This one was a long time in the making.
Playing each other for the first time since the unique date of 11/11/11, Eastern Washington plays at second-ranked Gonzaga on Saturday (Dec. 21) at the McCarthey Center in nearby Spokane, Wash.
Tipoff is 2:05 p.m. Pacific time in a game broadcast regionally on ROOT Sports and locally by KHQ. The game will be aired live on radio on 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM, via the web at tunein.com and via mobile phone app, with pre-game coverage starting a half-hour prior to tipoff. Larry Weir serves as the play-by-play broadcaster.
Eastern will face its highest-ranked opponent in school history when the Eagles play at the No. 2 Bulldogs, currently 12-1 with a four-game winning streak following a 94-81 victory against North Carolina on Wednesday (Dec. 18). After an 84-80 road win at Arizona on Dec. 14, the Bulldogs moved up to second in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls announced on Dec. 16. Eastern, which is 1-27 all-time versus nationally-ranked opponents, faced No. 3 Kansas in 2007 and No. 3 Oklahoma State in 2004 (NCAA Tournament), losing those games 85-47 and 75-56, respectively.
"It will be a lot of fun and we're looking forward to it," said Eastern head coach
Shantay Legans. "I'll vote them No. 1. I'm excited we get a chance to play them, and we thank Gonzaga for scheduling it."
Gonzaga will be the second ranked team Eastern has played in five-game stretch, having fallen to No. 22/23 Washington 90-80 on Dec. 4 in Seattle. Washington dropped out of the AP poll and was ranked 25th by the coaches the week after falling 83-76 to Gonzaga on Dec. 8. In the Dec. 16 poll, Washington was 22nd in both.
Gonzaga is virtually unbeatable at home, winning 213 of 228 games at "The Kennel" after the North Carolina game. Seven players are averaging at least 9.8 points for Gonzaga, which has defeated Eastern 24-straight times dating back to EWU's last victory in 1990. The Bulldogs were 33-4 and a perfect 16-0 in the West Coast Conference a year ago when they advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 21st-straight season.
Nationally, both the Eagles and Bulldogs are ranked in the top three in NCAA Division I scoring, with EWU leading at 90.7 per game and Gonzaga third at 86.4 The Eagles are also No. 2 in assists (19.9) with Gonzaga 12th (17.3).
"We'll try to prepare and come up with a game plan to win," said Legans. "We're going to go in there and play with confidence. They have a lot of size, and they have the top trio of big men – maybe four – who are the best in the entire country as we've seen them play. Our guys will be excited for that game and have been looking at it on the schedule all year long."
Eastern is coming off an overwhelming 97-56 victory over Omaha in which EWU led by as many as 43. The Eagles were a perfect 3-0 during its homestand, in which the Eagles averaged 113.7 points and out-scored opponents by an average of 38.0 points per game (98-82 over North Dakota, 146-89 over Multnomah and 97-56 over Omaha).
Now 5-0 at home and 2-3 on the road, Eastern's 7-3 start is its best since beginning the 2015-16 season with an 8-2 mark. A year ago during an injury-plagued season, the Eagles began the year 1-9.
"I'm just glad our team didn't look forward to the Gonzaga game when we played Omaha," added Legans. "We came out and played with a lot of maturity, and leadership is key. It will be a lot of fun on Saturday."
Game Notes
Eagles Lead NCAA Division I in Scoring
With at least 80 points in its last six games – and at least 90 in four of those -- Eastern is averaging 90.7 points per game to lead NCAA Division I in scoring and rank second in assists (19.9 per game) through games of Dec. 18. The Eagles are also averaging 10.7 made 3-point field goals per game to rank seventh nationally and second in the Big Sky (Northern Colorado averages 11.3 to rank second in the nation), and are seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.51 per game). The team's average scoring margin of +18.9 per game is seventh, and EWU is also 15th in rebounds (42.1), 14th in defensive rebounds (30.3), 36th in field goal percentage (.483), 36th in turnover margin (+3.8) and 35th in steals (9.1).
Individually, sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr. is second in NCAA Division I in defensive rebounds per game (9.9) and fourth in rebounding overall (11.8). He leads the Big Sky in both categories, and is also fifth in the nation with seven double-doubles. Junior
Jacob Davison is 70th nationally and third in the Big Sky in scoring (18.1), and is second in the league and 66th in the nation in steals (2.0). True freshman
Ellis Magnuson is 29th in the nation in assists (5.9 to lead the Big Sky) and is 33rd in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.57 per game to rank first in the league). Davison, Aiken and
Mason Peatling all rank in the top 10 in the Big Sky in scoring, with Aiken averaging 16.1 (eighth) and Peatling at 15.7 (10th).
Gonzaga counters with the nation's third-best scoring offense (86.4), and is also ranked sixth in scoring margin (19.0), sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.53) 20th in rebounding margin (+8.4), ninth in field goal percentage (.504) and 12th in assists (17.3). Guard Joel Ayayi is seventh in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover margin (+3.44). Filip Petrusev is fifth nationally in free throws attempted (80) and 20th in free throws made (55), as well as ranking 90th in blocked shots (1.54) and 43rd in double-doubles with four. Corey Kispert is 43rd in 3-point field goal accuracy (.436)
Trio of Eagles Averaging in Double Figures
The Eagles thus far are 5-0 at home and 2-3 on the road, having won at Seattle University 74-66 on Nov. 9. Eastern also picked up a 90-74 road win at High Point on Nov. 23, marking EWU's first victory in the Eastern time zone since knocking off Indiana 88-86 in Bloomington, Ind., on Nov. 24, 2014. Eastern's wins at home have come against Portland Bible College (107-25 on Nov. 5), Belmont (87-82 on Nov. 26), North Dakota (98-82 on Dec. 8), Multnomah (146-89) and Omaha (97-56).
A trio of Eastern players are averaging in double figures thus far, led by the double-double by sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr. of 15.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. He had a career-best 26-point effort at Washington on Dec. 4, and thus far has seven double-doubles this season. His last four have come at home – 11 points and 15 rebounds in a 98-82 win over North Dakota on Dec. 8; 11 points and 11 rebounds in an 87-85 win over Belmont on Nov. 26; 16 points and 22 rebounds against Multnomah on Dec. 13; and 23 points and 10 caroms versus Omaha on Dec. 17. His 22 rebounds versus Multnomah were a career high and equal the second-most in school history behind the record of 28. Against Belmont he scored eight of EWU's last 12 points and had four defensive boards in the final 44 seconds. He had 19 points and five rebounds against High Point on Nov. 23, but prior to that had a string of three-straight double-doubles. He had 11 points and 19 rebounds against Seattle in which EWU used an 11-1 run in the second half to overcome a nine-point deficit. Aiken followed with a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds at Saint Louis, then had 17 and 13, respectively, at Boston College. Thus far in his 40-game career (21 as a starter), he is averaging 8.9 points and 6.6 rebounds with 11 career double-doubles (8-3 record).
Leading EWU in scoring with an 18.1 average is junior
Jacob Davison, who had a 39-point effort against North Dakota to rank as the 11th-most in school history (10th at the time). He had 19 points in the first half and 20 in the second, and his total of 17 field goals made ranks second in school history (now third). The Eagles trailed by four in the second half, but he scored 18 of EWU's last 45 points as the Eagles led by as many as 19 in the closing minutes. His career high of 41 – now the ninth-most – came versus Northern Arizona on Feb. 4, 2019. Davison also scored 25 in the Seattle win earlier this season on Nov. 9 and had 26 versus Boston College on Nov. 20. He scored 12 at Washington and had 21 against Multnomah. In his now 66-game career (36 as a starter), he's averaged 11.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals while sinking 46.7 percent of his shots from the field, 36.8 percent from the 3-point stripe (77-of-209) and 78.0 percent of his free throws.
Forward
Mason Peatling, one of just two Eagle seniors on this year's team, is averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks. His 54 points against Multnomah on Dec. 13 broke a nearly 50-year conference record of 53 points and shattered the previous school record of 45. His 24 field goals made were league and EWU records, and his 30 attempts were the most all-time at Eastern. Peatling was sidelined a year ago with a foot injury when the Eagles were just 1-9, but since then Eastern is 22-12 (15-9 last year, 7-3 this season). In his now 97-game career (75 as a starter), Peatling has averaged 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds with a total of 99 assists, 68 steals and 78 blocks to rank seventh in school history (one from sixth and nine from fifth). He has hit double figures in scoring 40 times in his career thus far, and has had at least 10 rebounds 11 times. He now has 10 double-doubles in his career with a record of 9-1.
The other senior, guard
Tyler Kidd, has come off the bench to average 5.4 points and 1.6 assists, including 12 points versus UW. So far in his 41-game career (19 as a starter), he's averaged 8.8 points and 2.7 assists per outing.
Eastern's youth movement has also been impressive, with true freshman
Ellis Magnuson and redshirt freshman
Casson Rouse cracking the starting lineup. Magnuson has started all 10 EWU games at point guard and has averaged 5.9 assists and 6.2 points per game. He scored only four points in EWU's first four games, but had 12 and 13 in back-to-back wins against High Point and Belmont. He had nine assists versus Belmont, eight versus High Point and Washington, and 10 in his collegiate debut versus Portland Bible College. He had a season-high 14 points versus North Dakota when he also had a team-high six assists, and had 10 points and seven dishes versus Omaha.
Rouse has chipped in 7.2 points while making 15-of-38 3-pointers (39.5 percent), and sophomore
Tanner Groves has come off the bench to average 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. He scored a career-high 17 points versus Multnomah on Dec. 13, including a rebound dunk that was the No. 1 play by ESPN's Sportscenter that night and had 2 1/2 million views. Thus far in his 38-game career (three as a starter) he's averaged 4.3 points, 2.8 boards and has 27 blocks. His brother, true freshman
Jacob Groves, is averaging 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in the six games he has played – the first two in victories against High Point and Belmont. He had his high game with eight points versus Multnomah.
Junior guard
Jack Perry, who missed five games in November and early December with a high ankle sprain, is averaging 4.6 points and 1.8 assists. He is currently just off EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 38.8 percent. He's played 72 total games as an Eagle (42 as a starter) and has averaged 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
No. 2 Gonzaga Will Be Highest-Ranked Team Eagles Have Ever Faced
Eastern will face the highest-ranked opponent in school history when the Eagles play at second-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 21. After an 84-80 road win at Arizona on Dec. 14, the Bulldogs moved up to second in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls announced on Dec. 16. Eastern, which is 1-27 all-time versus nationally-ranked opponents, faced No. 3 Kansas in 2007 and No. 3 Oklahoma State in 2004 (NCAA Tournament), losing those games 85-47 and 75-56, respectively.
Gonzaga will be the second ranked team Eastern has played in five-game stretch, having fallen to No. 22/23 Washington 90-80 on Dec. 4 in Seattle. Washington dropped out of the AP poll and was ranked 25th by the coaches the week after falling 83-76 to Gonzaga on Dec. 8. In the Dec. 16 poll, Washington was 22nd in both.
Games in the 2019-20 season versus Oregon and Syracuse were Eastern's 27th and 26th games versus ranked opponents, and EWU is now 1-27 after losing at Washington 90-80 on Dec. 4. Eastern head coach
Shantay Legans remembers well the only time the Eagles defeated a ranked opponent back in 2001. He was in Haas Pavilion that night on Nov. 15, 2001, when Eastern beat 10th-ranked St. Joseph's 68-67 at the BCA Classic in Berkeley, Calif. The next night, Eastern lost to 56-27 to host Cal, whose starting point guard was Legans. He had five points, an assist and a rebound in 20 minutes of action versus EWU.
In the 2014-15 season Eastern lost 77-68 to No. 22 SMU on Nov. 22, 2014; 81-77 to No. 17 Washington on Dec. 14, 2014; and then 84-74 to No. 22 Georgetown on March 19, 2015. Before that, EWU lost 82-65 to No. 15 Connecticut on Dec. 28, 2013, and 77-69 on Nov. 11, 2011, to a Gonzaga team ranked 23rd in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today preseason coaches' polls. The Gonzaga game was the head coaching debut at Eastern for Jim Hayford
.
Eastern lost to Washington 98-72 on Nov. 16, 2010, and 86-57 to Gonzaga on Nov. 30, 2010, in EWU's other recent games against nationally-ranked teams. Washington was ranked 17th by Associated Press and 15th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, and Gonzaga was 24th by the coaches.
In the 2009-10 season, the Eagles fell 94-52 to Gonzaga on Dec. 28, 2009. The Bulldogs were ranked 22nd by ESPN/USA Today, but were just out of the top 25 at No. 26 by Associated Press. The 2008-09 season was the first time since 2002-03 that Eastern did not play a nationally-ranked team. The Eagles played 12 such games in the five seasons before that.
Eastern's list versus nationally-ranked teams includes three games in the 2004-05 season alone as well as three the year before. Seven of the games came under former head coach Mike Burns and five others came under Ray Giacoletti from 2000-2004.
12/21/19 vs. #2 Gonzaga
12/4/19 vs. #22/23 Washington – L, 80-90
11/9/18 vs. #14 Oregon – L, 47-81
11/6/18 vs. #16 Syracuse – L, 34-66
12/20/16 vs. #17 Xavier – L, 56-85
11/17/16 vs. #21 Texas – L, 52-85
3/19/15 vs. #22 Georgetown – L, 74-84
12/14/14 vs. #17 Washington – L, 77-81
11/22/14 vs. #22 SMU – L, 68-77
12/28/13 vs. #15 Connecticut – L,65-82
11/11/11 vs. #23 Gonzaga – L, 69-77
11/30/10 vs. #24 (ESPN/USA Today) Gonzaga - L, 57-86
11/16/10 vs. #17 Washington - L, 72-98
12/28/09 vs. #22 (ESPN/USA Today) Gonzaga - L, 52-94
12/5/07 vs. #3 Kansas - L, 47-85
11/9/07 vs. #10 Washington State - L, 41-68
12/15/06 vs. #22 Oregon - L, 74-100
11/24/06 vs. #16 Washington - L, 83-90
12/19/05 vs. #8 Gonzaga - L, 65-75
12/16/05 vs. #11 Washington - L, 74-91
12/28/04 vs. #14 Arizona - L, 45-79
12/21/04 vs. #13 Gonzaga - L, 70-83
12/5/04 vs. #14 Washington - L, 56-89
3/19/04 vs. #3 Oklahoma State - L, 56-75
12/31/03 vs. #16 Gonzaga - L, 49-70
11/21/03 vs. #14 Oklahoma - L, 59-69
11/15/01 vs. #10 St. Joseph's - W, 68-67
11/25/00 vs. #4 Michigan State - L, 61-83
1/21/85 vs. #10 DePaul - L, 50-72
Numerous Big Sky and EWU Records Fall in 146-89 Victory
There were a total of four Big Sky Conference and eight Eastern Washington all-time records broken in EWU's 146-89 victory over Multnomah on Dec. 13, 2019. It could have been more too – by scoring 80 points in the first half, Eastern came just two from the league record of 82 set by Idaho State at Montana on 2/2/70 and
Mason Peatling's 34 first-half points were three behind the league mark of 37 set by Geno Crandall of North Dakota against Troy on 11/10/17. Below is the list of records broken versus Multnomah:
Team
146 Points - old Big Sky & EWU record 130 (EWU vs. Portland State on 2/4/17 & Weber State vs. West Coast Baptist on 11/19/19)
59 Field Goals Made - old Big Sky record 55 (Weber State vs. Idaho State 1/22/66); old EWU record 50 (vs. George Fox 11/15/15)
93 Field Goals Attempted - old EWU record 92 (vs. U.S. International 2/2/91)
67 Rebounds - old EWU record 64 (vs. Delaware State 12/20/91)
39 Assists - old EWU record 33 (vs. Cascade 12/29/99 & U.S. International 2/2/91).
Individual
54 Points by Mason Peatling - old Big Sky record 53 (Willie Humes, Idaho State vs. Montana State 2/20/71); old EWU record 45 (Bogden Bliznyuk vs. Portland State 2/4/17, Jacob Wiley vs. Portland State 2/4/17 & Rodney Stuckey vs. Northern Arizona 1/5/06.
24 Field Goals Made by Mason Peatling - old Big Sky record 21 (Willie Humes, Idaho State vs. Montana State 2/20/71); old EWU record 18 (Jacob Wiley vs. Portland State 2/4/17 & David Peed vs. UC-Irvine 12/13/88))
30 Field Goals Attempted by Mason Peatling - old EWU record 29 (
Bogdan Bliznyuk vs. Portland State on 2/4/17)
Peatling Earns Big Sky Player of the Week Honors for Historic Night
After an avalanche of points and statistics,
Mason Peatling received honors from the Big Sky Conference on Dec. 17 as the league's Ready Nutrition Player of the Week. Peatling's 54 points against Multnomah in a 146-89 victory on Dec. 13 broke a nearly 50-year conference mark and shattered the previous school record of 45. Peatling's 24 field goals made established new league and school marks, and his 30 attempts were an all-time high for Eastern. He also had 13 rebounds and four assists to finish with his first double-double of the season.
One of just two Eagle seniors on this year's team, Peatling and teammate
Jacob Davison were among the six players chosen league-wide as preseason All-Big Sky selections for the 2019-20 season. Peatling was sidelined a year ago with a foot injury when the Eagles were just 1-9, but since then Eastern is 22-12 (15-9 last year, 7-3 this season) heading into EWU's game at second-ranked Gonzaga on Saturday (Dec. 21).
After 39-Point Outburst, Davison is Big Sky Player of the Week
If you pick the wrong poison against EWU,
Jacob Davison can score points virtually at will. The Eagle junior was selected as the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Dec. 10 after recording what was then the 10th-most points in school history (now 11th) with 39 in a 98-82 victory over North Dakota two days earlier. It's the second such honor in his EWU career, with both coming after offensive outbursts.
Davison finished 17-of-27 from the field, including a 3-of-5 performance from the 3-point stripe, and he also had a career-high five steals with six rebounds and five assists. He had 19 points in the first half and 20 in the second, and his total of 17 field goals made ranks second in school history (now third). The Eagles trailed by four in the second half, but he scored 18 of EWU's last 45 points as the Eagles led by as many as 19 in the closing minutes. The Eagles scored their most points (98) and had their best shooting performance at the time versus a NCAA Division I opponent this season (52.5 percent).
Davison scored 12 at Washington in a 90-80 loss on Dec. 4, and also had eight rebounds and four assists. His career high of 41 – the eighth-most all-time at EWU – came versus Northern Arizona on Feb. 4, 2019. Davison also scored 25 in the Seattle win earlier this season on Nov. 9 and had 26 versus Boston College on Nov. 20. He and teammate
Mason Peatling were among the six players chosen league-wide as preseason All-Big Sky selections for the 2019-20 season.
Until an ankle injury on Feb. 16, 2019, forced him to miss the last 10 games, Davison had been the hottest player for the Eagles if not the entire Big Sky. He averaged 23.8 points in his last nine outings, including his 41 versus Northern Arizona which helped him earn his first Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honor. Davison started 19 of the 22 games he played, and finished with averages of 15.2 points on the season and a team-leading 18.5 in league play, which would have ranked fifth in the Big Sky if he had played enough of EWU's games to qualify (75 percent). Besides missing the last 10 games, wrist and ankle injuries kept Davison out of the first two games and preseason practices.
True Freshman Ellis Magnuson Earns Honor from College Sports Madness
True freshman
Ellis Magnuson is already living up to the high expectations of his head coach. The point guard protégé of
Shantay Legans was selected by College Sports Madness as its Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for his performance in EWU's win over mid-major powerhouse Belmont on Nov. 26 in Cheney.
A 2019 graduate of Borah High School in Boise, Idaho, Magnuson scored 13 points and had nine assists in the 87-82 win over Belmont, which was ranked ninth entering the game in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major top 25 poll. He made 5-of-9 shots from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, and equally distributed his production with six points and five assists in the first half, and seven points and four assists in the second half in which EWU out-scored the Bruins 47-40. Belmont was 27-4 a year ago and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, but EWU's win dropped the Bruins to 4-3.
That was just his sixth game as a collegian. Magnuson was the
USA Today Idaho 5A Player of the Year in his senior season when he led the Lions to the State 5A title and a 24-3 record. He averaged 15 points, six assists and two steals per game over his last two years in the program.
Magnuson had his breakout game when Eastern jumped out to a 15-2 lead and beat High Point on the road on Nov. 23 in North Carolina. Magnuson scored 12 points in the first half, including a pair of 3-pointers after entering the game 0-of-7 as a collegian. Besides his 12 points, Magnuson also finished with eight assists and three steals. He had a season-high 14 points versus North Dakota when he also had a team-high six assists.
Eagles Play Five NCAA Tournament Teams From a Year Ago in 2019-20
The Eagles will once again be road-tested, but December's miles will be significantly less. While November was highlighted by long road trips, December features two short trips against a pair of NCAA Division I powerhouses and a trio of home games for the Eagles and their 2019-20 schedule.
Eastern will play 11 non-conference opponents – including five at home – prior to the start of its Big Sky Conference schedule on Dec. 28. All but two of the opponents are NCAA Division I foes.
"We have a great preseason schedule coming up this year," said Legans. "In November, we get to travel all over the country and test ourselves against some high-level programs. We return home in December and get over a month where we don't leave the state of Washington, which will help us get some extra practices in and help keep our guys fresh. We'll have five home games in that span to provide Eagle Nation a great opportunity to come see what we have."
In the second game of the season on Nov. 9, Eastern played at Seattle (74-66 win) in what has become an annual game against the Redhawks and former EWU head coach Jim Hayford. Eastern played at Washington on Wednesday, Dec. 4, and three weeks later will take on Gonzaga on Saturday, Dec. 21. While EWU has played the Huskies three times in the last six seasons, EWU hasn't played the Bulldogs since Nov. 11, 2011.
Both the Huskies and Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the 2018-19 season, with the Huskies finishing 27-9 overall and 15-3 in the Pac-12 Conference. Gonzaga was 33-4 and a perfect 16-0 in the West Coast Conference.
"It is something that the fellas really like, and we finally get to play against Gonzaga," Legans said of the challenges ahead. "I know Mason (Peatling) has been wanting to do that since he has been here. Our fans have wanted us to play those games, and it's a lot of fun. It's also a great recruiting tool."
Three other teams EWU faces this season advanced to the Big Dance, including Saint Louis (23-13/10-8 Atlantic 10 Conference), Belmont (27-6/16-2 Ohio Valley Conference) and Montana (26-9/16-4 Big Sky). Advancing to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament were Seattle (18-15/6-10 Western Athletic Conference) and Southern Utah (17-7/9-11 Big Sky).
"It is going to be challenging, but at the same time we will be able to test ourselves," he continued. "Last year we had the same type of schedule but with some injuries early. This year I'm hoping we stay healthy and see what we can accomplish against some of these bigger schools. I think that we can challenge those opponents and give them good games, and our players are really looking forward to them. "
In all, Eastern faces nine non-conference foes from eight different leagues who combined for a 191-108 record (.666) a year ago, and were a collective 96-56 (.632) in their respective leagues.
"We go on the road recruiting and talk about our schedules and who we are playing," said Legans. "We're playing Washington, Gonzaga and Seattle, and we are always trying to get Washington State on the schedule."
The Eagles opened the season on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with a home game versus Portland Bible College (3-20) of the Pacific Christian Athletic Conference, and won handily 107-25. The Eagles then played at Seattle on Nov. 9 and won that 74-66 before playing four games in the Gotham Classic. After losing 82-60 at Saint Louis, Eastern was edged 72-68 by Boston College (14-17/5-13 Atlantic Coast Conference). Eastern then picked up a 90-74 win at High Point (16-15/9-7 Big South) on Nov. 23 before registering a huge 87-82 triumph over Belmont on Nov. 26, with both of those games also a part of the Gotham Classic.
A 90-80 loss to Washington – then ranked 22nd in NCAA Division I by Associated Press and 23rd by the coaches followed. Eastern then played a trio of home games and won all three -- Dec. 8 versus former Big Sky member North Dakota (12-18/6-10 Summit League), Dec. 13 against Multnomah (15-15/6-12 Cascade Collegiate Conference) and Dec. 17 versus Nebraska Omaha (21-11/13-3 Summit League). Eastern beat North Dakota 98-82, then romped past Multnomah 146-89 and Omaha 97-56.
The non-conference schedule concludes with the game at Gonzaga – ranked second in both polls on Dec. 16 -- followed by the team's Big Sky opener at Weber State on Dec. 28. Eastern's Big Sky home opener is versus Portland State on Jan. 4.
Eastern's conference schedule was announced last winter. The Big Sky Conference Championship, which will take place in Boise, Idaho, for the second year of a three-year agreement, is scheduled for March 11-14, 2020 at CenturyLink Arena.
"There are a lot of changes with the coaches and the programs," said Legans of his third tour of the Big Sky as a head coach. "At the same time, the teams in the Big Sky are very tough. They know how to play against you and it's going to be a lot of fun. There are a lot of teams that are up in the air at this point. Southern Utah has a lot of their guys back, and Montana and Weber State are looking good. Idaho has a lot of players that people haven't seen -- they have had a lot of changes but they have potential to be very good. Idaho State has a new head coach coming in, and Ryan Looney has been very successful in the Northwest and in California. So, all in all, it's going to be a lot of fun to see where we stack up against some of these teams in the Big Sky."
After EWU started the 2018-19 season 1-9,
Mason Peatling returned from a toe injury and Eastern was 15-9 the rest of the season to finish 16-18. Eastern was just 1-3 to start league play, but then won 13 of its final 19 games of the season after most of its injury woes subsided, but the Eagles did play the final 10 games of the season without All-Big Sky guard
Jacob Davison.
"Our players are healthy to start the year and we've set high goals and expectations for ourselves," added Legans. "I couldn't be more excited for the season to get rolling."
Eagles Selected by Coaches to Win Big Sky Conference Title
The postseason is a long way off, but the coaches in the Big Sky Conference think the Eagles are the preseason pick to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. The league's head coaches selected Eastern as the preseason choice to win the Big Sky title in the 2019-20 season, the league office announced Oct. 17. The Eagles were picked third in the media poll, which was also announced.
Eastern was also picked to win the title by both the coaches and media in the 2002-03 season, then finished as the runner-up in the league (regular season and tournament) and advanced to the NIT Tournament. In 2003-04 when they won the first of their two Big Sky Tournament titles, the Eagles were picked second in both polls. The success that year resulted in EWU being picked first in both polls in 2004-05, but EWU slipped to 8-20 overall and 5-9 in the league. In 2014-15, when EWU also advanced to the NCAA Tournament, EWU was picked second by the coaches and third by the media.
With three starters back and eight total letterwinners returning, Eastern has the ingredients to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015.
"It's great to be recognized, and we've put in a lot of hard work," said Eastern head coach
Shantay Legans. "I've been here 11 years and this may be the first time we've been picked first – that's a great accomplishment in itself. Our players have done an unbelievable job of getting better each year. Our coaching staff gets them ready and prepared, and our guys play with a lot of confidence. I think that's what the other coaches have seen in some of our players."
Eastern received eight of 11 first-place votes cast by the coaches, and had 96 total points. Montana, with the other three first-place votes and 87 total, was picked to finish as the runner-up, with Weber State a close third with 86 points. Last season, for the second-straight year, Montana beat Eastern in the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
"Our team wants it a lot, but you can say that about every team in the country," Legans said. "We all want to get to the NCAA Tournament, and sometimes you have to be lucky to get there. We've gotten to the championship game but have fallen short, losing to Montana both times. Getting there is a great accomplishment and it's something we do think about. We just have to get better as the season progresses and have the depth we need when we get to the conference tournament."
In the media poll, Eastern was third with 330 points and received nine first-place votes, just behind Montana with 354 points (13 first-place votes) and Weber State with 345 (12). Northern Colorado was fourth with 275 points and a pair of first-place tallies.
Southern Utah, which advanced to the Collegeinsider.com Tournament a year ago, was picked to finish fourth by the coaches and fifth by the media, with UNC fifth in the coaches poll. The next six teams were all the same in both polls – Portland State, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, Idaho State and Idaho.
"The Big Sky schedule is most important for us," added Legans, whose team started the season 1-9 a year ago before going 12-8 in the league to finish at 16-18 on the season. "You lose one game in the Big Sky Tournament and you aren't going to the NCAA Tournament. Your goal is to try to play your best basketball in the three or four games you play in the tournament. You have to make sure you are ready for that."
A Look at Returning Eagles from the 2018-19 Season
Entering his third season at the helm, Eastern head coach
Shantay Legans is dreaming of a year of health for his Eagle squad. An injury-plagued season in 2018-19 ended with a second-straight appearance in the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game for the Eagles, and four of the main players from that squad return. Eastern had its fourth-straight season with 10 Big Sky wins or more and a sixth-straight year with a winning league record. Eastern is 65-29 in Big Sky play in those six years for a .691 winning percentage.
Senior
Mason Peatling is back after earning second team All-Big Sky honors for the Eagles, with junior
Jacob Davison earning third team accolades despite missing the last 10 games with an ankle injury. Both were among the six players chosen league-wide as preseason All-Big Sky selections for the 2019-20 season.
Peatling averaged 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a year ago, and was also selected to the Big Sky All-Tournament team after averaging 20.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in three games while sinking 62.9 percent of his shots from the field. He missed EWU's first nine games with a toe injury, and his return turned out to be the turning point of the season for the Eagles. Once he returned, Peatling was EWU's leading scorer in nine of the 22 games he played (13-9 record), and also led in rebounds eight times. An honorable mention All-Big Sky selection as a sophomore, as a junior he was seventh in league-only statistics in scoring (15.3), fifth in shooting (58.6 percent) and fourth in rebounding (7.2), but didn't rank among the overall league leaders (a player must play in 75 percent of a team's games to be ranked). Peatling scored at least 20 points three of his last four games, including 20 with seven rebounds in a 77-61 victory over Southern Utah (3/15/19) in the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. One game earlier versus Montana State (3/14/19) he had a career-high 28 points with 14 rebounds and two blocked shots for his third double-double of the season and eighth of his career.
Until an ankle injury on Feb. 16 forced him to miss the last 10 games, Davison had been the hottest player for the Eagles if not the entire Big Sky. He averaged 23.8 points in his last nine outings, including the seventh-most points in school history with 41 versus Northern Arizona on Feb. 4 to help him earn Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors. Davison started 19 of the 22 games he played, and finished with averages of 15.2 points on the season and a team-leading 18.5 in league play, which would have ranked fifth in the Big Sky if he had played enough of EWU's games to qualify (75 percent). Besides missing the last 10 games, wrist and ankle injuries kept Davison out of the first two games and preseason practices.
Peatling and Davison are joined by sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr., who averaged 11.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots with a pair of double-doubles in his first postseason experience to join Peatling in earning Big Sky All-Tournament accolades. Aiken ended his redshirt freshman season with an average of 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per outing as a sub off the bench in 19 of the 30 games he played (11 as a starter). A candidate for Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year honors, Aiken averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in Big Sky Conference play, including 11.6 and 7.7, respectively, in the last 10 games as a starter as an injury replacement for
Jacob Davison. He had three double-doubles, 11 blocked shots and 10 steals in those 10 games, shooting at a 46.1 percent clip from the field with 17 3-pointers.
Eastern's third returning starter is point guard
Tyler Kidd, who averaged 12.0 points and 3.8 assists as a junior college transfer in the 2018-19 season. Kidd ranked 23rd in the Big Sky with an average of 12.0 points per game during league play, plus averaged 3.8 assists to rank seventh. Kidd came off the bench in the first 12 games he played (he did not play in three), but started all 19 games since Jan. 10. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.1 assists overall, while scoring in double figures in 16 of the last 24 games (none in the first seven games he played). Overall, he was ninth in the league in assists (3.1), ninth in 3-point field goal percentage (.423, 41-of-97) and 11th in free throw percentage (79.5 percent, 66-of-83). In league games only, Kidd was ninth in free throw shooting (81.2 percent, 56-of-69).
Jack Perry started 11 of 32 games in his sophomore season in 2018-19 and averaged 4.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Sophomore
Tanner Groves contributed 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds with 18 blocks as a true freshman.
In all, Eastern returns eight letterwinners while losing four. Eastern's 18-player roster in 2019-20 is rounded out by six newcomers, a trio of 2018-19 redshirts and a transfer who had to sit out most of last season with an injury.
Series Notes
Eastern has lost the last 24 meetings against Gonzaga, with the last Eastern win in the series coming on Jan. 8, 1990, in Spokane by a 70-55 score. Eastern is 5-34 versus Gonzaga since Eastern moved to NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season, including a 2-17 record at Gonzaga, 2-12 mark in Cheney and 1-5 record on neutral courts. The two teams paired off in the Inland Empire Classic at the old Spokane Coliseum in November of 1986 and 1987. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 81-52.
Since EWU moved to NCAA Division I, Eastern is 23-64 versus current members of the Big West Conference. Loyola Marymount is the only school from that league Eastern has never played. All-time, Eastern is 75-114 versus the WCC.
Looking Back . . . #23 Gonzaga 77, Eastern Washington 69 (11/11/11)
After responding time and time again from Gonzaga scoring runs, Eastern opened the 2011-12 season and the Jim Hayford coaching era with a respectable 77-69 loss to the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs on Nov. 11, 2011, at the McCarthey Center in Spokane, Wash. Eastern held four leads in the second half – its last with 6:48 to play -- and nearly pulled off an upset in the EWU coaching debut for Hayford. The game was the season-opener for both the Bulldogs out of the West Coast Conference and the Eagles from the Big Sky, as the Bulldogs won for the 24th-straight time over EWU. Senior point guard Cliff Colimon and junior college transfer Collin Chiverton led the way by combining for 42 points for the Eagles. Chiverton, a former redshirt at GU rival Saint Mary's in California, made 6-of-12 shots from the 3-point arc and 8-of-24 shots from the field to finish with a game-high 25 points. Colimon made 3-of-7 treys and finished with 17 points to go along with a game and career-high eight assists. However, Colimon hardly played in the final 10 minutes after picking up his fourth and fifth fouls down the stretch. In fact, five players fouled out for the Eagles, who were whistled for 33 fouls in the game. Gonzaga made 36-of-51 free throws in the game, including a 14-of-18 performance by 7-foot Robert Sacre, who finished with a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Bulldogs also had a dominating 50-29 rebounding advantage, including 22 offensive rebounds. The game featured an early 10-all tie as both teams combined for paltry 5-of-24 shooting with 11 turnovers in the opening minutes. Chiverton hit a pair of treys, and Eastern took a 16-13 lead with 9:05 left. But the Bulldogs followed with 9-0 run to begin to pull away after a half that featured five ties and four lead changes. Another 6-0 run put the Bulldogs up 28-18, and eventually GU would take a 12-point lead and led 38-35 at halftime. Gonzaga led 47-39 in the second half, but the Eagles kept making shots, and back-to-back 3-pointers by Jordan Hickert and Jeffrey Forbes gave EWU a 52-48 advantage with 13:25 to play. The lead changed hands several times before Jeffrey Forbes hit a trey to put Eastern up 65-64 with 6:48 to play. But EWU went the next five minutes without a field goal, and GU responded by making 8-of-10 free throws in that stretch to regain an insurmountable 72-65 lead. A field goal by Willie Hankins cut the lead to six with just under two minutes left, but a basket by Sacre and two more GU free throws put the game out of reach.
Looking Back Further . . . #24 Gonzaga 86, Eastern Washington 57 (11/30/10)
A barrage of three-pointers in the first half helped 24th-ranked Gonzaga open a 49-20 lead at halftime and the Bulldogs went on to defeat undermanned Eastern 86-57 Nov. 30, 2010, in a non-conference college basketball game at the McCarthey Center in Spokane, Wash. Gonzaga, unranked in the Associated Press poll but ranked 24th by the coaches, hit 9-of-10 treys in the first half, including a remarkable 6-of-7 performance by Steven Gray. Guard Jeffrey Forbes scored 18 points and had seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Eagles, who played the game without a true point guard for the third time in six games and played with only eight players against GU. Gray finished with all 18 of his points in the first half. A total of four Bulldogs scored in double figures, including 13 by Mathi Moenninghoff, who made all five of his shots and all three of his three-point attempts. The Bulldogs finished the game making 58 percent of their shots from the field, including 11-of-16 three-point attempts (69 percent). Eastern made only 34 percent, including 8-of-24 from the three-point stripe (33 percent). The Eagles were out-rebounded 37-36 and finished with five more turnovers than GU (21-16). Guard Kevin Winford added 11 points, and Tremayne Johnson and Cliff Ederaine chipped in nine and eight, respectively.
List of Games in the Series (since EWU became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season)
12/7/83 L Gonzaga 57-86 A
1/10/84 L Gonzaga 80-91 H
2/5/85 L Gonzaga 52-62 A
2/11/85 W Gonzaga 66-63 H
1/10/86 W Gonzaga 56-54 H
2/12/86 W Gonzaga 60-58 A
11/29/86 W Gonzaga 62-60 3
12/20/86 L Gonzaga 58-87 A
1/20/87 L Gonzaga 69-79 H
11/28/87 L Gonzaga 61-82 5
12/5/87 L Gonzaga 63-75 A
1/5/88 L Gonzaga 68-88 H
12/1/88 L Gonzaga 63-75 H
12/10/88 L Gonzaga 68-70 A
1/8/90 W Gonzaga 70-55 A
12/13/90 L Gonzaga 67-108 H
12/15/90 L Gonzaga 63-81 A
12/15/91 L Gonzaga 67-74 A
1/4/92 L Gonzaga 49-67 H
12/23/92 L Gonzaga 50-71 A
1/9/93 L Gonzaga 68-73 H
12/11/93 L Gonzaga 54-99 A
12/22/94 L Gonzaga 58-68 H
12/22/95 L Gonzaga 55-68 A
1/5/96 L Gonzaga 53-63 H
12/21/96 L Gonzaga 65-80 H
12/14/97 L Gonzaga 78-100 A
11/30/98 L Gonzaga 59-81 H
11/26/99 L Gonzaga 47-81 A
11/17/00 L Gonzaga 65-74 H
12/4/01 L Gonzaga 74-84 OT A
12/22/02 L Gonzaga 64-67 34
12/31/03 L Gonzaga (ranked #16) 49-70 34
12/21/04 L Gonzaga (ranked #13) 70-83 34
12/19/05 L Gonzaga (ranked #8) 65-75 34
11/10/06 L Gonzaga 75-90 A
12/28/09 L Gonzaga (ranked #22) 52-94 A
11/30/10 L Gonzaga (ranked #24) 57-86 A
11/11/11 L Gonzaga (ranked #23) 69-77 A
3 -- Inland Empire Classic at Spokane Coliseum in Spokane, Wash. (EWU 3rd)
5 -- Inland Empire Classic at Spokane Coliseum in Spokane, Wash. (EWU 4th)
34 -- Played at the Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash.
Schedule Notes
Eagles Face Eight Different Leagues in 2019-20 Season
In all, Eastern faces nine non-conference foes from eight different NCAA Division I leagues who combined for a 191-108 record (.666) a year ago, and were a collective 96-56 (.632) in their respective leagues.
Eastern picked up a win at Seattle University in its opener on Nov. 9, helping EWU improve to 19-16 all-time versus current teams in the Western Athletic Conference (12-13 since EWU moved to NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season). Versus Seattle, Eastern is 16-11 overall and 9-8 as a DI member.
Following an 80-62 loss at Saint Louis, the Eagles are now 1-2 all-time versus the Billikens, and are 2-3 against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference – all with EWU as a member of NCAA Division I.
The Eagles lost at Boston College on Nov. 20 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools, and just the fourth ever against a current team in the Atlantic Coast Conference (all as DI member). Eastern lost to Pitt, Virginia Tech and Syracuse (just last season in 2019) in those other three games.
Eastern followed that by playing its first-ever meetings against High Point and Belmont, with EWU now owning a 2-0 all-time record versus current Big South Conference members after a 90-74 win over the Panthers. A 75-61 win over Winthrop on Nov. 16, 2002, was EWU's other win over a Big South opponent. After beating Belmont 87-82, the Eagles are 4-5 versus the Ohio Valley Conference (4-3 as a DI member).The last meeting versus an OVC member was on Nov. 22, 2017, when Eastern beat Eastern Kentucky 83-62 in the MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas, Nevada (Eastern finished 3rd in the Middleweight Bracket).
The University of Washington of the Pac-12 Conference was EWU's next opponent, and the Eagles are now 1-16 all-time versus the Huskies with a 12-game losing streak after the 90-80 loss. Eastern hasn't beaten them since Dec. 14, 2002, and is 13-88 all-time versus the Pac-12 (3-46 as a member of DI). Eastern snapped a 21-game losing streak versus the Pac-12 with a 67-61 victory at Stanford on Nov. 14, 2017.
Former Big Sky member North Dakota was next, and EWU is now 6-7 all-time against the Fighting Hawks (4-6 as DI member) after a 98-82 triumph. That game, as well as EWU's first-ever meeting against Omaha on Dec. 17, is now part of the Big Sky Conference Versus Summit League Challenge Series. Eastern won that contest 97-56, and is now 12-16 all-time versus that league, with all but two (the first two meetings versus UND) coming with EWU as a member of NCAA Division I.
Eastern concludes its non-conference schedule against Gonzaga, a powerhouse team EWU is 52-81 against all-time (5-34 since EWU moved to NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season). The Eagles have lost the last 24 meetings in the series dating back to the last Eagle victory on Jan. 8, 1990 by a 70-55 score at GU. The last time the two teams played came on Nov. 11, 2011, and Eastern fell to the 23rd-ranked Bulldogs 77-69 in the first game of the EWU coaching career of Jim Hayford. Eastern is now 75-114 all-time versus current members of the West Coast Conference, including a 23-64 mark since moving to Division I.
Eastern in Second Year of Four-Year Big Sky Versus Summit League Challenge Series
Members of the Big Sky Conference and Summit League have agreed to a four-year men's basketball series involving four teams from each league, which began during the 2018-19 season.
Each school will play one home game and road contest against separate schools from the other league during each of the four seasons. Big Sky schools participating are Eastern, Montana State, Montana and Idaho. The Summit is represented by North Dakota State, North Dakota, Omaha and South Dakota State. North Dakota's final year of membership in the Big Sky was in 2017-18 before moving to the Summit League, but the Eagles are still playing the Fighting Hawks again as part of the four-year rivalry series between the two leagues.
So far, EWU is 2-2 in the series, losing on the road at North Dakota State (74-67) and at home versus South Dakota State (74-64) a year ago, then beating North Dakota 98-82 on Dec. 8, 2019, and Omaha 97-56 on Dec. 17, 2019, in a pair of home games. The Big Sky was 4-4 in the eight games played in the challenge series last season and 4-2 this year thus far.
2019-20 (Big Sky 4-2 versus Summit) -- North Dakota State 70, at Idaho 53 (Nov. 26), at Montana State 77, South Dakota State 70 (Dec. 5), at Montana 77, North Dakota 70 (Dec. 6),
at Eastern Washington 98, North Dakota 82 (Dec. 8), at North Dakota State 79, Montana State 65 (Dec. 16),
at Eastern Washington 97, Omaha 56 (Dec. 17), Montana at Omaha (Dec. 21), Idaho at South Dakota State (Dec. 21).
2018-19 (Big Sky 4-4 versus Summit) -- at North Dakota State 74, Eastern Washington 67; South Dakota State 74, at Eastern Washington 64; at Montana State 81, North Dakota 76, at Omaha 89, Montana State 65; Montana 85, at South Dakota State 74, at Montana 60, North Dakota State 53; Omaha 89, at Idaho 80, Idaho 67, at North Dakota 54.
2020-21 -- North Dakota State at Eastern Washington, Eastern Washington at South Dakota State, Montana State at North Dakota, Omaha at Montana State, South Dakota State at Montana, Montana at North Dakota State, Idaho at Omaha, North Dakota at Idaho.
2021-22 -- Eastern Washington at Omaha, Eastern Washington at North Dakota, Montana State at South Dakota State, North Dakota State at Montana State, South Dakota State at Idaho, Idaho at North Dakota State, Montana at North Dakota, Omaha at Montana.
More on the Gotham Classic
Eastern played four games in November – including a home game against Belmont (an 87-82 Eagle win) -- as part of the Gotham Classic, which is presented by the Gazelle Group. More information on the event is available at: http://www.gazellegroup.com/main/gotham.
Besides EWU and Belmont, other teams include Saint Louis, Boston College and High Point. The Eagles appeared in the 2015 Gotham Classic, and in recent years have participated in several other events hosted by the Gazelle Group.
Eastern's four games in the tournament are highlighted by a home game versus Belmont on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Located in Nashville, Tenn., the Bruins finished 27-6 a year ago and received an at-large bid as a No. 11 seed to the NCAA Tournament. Belmont beat Temple 81-70 in the "First Four" and then fell to Maryland 79-77 in the first round.
As part of the Gotham Classic, EWU also played at Saint Louis on Nov. 13, Boston College on Nov. 20 and High Point on Nov. 23 in games that took the Eagles to Missouri, Massachusetts and North Carolina. Eastern beat High Point (90-74), but fell to Saint Louis (82-60) and BC (72-68).
Highlighting the Gotham Classic was a Nov. 27 matchup between Boston College and Saint Louis in Chestnut Hill, Mass., which was won by SLU 64-54. In the 2018 Gotham Classic, Notre Dame defeated Duquesne, 67-56, in the Showcase Game.
Schedule of Games
(Records: Saint Louis 4-0, EWU 2-2, Belmont 2-2, Boston College 2-2, High Point 0-4)
Nov. 13 – at Boston College 53, High Point 33
Nov. 13 – at Saint Louis 80, Eastern Washington 62
Nov. 16 – Belmont 100, at Boston College 85
Nov. 18 – at Belmont 90, High Point 51
Nov. 20 – at Boston College 72, Eastern Washington 68
Nov. 20 – at Saint Louis 67, High Point 55
Nov. 23 – at Saint Louis 60, Belmont 55
Nov. 23 – Eastern Washington 90, at High Point 74
Nov. 26 –at Eastern Washington 87, Belmont 82
Nov. 27 – Saint Louis 64, at Boston College 54
First played in 2012, the Gotham Classic features five teams from across the country in one of the most competitive events of its kind. In eight short years, the tournament has attracted the likes of Syracuse, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Louisville, Memphis, Davidson, Pittsburgh, NC State, and West Virginia, among a host of other prominent programs.
Recent Game Recaps
Another Flurry of Points Leads Eagles to 97-56 Win
In the precursor to EWU's rare visit to No. 2 Gonzaga, EWU concluded its perfect three-game homestand with an impressive 97-56 victory over Omaha on Dec. 17 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Eastern's big three of senior
Mason Peatling, junior
Jacob Davison and sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr. combined for 54 points in the win, including 40 in the first half when the Eagles opened a 21-point halftime lead. Both Peatling and Aiken had double-doubles in the contest. Of the 13 players who saw action for the Eagles, 11 scored. Seven different Eagles hit 3-pointers as the Eagles finished 13-of-36 from the arc for 36 percent. Aiken led the way with five, as he finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season and 11th of his career. Peatling finished with his second-straight double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and also had four assists. Davison finished with 12 points and six assists, and true freshman
Ellis Magnuson had 10 points, seven assists and a pair of steals. Eastern finished the game with 28 assists on 39 baskets made. Eastern used a 19-0 run spanning intermission to break open the game, and led by as many as 43. Eastern seized control early as Peatling picked up where he left off from Dec. 13 when he scored a Big Sky Conference record 54 points versus Multnomah. The reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week, Peatling scored 12 of EWU's first 15 points as the Eagles led 15-10. Eastern gradually opened an eight-point lead shortly after that, then ended the half with a huge 14-0 run capped by a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Aiken to give EWU a 49-28 halftime lead. Aiken scored 11 of his 13 first-half points in the run, and Peatling scored the other three as he ended the half with 17 points and six rebounds. Eastern scored the first five points in the second half, including a dunk by Davison to lead by 26. The Eagles held the Mavericks without scoring for 4:24 during the 19-0 run, and went on to hold Omaha to 33.3 percent shooting for the game, including just 19 percent from the 3-point line (3-of-16). Eastern shot at a 54.2 percent clip, a high against a NCAA Division I opponent this season.
Peatling Sets Big Sky Scoring Record with 54 as Eagles Roll Past Multnomah 146-89
Eastern senior forward
Mason Peatling scored a Big Sky Conference record 54 points as the Eagles overwhelmed undersized Multnomah 146-89 on Dec. 13 at the friendly – and high-scoring – confines of Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Peatling broke the record of 53 set by Willie Humes of Idaho State against Montana State on Feb. 20, 1971. He scored 34 in the first half alone, coming three from the league record in a half. His 24 field goals were also a league and EWU record and his 30 attempts broke a school record. He finished with 13 rebounds to complete his ninth double-double of his career and first of the season. Eastern scored 96 of its points inside the paint, compared to just 20 for the Lions. The Eagles also had a dominating 67-27 rebounding advantage as the 6-foot-9 Peatling and 6-7 Aiken were too much inside for Multnomah, whose tallest player was 6-6. Junior
Jacob Davison added 21 points, and sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr. had his sixth double-double of the season and 10th of his career with 16 points and 22 rebounds. Aiken's rebounds were a career high and equal the second-most in school history behind the record of 28. Eastern's 146 points were also league and school records, eclipsing the former record of 130. Eastern's 59 field goals also broke league and school marks, and EWU's 93 attempts, 67 rebounds and 39 assists were high-water marks in school history as well. Eastern scored 80 points in the first half alone – two from the Big Sky record, then poured it on from there.
Jacob Groves hit a basket with six minutes left to break the school and league record of 130 set on Feb. 4, 2017, and matched earlier this season by Weber State against West Coast Baptist in a 130-50 victory on Nov. 19. Besides the Big 3 of Peatling, Davison and Aiken, redshirt freshman
Casson Rouse had seven points and nine rebounds, and sophomore
Tanner Groves came off the bench to net 17. True freshman
Ellis Magnuson dished out nine assists, and another true freshman,
Tyler Robertson had seven to go along with six points. A total of 12 players scored for EWU. Besides breaking the Big Sky scoring record, Peatling shattered the previous school record of 45 shared by three players – Rodney Stuckey,
Jacob Groves and
Bogdan Bliznyuk. Eastern led early 12-2, then a 21-3 run broke the game open. Eastern led by as many as 33 in the first half, and went on to lead by as many as 58 in the second half. The Lions finished Friday's game 21-of-58 from the 3-point stripe (36.2 percent) as Justin Martin – a graduate of Spokane's Lewis & Clark High School – poured in 34. He made 13-of-38 shots overall, including 6-of-18 from the arc, and also had 11 assists.
Davison Scores 39 in Eastern's 98-82 Victory Over North Dakota
With five players scoring in double figures led by the 39 of junior
Jacob Davison, Eastern beat the North Dakota Fighting Hawks from the Summit League 98-82 on Dec. 8 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Eastern had a 13-0 run in the first half and 12-0 in the second half to overcome deficits, and led by as many as 19 down the stretch. The Eagles forced 15 turnovers and had just six themselves, leading to a 25-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Eastern also had a 20-2 lead in fastbreak points, and a 40-38 rebounding advantage. Davison's performance was two shy of his career high of 41, and ranks as the 10th-best in school history. Sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr. had his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 15 rebounds, true freshman
Ellis Magnuson had 14 points and six assists, senior
Mason Peatling tallied 12 and sophomore
Tanner Groves came off the bench to score 11. Davison finished 17-of-27 from the field, including a 3-of-5 performance from the 3-point stripe. He also had a career-high five steals with six rebounds and five assists. Groves had three blocks and five rebounds to go along with his 11 points, and his younger brother,
Jacob Groves, hit both field goals he attempted and had two boards. Aiken had the ninth double-double of his career and made 4-of-8 shots from the field. Peatling hit 5-of-11 shots and added four rebounds, and Magnuson finished with a season-high 14 points and six assists on 6-of-13 shooting. Davison scored 19 of his points in the first half when he hit 8-of-14 shots, while Aiken had 10 of his rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Eastern made just five of its first 18 shots, but points off turnovers sparked a 13-of-22 finish to the half. Eastern had a 13-2 advantage in points off turnovers in the half, forcing nine while having just two of its own. A 13-0 run in the first half turned a five-point deficit into an eight-point advantage, as five different Eagles scored with Aiken netting the final five with a dunk and 3-pointer. Eastern led 42-39 at halftime, holding UND to three makes in its last 10 shots after a 12-of-22 start by the Fighting Hawks. North Dakota used an 8-0 run to regain a six-point lead early in the second half, but the Eagles came alive with a 12-0 run to take the lead for good. Groves made a pair of baskets to start the hot stretch, followed by 3-pointers by Aiken and Davison. Magnuson capped the run with a layin with 7:51 left to give EWU a 73-62 advantage.
Fast Start for Eagles, But 22nd-Ranked Huskies Win 90-80
The Eagles certainly got the attention of the Huskies, and it began with a 10-1 start. Eastern gave No. 22/23 Washington everything it could handle for 15 minutes on Dec. 4, but UW pulled away in the second half for a 90-80 win at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Sophomore
Kim Aiken Jr. paved the way for Eastern with a season-high 20 points, including a 3-pointer with five minutes to play in the first half and knot the score at 33 after a start which saw the Eagles lead 10-1. However, Washington scored 14 of the last 16 points in the first half, and then opened up a 20-point lead in the second half. Junior
Jacob Davison chipped in 12 points and senior
Tyler Kidd came off the bench to also score 12 for EWU. Aiken scored his 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field and 6-of-12 from the 3-point stripe, as he eclipsed the 24 he had against Southern Utah on Feb. 2, 2019. The rest of the team, however, was 20-of-51 (39.2 percent) overall and 4-of-20 (20.0 percent) from the arc. Davison led the Eagles with eight rebounds and two steals, and also joined Rouse in finishing with four assists. True freshman
Ellis Magnuson had a team-high eight assists. Turnovers played a big part in the loss for EWU. Seventeen Eagle turnovers led to 19 Washington points – a season high for a team versus EWU this season – with 12 UW points off nine EWU turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Eastern also missed 10 of their 22 attempted free throws, including a 3-of-10 performance in the first half. Washington was 29-of-36 at the line. The Eagles jumped out to a quick 10-1 lead, with
Casson Rouse sinking a pair of 3-pointers as EWU sank its first four shots. But a 10-0 Husky run wiped out the lead, and then the rest of the half was a battle. There were four three ties and four lead changes and EWU trailed 47-35 at intermission. Eastern was within 12 with 11:12 remaining in the game when the Huskies provided a dagger with a 13-5 run to open a 20-point advantage at the four-minute mark. But EWU's 43.3 percent shooting overall and 31.3 percent shooting from the 3-point stripe (10-of-32) was too much to overcome.
Eastern Pulls Away Late to Beat Belmont 87-82
In the definition of a team win, Eastern sank its final 10 free throws in the last 4 1/2 minutes to help the Eagles defeat a powerful Belmont University squad 87-82 on Nov. 26 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. Playing at home for the first time since a 107-25 thrashing of Portland Bible College three weeks earlier, Eastern led for just 8:40 of the game, but was able to take the lead for good with 3:58 to play with an 8-0 run.
Kim Aiken Jr., scored eight of EWU's last 12 points on his way to his fourth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Six Eagles scored in double figures, as all nine players who saw action scored and had at least one rebound. Senior
Mason Peatling led the Eagles with 17 points, and true freshman point guard
Ellis Magnuson, redshirt freshman
Casson Rouse, sophomore
Tanner Groves and junior
Jacob Davison also scored in double figures. Peatling scored his 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, and also had five rebounds and a pair of steals. Groves came off the bench to score 14, hitting 6-of-12 shots and grabbing four boards. Magnuson had 13 points and nine assists in just his sixth game as a collegian, and Rouse and Aiken each finished with 11. Rouse added four assists and three rebounds, and Aiken had 11 rebounds and a pair of steals. Davison was EWU's final player in double figures with 10, but also scoring were
Jacob Groves (Tanner's younger brother) with five and
Tyler Kidd and
Tyler Robertson with three apiece. Eastern sank 13-of-17 free throws in the game and had 10 3 pointers despite getting out-shot 53 percent to 51 percent and out-rebounded 35-32. Eastern held the Bruins to nine 3-pointers on 24 attempts for 37.5 percent in the game. Eastern trailed early 7-0, but clawed back to knot the game at 40 just before halftime. Eastern took a 68-65 lead in the second half on a basket by
Tanner Groves, then the game was tied at 75-all when Peatling made a pair of free throws. That started an 8-0 run that included a basket by Aiken with 3:58 to play to take the lead for good. Aiken also made two free throws with 3:18 left, two with 12 seconds remaining and the icing on the cake with a pair with 3.8 ticks on the clock. A missed front end of a one-plus-one free throw opportunity by the Bruins helped set-up the final four charity shots for Aiken.
Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .
On Omaha Win: "Pace of the game was the key and that is what we put on the white board in the locker room. We wanted to play fast and push the ball up the court to make sure they had to run back. As they game wore on they were getting tired. We have a smart basketball team and they are going to do what's best for our team. We have some great leaders out there and they played really well. Our assistant coaches had our team revved up and ready to go and there were no letdowns. They understood exactly how important this game was. We wanted to come out of it 7-3 and win every game at home during the non-conference schedule and we did that. That was an important thing for us to do."
On Running and Running: "I give a lot of credit to Omaha – they have been all over the country playing games. We've been down that road, and you don't want to give the road team life early. But you need to run them into the ground and go non-stop, then keep running and running. You would have thought one of our plays was 'run' because that's what we were yelling at our guys. We just had to get into their legs and they were tired. We did a really good job of exposing that."
On Sharing the Basketball: "Twenty-eight assists is a good number.
Jacob Davison is going to get keyed on almost every game he plays, and he had six assists and only two turnovers.
Ellis Magnuson is really coming around, and had seven assists and is leading the league, which is really huge for a freshman to do that. We also had Mason with three and multiple guys with three –
Jack Perry had some great looks made some great passes."
On 7-3 Start: "Our guys are understanding what you need and are playing the game the right way. They are playing with passion and energy, and that makes it really easy to coach. Everybody is sticking with it and working to get better. The teammates, leadership and their involvement together is huge."
On Mason Peatling & Multmomah Win: "Mason had a great game and it was fun to watch him play. Our guys were smart and got him touches. We have such an unselfish team – we had 39 assists against Multnomah – and we have players who put other people ahead of themselves. A lot of guys could have done that, but it was Mason's night. There were guys guarding him that weren't big enough. Our team did a great job, and it makes you proud as a coach to see them extremely happy for a teammate to be able to do something like that."
On Tanner Groves: "We want him to play that tough, go to the rim and dunk the ball. He makes us better when he plays that way. Tanner is going to be one of the best big men in this conference – he's unbelievable inside, outside, shooting touch, defense and athleticism. He's going to be a player the bigger schools are going to say 'how does Eastern have a player like that.' He has a chance to be one of the best players to come out of this league – he has that type of game."
On 98-Point Outing Versus North Dakota: "We saw that the floor was spread, and Jacob did a great job of getting to the rim. Tanner came in and did a really good job offensively and defensively, and that really changed the flow of the game. And his brother, Jacob, made some key baskets down on the block when we needed them. Our bigs did a great job of keeping the pressure off our shooters."
On Jacob Davison Versus North Dakota: "He did a great job, but it was all in the flow of the offense. We weren't doing anything different for him. The way they were defending is what got him those baskets. A lot of times teams have to pick their poison with us. He's such a talented scorer and does so many things on offense which makes him hard to guard. He can drive, he can hit the mid-range jump shot and he shoots the three well."
On Washington Loss: "We're disappointed to lose to UW, but you just have to keep getting better. We competed – I thought it was a winnable game. We appreciate the hospitality of the University of Washington and got to play a great game, but I thought we left some points out there and had too many fouls. We have be smart, and make sure our guys know how important it is to have them stay on the court and not get into foul trouble too early."
On Belmont Victory: "Our team came in and took advantage of our opportunity to play a team like that here at home. Belmont is a very well-coached team and a good basketball club. But it was our night – we played well and we played hard. We followed the game plan to a tee. We did a good job and our assistant coaches did a remarkable job of getting our team prepared. We came out with a win in front of a good crowd during a holiday week. We appreciate them coming out and the atmosphere was awesome. The last minute was surreal – it was loud in here, jumpin' and fun. It was a team effort."
On Ellis Magnuson: "He's a very good basketball player, and he is going to be very good for us down the road. He was great for us against High Point. He is an extremely hard worker -- he gets in the gym every morning and every night. He and Kim Aiken are always getting into the gym, and you always like to see those guys that work hard to see it pay off. He's a freshman point guard, and I believe that is the hardest position, especially playing for me. I'm really hard on point guards. Anyone who's been around me knows that the big guys can mess up, but the point guards have to be really good and mentally tough. He is a very mentally tough kid, and he will be a great player. He's going to break a lot of records here and had eight assists. He might have had more if guys didn't miss some shots. He sees the floor well."
On Davison & Aiken: "Those two players are very dynamic offensive players – they are both good shooters. They are going to get their shooting percentages up – it's early in the season. They will figure out where they are going to get their shots, and as we move forward for the season it's going to be good for those two guys and Mason too.
On Effort at Seattle: "If you don't get efforts like that you don't win games. This win was huge and it was a long time coming. It was well-deserved by our team – we were playing our first road game and this team is healthy. We rebounded the ball in the second half which is important, and we limited them at the 3-point line. It's an exciting time. We are so happy to play the way we did. If Eagle Nation watched this game they would be proud of this team, and the fight we will give every single night."
