­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (7-4/0-0 Big Sky) Saturday, Dec. 28 – at Weber State – 1:05 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30 – at Idaho State – 6:05 p.m. all times Pacific
Radio:	EWU games are on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area with Larry Weir calling the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff.
Internet Radio:	https://tunein.com/radio/Eastern-Washington-Basketball-s308823/?_branch_match_id=723936718277085088
Radio  Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio
TV:	None
­­­Webcast:	Fans can also watch the broadcast via Pluto TV channel 534 for EWU games (535 Weber State and 543 for Idaho State) or via https://bigskyconf.com/sports/2015/11/19/WatchBigSky.aspx
Live Stats:	EWU Home Games (plus games at Weber State and Idaho State): http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. and is aired live on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM. That show is expected to take place live at 24 Taps Burgers & Brews in Spokane (825 W. Riverside). CLICK HERE for a complete schedule.

The season starts anew for Big Sky Conference men's basketball teams, although Eastern Washington University's preseason was one to look back on proudly.
 
With the second-best preseason in EWU's 37-year history in NCAA Division I, the Eagles begin league play at Weber State on Saturday (Dec. 28) and Monday (Dec. 30) versus a pair of teams who didn't have as much success in the win column in November and December.
 
The Weber State and Idaho State games 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. Fans can also watch the broadcast via Pluto TV or via https://bigskyconf.com/sports/2015/11/19/WatchBigSky.aspx.
 
"We'll start our Big Sky journey and hopefully win a championship," said head coach Shantay Legans, whose team has been picked by the league's head coaches to win the league title this season. "We're really excited to have the opportunity to go on the road and play Weber State in our first game."
 
While Eastern finished 7-4 during its pre-conference schedule, Weber State was just 4-7 and Idaho State was even lower at 3-7. But Legans knows the slate is wiped clean, and any of the leagues teams can step up and challenge his squad, which features three of the top players in the league in senior Mason Peatling, junior Jacob Davison and sophomore Kim Aiken Jr.
 
While the Eagles are a perfect 5-0 at home thus far, Eastern is 2-4 on the road after getting defeated soundly by now No. 1 Gonzaga 112-77 on Dec. 21. A year ago, Eastern managed to end the season with a road sweep over the Wildcats (80-77) and Bengals (91-62), and now, oddly enough, EWU opens the 2019-20 on the road against those same two teams.
 
"We're excited to start league play," said Legans. "It's going to be a lot of fun, but that road trip is always tough for us. Weber State and Idaho State are both playing pretty good basketball right now. It's exciting to start league play and we have to be ready."
 
The Eagles don't have any common opponents with Weber State, but the Wildcats are 3-1 at home thus far while going 1-6 away from Ogden, Utah. Most recently, Weber State lost at BYU 91-61 and its last win over a NCAA Division I opponent was 72-67 at Utah Valley on Dec. 4.
 
Senior guard Jerrick Harding paces Weber State with a 20.7 scoring average to lead the league, and was the preseason choice to win league MVP honors this season. He has a current total of 1,828 career points in 107 career games, with the Big Sky record of 2,518 set by Tyler Hall of Montana State from 2015-19. Fellow guard Cody John averages 11.3 points for Weber State.
 
"They have really good guards," said Legans. "We've been watching them -- and most all of the Big Sky Conference teams -- and Weber State is good. Their record doesn't indicate it right now, but it's the same as anybody in the Big Sky – it's a new season.
 
"They have Harding who can really put the ball in the basket, and he could break the scoring record in the Big Sky," Legans added. "Cody John is a veteran who has played in big games and has done a great job there for them. Weber State has some size on the inside that is pretty good – their bigs are young but they play smart and hard. Coach Randy Rahe is one of the best coaches in the league and they have one of the best players in the league – hands down."
 
Idaho State plays Idaho before hosting the Eagles, and is 3-6 under first-year head coach Ryan Looney. The Bengals have dropped their last three, and haven't won since beating West Coast Baptist 102-43 on Nov. 27. Their only NCAA Division I victory was on Nov. 7 when they won on the road at Air Force 89-79.
 
Tarik Cool leads three Idaho State players averaging in double figures at 14.4 per game, followed by Chier Maker at 12:6 and Jared Stutzman at 11.7. Cool had 41 in the victory versus Air Force.
 
Eastern's last victory was a 97-56 win over Omaha in which EWU led by as many as 43. The Eagles were a perfect 3-0 during a homestand from Dec. Dec. 8 to Dec. 17, but won't play again at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., until Jan. 4. The Eagles averaged 113.7 points and out-scored opponents by an average of 38.0 points per game during the three-game winning streak (98-82 over North Dakota, 146-89 over Multnomah and 97-56 over Omaha).
 
The Eagles finished its non-conference schedule 7-4, a .636 winning percentage second only in EWU's 37-year NCAA Division I history to the 9-4 record (69.2 percent) by EWU's NCAA Tournament team in 2014-15.
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
Eagles Continue to Lead NCAA Division I in Scoring
 
With at least 77 points in its last seven games – and at least 90 in four of those -- Eastern is averaging 89.5 points per game to lead NCAA Division I in scoring and rank third in assists (18.9 per game) through games of Dec. 22. The Eagles are also averaging 10.3 made 3-point field goals per game to rank 15th nationally and second in the Big Sky (Northern Colorado averages 11.2 to rank third in the nation), and are 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.39 per game). The team's average scoring margin of +14.0 per game is 29th, and EWU is also 24th in rebounds (41.4), 22nd in defensive rebounds (29.5), 37th in field goal percentage (.480), 54th in turnover margin (+2.8) and 42nd in steals (8.8).
 
Individually, sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. is second in NCAA Division I in defensive rebounds per game (9.4) and eighth in rebounding overall (11.2). He leads the Big Sky in both categories, and is also seventh in the nation with seven double-doubles. Junior Jacob Davison is 64th nationally and fourth in the Big Sky in scoring (18.0), and is second in the league and 89th in the nation in steals (1.8). True freshman Ellis Magnuson is 38th in the nation in assists (5.5 to lead the Big Sky) and is 41st in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.44 per game to rank first in the league). Davison, Aiken and Mason Peatling all rank in the top 11 in the Big Sky in scoring, with Aiken averaging 15.6 (ninth) and Peatling at 15.0 (11th).
 
Weber State's Jerrick Harding is 27th in scoring (20.7 per game) and 67th in field goal percentage (54.4 percent) in NCAA Division I. The Wildcats are fifth in the nation in fewest personal fouls committed per game (13.5), 83rd in field goal percentage overall (.461) and 93rd in 3-point field goal percentage (.356). Idaho State is fifth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.250), 38th in field goal percentage (.479) and 78th in 3-point field goal percentage (.361).
 
 
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 15.6 points and 11.2 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 41-game career (22 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 18.0 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 67-game career (37 as a starter), he's averaged 11.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals while sinking 46.6 percent of his shots from the field, 36.3 percent from the 3-point stripe (77-of-212) and 77.7 percent of his free throws.
 
Forward Mason Peatling, one of just two Eagle seniors on this year's team, is averaging 15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 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 22-13 (15-9 last year, 7-4 this season). In his now 98-game career (76 as a starter), Peatling has averaged 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds with a total of 101 assists, 69 steals and 79 blocks to rank sixth in school history (eight from fifth). 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 6.4 points and 1.5 assists, including 12 points versus UW and 16 versus Gonzaga on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field (two 3-pointers) and 4-of-4 at the free throw line. So far in his 42-game career (19 as a starter), he's averaged 9.0 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 11 EWU games at point guard and has averaged 5.5 assists and 5.9 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 6.7 points while making 15-of-41 3-pointers (36.6 percent), and sophomore Tanner Groves has come off the bench to average 8.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.8 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 39-game career (three as a starter) he's averaged 4.3 points, 2.7 boards and has 27 blocks. His brother, true freshman Jacob Groves, is averaging 4.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in the seven 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 4.7 points and 1.7 assists. He is currently just off EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 38.9 percent (95-of-244). He's played 73 total games as an Eagle (41 as a starter) and has averaged 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
 
 
Eagles Selected by Coaches to Win Big Sky Conference Title
 
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."
 
 
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 22-13 (15-9 last year, 7-4 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.
 
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 took 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.
 
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).
 
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 concluded with a 112-77 loss 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. 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 Shantay 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."
 
 
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

 
* The Eagles have won five of their last nine games against an opponent EWU was 20-45 against prior to that. Eastern is 25-49 all-time against Weber State, including a 7-30 road record, 16-18 mark at home and 2-1 on neutral courts (3-3 record in the Big Sky Conference Tournament). Eastern split with the Wildcats in 2018-19, losing at home early in the year (84-72) and then winning on the road two months later (80-77). The Eagles won the lone meeting versus the Wildcats in the 2017-18 season, winning 75-70 in Ogden to snap WSU's nine-game winning streak. The year before, Eastern was 1-2 versus Weber State, falling 70-67 in Ogden, Utah, on Jan. 14, 2017, and winning 82-72 on Feb. 23, 2017, in Cheney to move into a second-place tie with the Wildcats in the league standings. They met again in the Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinals and Wildcats won the rubber match 80-71.  Eastern has played the Wildcats in the Big Sky Tournament on six occasions, including a 3-1 record in semifinal matchups. Eastern won in the 1990 semis in Boise 83-67, won in the 2002 semis in Bozeman 62-57, lost in the 2003 championship game in Ogden 60-57, won in the 2004 semis in Cheney 72-53 and lost in the 2011 quarterfinals in Ogden 79-70.

* Last season in Ogden, Senior Jesse Hunt had a near triple-double as Eastern ended the regular season with a huge 80-77 road victory over Weber State March 9 in a battle of tied Big Sky Conference teams at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah. It was just EWU's seventh win in 37 tries in Ogden, but its third in the last four meetings there. The game featured nine lead changes and eight ties, with Hunt and redshirt freshman Kim Aiken Jr. each sinking a pair of free throws in the final 22 seconds to secure the win. The Wildcats missed their last three shots of the game after taking their final lead with 1:09 to play. Hunt finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as he finished with his 12th double-double of the season. Mason Peatling scored 23, including 15 in the second half, after Aiken scored 15 of his 20 in the first half. The Eagles fell behind 12-0 after missing their first six shots, and didn't score until 4:18 had elapsed in the game. Weber State led 42-40 at halftime, but Eastern used a 9-0 run to take a 66-57 lead with 7:49 to play.  The Wildcats, though, went on a 12-4 run to cut the lead to one, and eventually took back the lead with 1:09 left with a pair of free throws. But WSU missed its last three shots, and EWU followed the first miss with two free throws by Hunt with 22 ticks left to take the lead for good, and Aiken provided the winning margin with 4.8 seconds remaining. Weber State had entered the game as the top Big Sky team in defensive field goal percentage overall (.429) and from the 3-point line (.312). In league games only, those marks were .429 and .300, respectively. Eastern had a 39-33 rebounding advantage.

* Last season in Cheney, Eastern had an early 16-2 run and 21-8 lead in the first half but couldn't sustain the fast start and opened Big Sky Conference play with an 84-72 loss to Weber State on Dec. 29 at Reese Court. The Wildcats, picked to finish second behind pre-season league favorite Montana, used a 20-3 run to open the second half to pull away from EWU. Eastern opened the game making 10 of its first 17 shots, but suffered through a 4-of-25 (16 percent) stretch spanning halftime to fall behind by 21. Mason Peatling scored a career-high 25 points to lead the Eagles on 9-of-17 shooting from the field in just his second game back from a foot injury. Underclassmen Jacob Davison (13), Luka Vulikic (12) and Tyler Kidd (12) combined for another 37. Eastern held Weber State to just one field goal in a 7:33 stretch in the first half for a collective total of 1-of-10 shooting. The Eagles made 6-of-10 in that stretch and led 21-8 with 10:07 to play. The Wildcats used a 12-0 run to cut into the lead, then led 37-33 at halftime. The Eagles missed their first 10 shots of the second half and the Wildcats used a 12-0 run to take a 57-36 advantage with 13 minutes remaining. Weber State led by as many as 23 and no fewer than 12 the rest of the way. Peatling also had six rebounds – five on the offensive end – and a pair of assists. Davison added three assists, three blocked shots, a pair of steals and two rebounds. Kidd had a season-high 12 points, sinking 5-of-6 shots from the field and making both of his 3-point attempts. He also had a pair of assists and three rebounds in 17 minutes of playing time. Vulikic scored all 12 of his points in the first half and finished 6-of-11 from the field. Senior Jesse Hunt scored just seven points, but he also contributed 11 rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Eastern started hot by making 10 of its first 17 shots for 58.8 percent, but made only 15-of-50 after that for 30 percent. Eastern finished at 38.8 percent for the game (26-of-67), making 6-of-13 3-point shots (33.3 percent). Weber State was the opposite, making just 4-of-14 (28.6 percent) to start the game and 27-of-44 (61.4 percent) to end it. The Wildcats finished at 53.4 percent in the game.
 
* Eastern is 48-29 all-time against ISU, including a 45-28 record since becoming a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season (16-19 on the road, 28-8 at home, 1-1 at neutral sites). The Eagles have won 16 of the last 18 meetings overall and 14 of the last 15 at Reese Court, and have a current five-game winning streak overall. The last time EWU has lost to the Bengals was on March 3, 2016, by a 75-71 score in Cheney. Last season, Eastern beat the Bengals at home (65-55) and won on the road (91-62). In 2018-19, Eastern triumphed in Pocatello 74-69 in the lone meeting between the two schools. Eastern had an overall eight-game winning streak snapped in the 2013-14 season when the Bengals prevailed 72-83 in Pocatello. Eastern won 65-57 at home in the 2014-15 season, extending EWU's home winning streak versus ISU to 13 games dating back to a 65-63 loss on March 1, 2003. Eastern also won later in the year in Pocatello by an 85-81 score, but then lost its home-court winning streak in the lone meeting in 2015-16 with a 75-71 loss at Reese Court.

* Last season in Pocatello, senior Cody Benzel had career highs of 30 points and eight 3-pointers, and the Eastern used a big second half to roll to a 91-62 win at Idaho State on March 7, 2019, in Pocatello, Idaho. Eastern hit a season-high 15 3-pointers in the game on 36 attempts (41.7 percent), while the Bengals were just 2-of-14. Eastern's Jack Perry made four of the treys and finished with 12 points. Entering the game, Benzel had scored just 14 points in the last 10 games and hadn't scored in double figures since Jan. 3. Perry hadn't scored at least 10 since Jan. 10. Leading by just two at halftime, Eastern started the second half with runs of 11-0 and 11-3 to open a 20-point lead, and led by as  many as 31. The Eagles out-scored the Bengals 49-22 after intermission with EWU's best scoring half of the year. Eastern also dominated in rebounds 36-28, despite falling behind in the first half 15-5. Senior Jesse Hunt had his 11th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 16 rebounds. Mason Peatling had 14 points and Tyler Kidd chipped in eight. Perhaps most importantly, the win secured EWU's 11th victory of the season and clinched a first-round bye in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The first half included four ties and five lead changes, with the Bengals hitting 53.3 percent of their shots to trail just 42-40 at halftime. Benzel scored 15 points and Peatling had 12 at intermission. Included was an eight-point possession for the Eagles, which included a technical foul on Idaho State. The second half was a different story, as EWU sank 56 percent from the field and ISU made just 30 percent and missed all seven of its 3-point attempts. Eastern started the half on an 11-1 run and opened a double-digit lead at 53-41 with 15:50 left in the game. The Bengals never trailed by less than 11 the rest of the way as EWU eventually went up by 20 with 6:08 left and 25 with 3:28 to play.

* Last season in Cheney, Eastern held Idaho State to just 22 second-half points and concluded a four-game homestand with a 65-55 Big Sky Conference victory over the Bengals on Dec. 31, 2018, at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. In a battle that featured seven lead changes and a pair of ties in the last 15:53 of the game, Eastern pulled away in the final 3:30 with a 9-0 run. The Eagles forced ISU into four turnovers and 1-of-5 shooting in the last 3:23 with the game on the line, then sank 6-of-6 free throws in the final minute to clinch the victory. It was Eastern's best defensive performance of the season, with the previous low opponent point total 66 in EWU's season opener at Syracuse. The Eagles allowed Weber State to score 84 in the league opener for both teams, a loss which dropped EWU to 2-10 on the season. Mason Peatling paced four Eagles in double figure against ISU with 16 points, including a key three-point play with 2:53 left to give EWU its biggest lead of the game at the time. Jacob Davison followed with another big basket at the 1:26 mark on his way to finishing with 15 points. Senior Jesse Hunt finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists, and senior Ty Gibson came off the bench to hit a trio of key 3-pointers and score 11 in the game. Eastern missed its first seven shots of the game and fell behind 8-0, but ended up with its best shooting effort of the season against a NCAA Division I opponent (at the time) at 46.4 percent. Boosted by the energetic play of Tyler Kidd off the bench, Eastern made 13 of its last 24 shots of the first half and pulled within 33-29 at halftime. A 6-0 run in the second half gave EWU its first lead of the game with 15:53 left, as back-to-back baskets by Peatling capped the run and gave EWU a 3-point advantage. Later, it was Gibson's turn to give the Eagles a lift as he broke out of a 1-of-14 slump from the 3-point line by making three in a row. The Eagles shot at a 52.0 percent clip in the final 20 minutes while holding ISU to 36.0 percent. Eastern also forced 17 turnovers and had 10 steals – both season highs versus Division I competition at the time.
 

 
 
 

Schedule Notes

 
 
No. 2 Gonzaga Was Highest-Ranked Team Eagles Have Ever Faced
 
Eastern faced the highest-ranked opponent in school history when the Eagles lost 112-77 at second-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 21. After an 84-80 road win at Arizona on Dec. 14, the Bulldogs had moved up to second in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls announced on Dec. 16. Eastern, which is now 1-28 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 was the second ranked team Eastern 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 – L, 77-112
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
 
 
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 concluded its non-conference schedule with a 112-77 loss against Gonzaga, a powerhouse team ranked second in NCAA Division I at the time. Eastern is now 52-82 against all-time (5-35 since EWU moved to NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season). The Eagles have lost the last 25 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 75-115 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 following season. The Big Sky was 4-4 in the eight games played in the challenge series last season and finished 4-4 again in 2019-20.
 
2019-20 (Big Sky 4-4 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), at Omaha 87, Montana 82 in overtime (Dec. 21), at South Dakota State 85, Idaho 57 (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

 
Eastern Ends Preseason With 112-77 Loss at No. 2 Gonzaga
 
Eastern fell victim to a first-half scoring barrage by second-ranked Gonzaga on Dec. 21 and went on to fall to the Bulldogs 112-77 at the McCarthey Center in nearby Spokane, Wash. Eastern was facing its highest-ranked opponent in school history when the Eagles played the No. 2 Bulldogs, and gave up 64 points in the first half alone. A 36-percent shooting half by the Eagles complicated matters, and Gonzaga led by as many as 34 points in the first half and no fewer than 21 after intermission. Junior Jacob Davison led Eastern with 17 points. Senior Tyler Kidd had a season-high 16 points, hitting 5-of-5 from the field with two 3-pointers, plus 4-of-4 free throws. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. added 11 points, but had only five rebounds to end his string of three-straight games with double-doubles. Twelve of the 13 Eastern players who saw action scored in the game. Besides the 16 points off the bench by Kidd, Jack Perry and Tyler Robertson each scored five for the Eagles. True freshmen Jacob Groves and Abdullahi Mohamed each scored three points, as well as Michael Meadows. Starter Mason Peatling had eight points and seven rebounds for the Eagles. Eastern was out-rebounded 49-34 and gave up 21 offensive boards to the Bulldogs. Gonzaga had a 30-14 advantage in second-chance points and 29-19 off turnovers as five GU players scored in double figures. Eastern forged an early 6-6 tie, but then had two scoring droughts of 2:53 and 2:56 to fall behind 29-9. Gonzaga used runs of 8-0 and 15-0 to take command, with a 3-pointer by Aiken all EWU could muster during that stretch. After leading by as many as 34 in the first half, the Bulldogs eventually led 64-33 at intermission. Gonzaga made 52 percent of their shots compared to just 36 percent by the Eagles with nine turnovers leading to 16 Gonzaga points. Eastern opened the second half with a 9-3 run, then used runs of 6-0 and 7-0 to cut the lead to 21 at the 11:24 mark.­­
 
 
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.
 
 
 

Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Gonzaga Loss: "It wasn't our day against Gonzaga. I wish we would have given them a fight for 40 minutes, but we gave a fight for 20 minutes. We can learn from that and push ourselves into the Big Sky Conference season with an effort like that. It didn't go the way we thought it would. The first half we didn't come out ready – we were excited but we were a little nervous and played a little tight. We had some uncharacteristic turnovers and some plays where we didn't make smart moves."
 
On Gonzaga: "I have to give 100 percent credit to Mark Few and his staff. They had their team ready to play – they weren't lackadaisical, they made shots, they defended and they were prepared. They did a great job and it was fun playing against them. I hope we can do it again."
 
On Health: "You want to get out of preseason unscathed. We did that for the most part, and our players were smart in their recovery from games. We kept players healthy, and our athletic trainer (Hailey Haukeli) did a great job of getting them through sickness and some bumps and bruises. We have to give her 100 percent of the credit for keeping them going."
 
On Preseason: "All of our losses came away from our house, and came against some really, really good teams. We can look back on that and tell our team that they are pretty good."
 
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 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 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."