field overall and 4-of-7 from the 3-point stripe. Mason Peatling had 12 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals, and came four points from his sixth career double-double.
 
* In the 2018 meeting in Portland, Eastern pared a 15-point lead down to seven but trailed from start to finish and suffered a 94-81 loss to Portland State on Feb. 3, 2018, in Portland, Ore. Eastern all-time leading scorer Bogdan Bliznyuk was held to 13 points and 11 total shots, but did have team highs of nine rebounds and six assists. The Eagles made 48.5 percent of their shots, but allowed a season high of 57.6 percent. Cody Benzel had 21 points with seven 3-pointers, and Sir Washington had 12 points and a pair of treys as the Eagles made 11-of-34 3-point attempts. EWU 7-footer Benas Griciunas sank all five of his shots and finished with 10 points. The Vikings jumped out to a 25-11 lead early in the game, and then scored 11 of the first 14 points in the second half. The Eagles trailed by just seven at halftime, but the Vikings led by as many as 15 in the second half. The closest EWU could come after that was seven with 5:14 to play. An offensive rebound basket with 4:45 to play started a game-deciding 6-0 run by the Vikings. That field goal was the first of seven-straight field goals PSU made in the final 4:45, and the Vikings drained six free throws in the final two minutes.
 
* In Cheney in 2018, toughness saved the day at Reese Court as Eastern edged Portland State 81-74 on Jan. 4, 2018. Eastern used a 16-0 run to build a double-digit cushion midway through the second half versus a team with 10 victories during the preseason. But 40 minutes of full-court pressure by the Vikings caught up with the Eagles, who needed a 3-pointer by true freshman Jack Perry with 15 ticks of the clock left to seal it for the Eagles. Eastern won the game with a dominating 49 percent to 37 percent advantage in field goal percentage, and out-shot the Vikings 8-3 from the 3-point line. Until Eastern took a 13-point lead with 9:20 to play following a 16-0 run, the game featured 10 ties and 14 lead changes – both season highs for the Eagles. Bogdan Bliznyuk was 13-of-13 at the line and finished with a double-double of 28 points and 12 rebounds. Jesse Hunt scored in double figures for the fifth-straight game, finishing with 11 on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He had four rebounds but played only 16 minutes before fouling out. Sir Washington came off the bench to contribute seven points and three rebounds in 29 minutes, and Ty Gibson hit three of EWU's eight 3-pointers in the game to finish with 10 points. Perry contributed seven points, four rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes as a starter.
 
 

More Player Notes

 
Sharpshooting Duo Climbs EWU Three-Point Charts
 
Senior guards Cody Benzel and Ty Gibson have both played in more than 100 games for the Eagles, with current totals of 117 (ninth in school history) and 112 (one away from ranking 11th) games of experience, respectively. Jesse Hunt is right behind with 99 games played.
 
Benzel has started 35 games in his career, averaging 14.3 minutes and 5.2 points (6.6 as a junior and 7.1 thus far as a senior) per game. He had his third performance in his career of 20 points or more when he finished with 23 in a 92-73 victory over Corban on Dec. 21. He sank 7-of-13 3-pointers to equal his career high, and came just two points from his best scoring output as an Eagle of 25 points. He also had a pair of steals.
 
Gibson has started 46 career games and has a 4.5 scoring average (6.3 as a junior and 4.3 this season) in an average of 17.5 minutes per game. After playing sparingly in EWU's first two games because of an injury, he scored 12 versus Green Bay and 16 against UMKC on back-to-back nights at home in December. He scored eight points in his next game, but had only seven points in the next seven games and was mired in a 1-of-14 slump shooting 3-pointers heading into EWU's second conference game of the season versus Idaho State on Dec. 31. But he responded with his first double-figure scoring performance since Nov. 17, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-3 shooting from the 3-point stripe and making both of his free throws. He followed that with another trio of 3-pointers to finish with 11 points at Idaho.
 
Both players are three-point threats with Benzel ranking fifth in school history with 179 3-pointers, shooting at a 40.2 percent clip to rank 13th all-time at EWU. Gibson is 11th in school history with 133 3-pointers made and is just out of the top 16 in school history with 38.9 percent accuracy. Sophomore Jack Perry is currently 10th on the percentage list at 41.2 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 made his Eagle debut at San Francisco on Dec. 13 and made 1-of-2 3-point attempts, and then started his first game as an Eagle on Dec. 18 versus South Dakota State. Sidelined much of this season with an injury, he has played in three games thus far, making 1-of-3 treys in an average of 6.7 minutes per game.
 
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 3.57 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.
 
Eastern had a 3.54 grade point average as a team in fall quarter of 2018, with a current accumulative team GPA of 3.61.
 
 
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 in 14 games played he has led the Eagles with an average of 2.9 assists per game to rank 10th in the Big Sky while chipping in averages of 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. He scored 18 in his first five games (3.6 average), but has had four double figure scoring performances since then, and did not play versus Corban on Dec. 21.
 
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. He had a career-high 10 assists at North Dakota State on Dec. 8. In his 55-game career (44 as a starter), Vulikic is averaging 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 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 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 scored a career-high 25 points versus North Dakota State on Dec. 8, sinking 11-of-19 shots from the floor with a trio of 3-pointers. He had 20, with four 3-pointers, five rebounds and three assists, against South Dakota State on Dec. 18. Through 14 games thus far he is averaging 10.4 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists while ranking third in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (83.8 percent; 31-of-37). In his 48-game career (178 as a starter), he's averaged 8.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists while sinking 83.6 percent of his free throws (92-of-110).
 
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.
 
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 11 of 14 games and has averaged 5.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. His 41.2 percent accuracy from 3-point range in his career currently ranks 10th on EWU's career leaders list. He's played 49 total games as an Eagle (39 as a starter) and has averaged 6.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
 
Against Montana on Jan. 10 in a 78-71 Eagle win, Perry hit all four of his 3-point attempts to finish with 12 points. 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.
 
 
Five Eagles Made Eagle Debuts Versus Syracuse
 
Four Eagles, including redshirt freshman Kim Aiken Jr. as a starter, 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. Aiken, however, scored just 19 points in the next 10 games he played until coming off the bench to score a season-high 11 on 3-of-5 shooting from the field with a pair of 3-pointers in a 78-71 victory over Montana on Jan. 10, 2019.
 
Coming off the bench in EWU's season opener 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.
 
Kidd has continued to provide a spark off the bench for the Eagles, averaging 9.2 points in conference play and 6.1 overall. He's had four double figure scoring performance in his last six games, including a season-high 14 against Corban on Dec. 21. He scored 12 in EWU's league opener against Weber State on Dec. 29 and had 10 versus Northern Colorado on Jan. 7. In his first start as an Eagle, he score 13 points with five assists and four rebounds in a 78-71 win over Montana on Jan. 10, 2019.
 
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.
 
 
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."
 
 "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.
 
Eastern had a 3.54 grade point average as a team in fall quarter of 2018, with a current accumulative team GPA of 3.61.
 
"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.
 
 
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 in his first season at the helm were 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.

 
 

More Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Montana Victory:  "It's amazing when the ball goes in you win. We did a good job and our assistant coaches did an amazing job of getting our guys prepared for the game. With such a short turnaround, they worked tirelessly. I'm just happy that our guys were accepting to the game plan and stuck with it the whole time. It's nice to come away with a win at home in front of such a great crowd. We heard all the cheers for the football team and our guys got pumped up from that. It's an awesome feeling to see the joy on the bench and in the locker room after the game. They are proud and they can stick their chest out."
 
On Defense: "That was one of our better defensive games of the year. I know they shot 48 percent from the field, but when they attempted threes our guys were contesting every single shot. We need to be able to do that and play as hard as possible."
 
On Kim Aiken: "He's been amazing. He started the first two games of his career against big-time teams and probably lost a little bit of confidence and got down on himself like freshmen do. He got put on the scout team but kicked butt every single day. We needed Kim against Montana and knew he would fight and rebound. The energy he brought was amazing, and he shot the ball well. He puts in so much work, and once everybody leaves the gym he'll come out and shoot like he always does. I tell you, he's going to be the president of the university before he leaves here. He's an unbelievable young man and we're lucky he wanted to come to Eastern – he has great character."
 
On Jack Perry and Tyler Kidd: "We've been begging Jack to shoot, and he shot against Montana – he hadn't taken shot in league play until that game. We've been talking about how we can play faster and we decided to give Tyler Kidd a shot – he's been playing great. We gave him some minutes that really mean something and he came out and performed well. He had five turnovers, and four of them came in the first four minutes. But he came back and played great the rest of the game."
 
On Idaho State Win: "To be honest, this was a must-win for us. Our players have been in the gym working on their game and trying to get their shots back. Coaches have been working tirelessly trying to figure it out. We have some of the best players in the league, and it's tough to be 2-10. But we are competitors. This was a huge game for us to get this win. We had a big second half and Ty Gibson came up big, and we won the game because of our defense."
 
On Defense: "Defense is always going to win us games, and it's something we've been preaching since last year. We have great defensive players and a lot of players who make plays. We played defense the way we can, and held a team like Idaho State to 22 points in the second half. We aren't always going to shoot well, but defense travels. Idaho State got to us in transition in the second half, but in the second half we gave up zero points. The same thing hurt us against Weber State. Our half-court defense is really good, we just have to get back and stop team in transition. We have sound defensive principles and our players are smart and understand what we want defensively. They slide well and their rotations are great. We have size now too with Mason, Jesse, Luka and Jacob. We have a pretty big team, and when you are bigger than the other team you can really affect field goal percentages."
 
On Ty Gibson: "He's an unbelievable young man – he has a 3.99 grade point average, is a great leader and does a lot in the community. He shoots in the gym all the time, but they haven't been falling for him. He played about 10 seconds in the first half (against ISU) to play defense, but he stuck with it. He played nine minutes and those were the biggest nine minutes of the season for our team. We needed a win and he stayed ready. He has great character and I'm glad he's on our team. The shots are going to fall for him – I see great things ahead for him. I couldn't be happier for him."
 
On Mason Peatling Versus Weber State: "Mason did a great job in his first full game back. You could see he was gassed and tired at times, but he was battling and did a great job down low. He's going to get other players open looks and open shots, but we have to make sure we're ready and smart when we get him rolling."
 
On Weber State Loss: "We were playing against one of the premier teams in the league, but at the same time I think we are one of the premier teams in the league too. That's what we hold our standard to."
 
On Having Peatling Back: "Mason played only 18 minutes (against Corban), but he had four offensive rebounds and four assists – he's an unbelievable passer and screener. We play a little more efficiently with him in the lineup. He does a lot of talking back there on defense and is our anchor. We are only going to get better with Mason out there."
 
On Benzel: "He's a great shooter, and when the ball is moving around and he gets open looks, he's going to make a lot. We've struggled hitting some shots early in the season, but we talk in the locker room that it's going to happen because our players work so hard. When you have players who are confident in their shots and their game, they are going to make a lot of shots. Cody is a very confident player, and he could be 1-of-10 and he'll shoot 10 more threes if he's open. He's never going to waver from shooting threes."
 
On Non-Conference Season: "We learned a lot about ourselves – there is a lot of fight in this team. I didn't see any of our guys hanging their heads. After the game it obviously hurts to lose, but the next day they bounced back and practiced hard. We have a very resilient group and a team that will fight for each other. They want to win and are trying to figure out how to get that message across with each other. But at the same time, they need to be positive and have constructive criticism. I think we know which guys we can call on in certain situations. A lot of players saw action in the preseason, and now we expect players to be ready to go when their number is called. They've accepted their roles pretty well – they have a lot of grit and come to fight every day. You obviously want more wins in the preseason, but I couldn't be more proud. We are getting better each game and we have a confident group. Every game they've played they've learned and we've had a chance to win. We are learning valuable lessons – not just the players but the coaching staff too."
 
On Jacob Davison: "Jacob is one of the better guards in the Big Sky. He's exceptional and can do a lot of things offensively because he's very skilled. He had a really bad wrist injury to start the season and injured his ankle, but he's starting to get back to full health."
 
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 can 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 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."
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

Best Shooting of the Season Lifts Eastern Over Montana 78-71
 
A season-best shooting night with six players scoring or rebounding in double figures lifted Eastern past preseason Big Sky Conference favorite Montana 78-71 on Jan. 10 as EWU returned home to Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.  A 20-3 run on perfect 6-of-6 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the line spanning halftime helped the Eagles overcome an early 11-point deficit and take a 10-point. Eastern had a season-best shooting night by making 52.9 percent of its 3-pointers (9-of-17) and 48.0 percent overall. Junior Mason Peatling paced the Eagles with 17 points in just 20 minutes of action because of foul trouble, with junior Tyler Kidd making his first start as an Eagle and finishing with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds. Sophomore Jacob Davison had 11 points and senior Jesse Hunt had a career-high 15 rebounds to go along with eight points. Sophomore Jack Perry came off the bench to hit all four of his shots to finish with a season-high 12, and redshirt freshman Kim Aiken Jr. had a career-high 10, also off the bench. Eastern finished with a 26-9 advantage in points off the bench. Montana led for the first 15 1/2 minutes, and took a comfortable 28-17 advantage with 4:28 left in the half. But Eastern went on a monster 15-1 run to lead 32-29 at intermission. Five players scored in the run, including four by Peatling, three by Perry, four free throws by Kidd and a pair by Aiken, with Hunt closing the half with a bucket. The Eagles then scored five of the first seven points in the second half – coming on a three-point play by Peatling and a fastbreak layin by Davison -- to complete the 20-3 run, The Grizzlies had just one field goal in a 6:22 span, going 1-of-6 from the field while EWU made all six of its shots from the field and all six of its free throws. Eastern's lead ballooned to 10 on a 3-pointer by Aikin with 10:32 to play. Eastern then stayed steady by making 52 percent of its shots overall and 5-of-9 3-pointers in the second half, as well as 13-of-17 free throws for 76.5 percent.
 
 
Bears Knock Off Eagles 75-63 Thanks To Hot-Shooting First Half
 
Northern Colorado sank 64 percent of its shots to open a 19-point lead at halftime and held-off Eastern Washington University 75-63 in a Big Sky game Jan. 7 at the Bank of Colorado Arena in Greeley. Eastern had a 14-2 run in the second half to cut into a Bears lead that had ballooned to 58-34 with 11:04 left in the contest. Eastern cut the lead to a dozen with 4:52 left, and five more times after that. But the Bears never relinquished its double-digit lead and closed out the game with a basket and two free throws by Jordan Davis, who finished with a game-high 30 points. Mason Peatling led the Eagles with 19 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a pair of blocked shots. Jesse Hunt chipped in 12 points and five boards, and Tyler Kidd came off the bench to spark the Eagles with 10 points and four assists. Eastern had carved out an early 11-10 lead with 13:41 left in the first half. But EWU was out-scored 35-15 the rest of the half, including a 23-7 run by UNC in the final seven minutes to give UNC a 45-26 advantage at intermission. The Eagles were out-shot 52.1 percent to 39.3 percent. The Bears made 9-of-24 3-point attempts for 37.5 percent, compared to a 4-of-13 performance by the Eagles at 30.8 percent. Eastern out-rebounded UNC by one (32-31) and had one more turnover as well (13-12).