­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (13-17/11-8 Big Sky) Saturday, March 9 – at Weber State ­– 6:05 p.m. March 14-16 – at Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament Presented by My Place Hotels (CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho) all times Pacific
Radio:	Eastern games are on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area. Larry Weir calls the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff
Internet Radio:	https://tunein.com/radio/Eastern-Washington-Eagles-Sports-Network-s273711/
Radio  Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio
TV:	None
­­­Webcast:	http://watchbigsky.com or Pluto Channel (235 for WSU and 230 for Big Sky Conference Tournament)
Live Stats:	Click Here for WSU; Click Here for Big Sky Conference Tournament

 The seeding really doesn't matter in this season of parity in the Big Sky Conference, but the bye certainly helps.
 
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team will play its final regular season game of the season on Saturday (March 9) when Eastern plays at Weber State at 6:05 p.m. Pacific time. Eastern enters the game with a chance to finish as high as third in the league standings, but has already secured one of five first-round byes in the Big Sky Conference Tournament presented by My Place Hotels on March 13-16 in Boise, Idaho.
 
The Weber State game this week will not be televised, but Eastern games are carried live via radio on 700-AM ESPN and 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area, with Larry Weir calling the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff.  Fans can also watch the webcast of all league games via PlutoTV (http://plutotv.com) and at http://watchbigsky.com.
 
An overwhelming 91-62 road win at Idaho State on Thursday (March 7) secured EWU's 11th victory of the season and helped clinch a first-round bye in the tourney, meaning Eastern won't have to play until Thursday, March 14. Eastern is currently tied with Montana State and Weber State in the league at 11-8. The Wildcats have also secured a bye, and beat Idaho 93-59 on Thursday to improve to 17-13 overall.
 
Because of tiebreaker advantages thanks to wins over Montana and Northern Colorado, Eastern can finish no worse than fifth, which would result in a game on March 14 versus the No. 4 seed. A victory over the Wildcats would put the Eagles as the No. 3 seed and have them play the winner of Wednesday's opening round game versus the No. 6 seed and No. 11 Idaho.
 
"I've said it before and I mean it, anybody has a chance to win the Big Sky Tournament, even if you have to play four games," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "There are so many teams who have beaten the top teams, and that makes the league fun. We hope fans will be there and watch in person. It's going to be a fun tournament."
 
Earlier this season, the Eagles fell at home to Weber State 84-72 on Dec. 29. The Wildcats have lost seven of their last 11 after a 7-1 start to league play, but still feature the top scoring offense in the league with an average of 80.3 points per game on the season. They also have the top defensive field goal percentage overall (.429) and from the 3-point line (.312). In league games only, those marks are .429 and .300, respectively, and Weber State is averaging 79.6 points per game to rank second behind the 81.8 average of Montana State.
 
Jerrick Harding is second in the Big Sky in scoring at 21.8 points per game (22.1 in league play), and Brekkott Chapman is the league's top rebounder at 8.8 per outing (9.5 in the league). Zach Braxton has the Big Sky's top field goal percentage at .639 (.643 in league games).
 
"The best thing we can do is control our own destiny and go out and win the game," said Legans of the seeding process. "We're playing against a good Weber State team which beat us earlier this season. Weber State is playing for a higher seed too."
 
After losing its first nine road games of the season, Eastern has won its last two and three of its last four to move to 3-13 on the season with the second win of the season over ISU. Eastern had a season-high 49 second-half points versus the Bengals, and allowed a season-low 22 after intermission. That matched the 22 Eastern allowed in the second half of the previous win over ISU, a 65-55 victory on Dec. 31 in Cheney.
 
At 13-17 on the season, Eastern has won 10 of its last 15 games in league play, and is 12-8 overall since starting the season 1-9. This is the fourth-straight year Eastern has recorded 10 league wins or more, and the sixth-straight year they have had a winning record. Eastern is 64-29 in those six years for a .688 winning percentage.
 
Until he suffered an ankle injury on Feb. 16 and forcing him to miss the last six games, Jacob Davison had been the hottest Eagle, averaging 23.8 points in his last eight outings since scoring 11 versus Montana on Jan. 10. He had the seventh-most points in school history with 41 versus Northern Arizona on Feb. 4, and has averages of 15.2 points on the season and a team-leading 18.5 in league play, which would rank fifth in the Big Sky if he had played enough of EWU's games to qualify (75 percent).
 
Three Eagles rank in the top 20 in scoring in league games only -- junior Mason Peatling has a 14.8 average (ninth), followed by Jesse Hunt (13.5; 15th) and Tyler Kidd (12.4; 20th). Hunt is also third in rebounding (9.3) and Peatling is fourth (7.4), with Kidd averaging 3.8 assists to rank seventh and Hunt right behind in 10th with a 3.3 average.
 
Eastern returns seven total letterwinners from the 2017-18 team, including four starters. However, the Eagles lost the Big Sky and EWU all-time leading scorer in Bogdan Bliznyuk, who was the league MVP and an honorable All-America selection last year after finishing with 2,169 points in his career.
 
The Eagles closed the 2017-18 season with a 20-15 record in their 35th season as a member of NCAA Division I after finishing 13-5 in the league during their 31st season as a member of the Big Sky. Eastern made its fourth-straight national postseason appearance when the team competed in the 2018 College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
 
 
 

Game/Season Notes

 
The Playoff Picture
 
The first round of the Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament presented by My Place Hotels is scheduled for March 13, but the Eagles will be watching. The top five teams receive a first-round bye, and Eastern can finish anywhere between third and fifth following games played on Saturday (March 7).
 
Through Thursday's games in the league, Eastern currently stands in a three-way tie for third in the league with Weber State and Montana State (11-8). Montana and Northern Colorado are tied for first in the league standings at 15-4. The Grizzlies and Bears are followed by EWU, Montana State and Weber State at 11-8, and Portland State (10-9). The bottom five teams who will for sure be playing in the opening round are Southern Utah (9-11), Sacramento State (8-11), Northern Arizona (7-12), Idaho State (6-13) and Idaho (2-17).
 
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head competition, and EWU split versus the Bobcats and Vikings, and lost its first game versus Weber State. The next tiebreaker is record versus teams in descending order of finish, thus, wins over both Montana and Northern Colorado provide Eastern tiebreaker advantages. Weber State and Montana State were both 0-2 against the Grizzlies, but Portland State could complete a season sweep of Montana when they play on Saturday. If Northern Colorado were to win the title, EWU, MSU and WSU all split with the Bears, meaning Montana would be used as the tiebreaker. Portland State was swept by Northern Colorado.
 
Eastern could still finish as high as third with a win because of a tiebreaker advantage over Montana State. And with Portland State and Montana State playing each other on Saturday, even with a loss to Weber State Eastern is guaranteed to finish at worst in a three-way tie with MSU and PSU. The tiebreaker for a three-way tie (all three would be 1-1 versus each other) would depend on whether Montana or Northern Colorado finish as the regular season winner (both are 15-4). If Montana wins, PSU would finish fourth (2-0 versus UM), EWU would be fifth (1-1) and MSU would be sixth (0-2). If UNC wins the title, EWU would be fourth (1-1 versus UNC and 1-1 versus UM), with MSU fifth (1-1 versus UNC and 0-2 versus UM), and PSU would be sixth (0-2 versus UNC).
 
"No matter where we are seeded, any team in this league can win the Big Sky Tournament as long as you're playing hard, smart, with passion and with confidence," said Legans. "It's a tale of Jekyll and Hyde for us, and it's our job as coaches to get these players ready to go. Injuries have a little bit to do with it, but we have to play next-man-up. Kim Aiken has been the next-man up after Jacob Davison was hurt, and is playing on the wing for us. Confidence is a must. We got a little bit lost against Sacramento State, but with character and leadership we got it turned around. We beat the hottest team in the league when we beat Portland State."
 
 
Remaining Games in the Big Sky Conference Regular Season (all times Pacific)
 
Saturday, March 9: Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado, 4:05 p.m. (Pluto TV 241); Eastern Washington at Weber State, 6:05 p.m. (Pluto TV 235); Idaho at Idaho State, 6:05 p.m. (Pluto TV 243); Montana State at Portland State, 7:05 p.m. (Pluto TV 232); Montana at Sacramento State, 7:05 p.m. (Pluto TV 233).
 
 
Pairings for 2019 Big Sky Conference Tournament Presented by My Place Hotels
CenturyLink Arena • Boise, Idaho • Times Pacific
 
Wednesday, March 13 (First Round - 8:30am/TBD/TBD): Game 1 – No. 8 vs. No. 9; Game 2 – No. 7 vs. No. 10; Game 3 – No. 6 Seed vs. No. 11 Idaho.
 
Thursday, March 14, 2019 (Quarterfinals - 11am/1:30pm/4:30pm/7pm): Game 4 – No. 1 vs. G1 Winner; Game 5 – No. 4 vs. No. 5; Game 6 – No. 2 vs. G2 Winner; Game 7 – No. 3 vs. G3 Winner.
 
Friday, March 15, 2019 (Semifinals - 4:30pm/7pm): Game 8 – G4 Winner vs. G5 Winner; Game 9 – G6 Winner vs. G7 Winner.
 
Saturday, March 16, 2019 (on ESPNU): Game 10 – Championship Game, 5 p.m.
 

Trio of EWU Seniors Have Combined for 370 Games Played
 
Three Eastern seniors were honored March 2 in pre-game ceremonies prior to beating Portland State 68-66, and that trio of Cody Benzel, Ty Gibson and Jesse Hunt have combined for 370 games played in their careers. Benzel has played in 131 to pass Felix Von Hofe for second in school history and Gibson has 125 to tie his former teammate Parker Kelly for fourth. Jesse Hunt is right behind with 113 games played to rank 12th in school history. Benzel also is in sole possession of fourth in school history with 195 3-pointers made in his career, and Gibson is 10th with 149. Eastern also honored a fourth player on March 2 -- 2016 Central Valley High School (Spokane) graduate Joshua Thomas who will depart after three seasons in the program. He has a 3.98 grade point average as a visual communications design major at Eastern, joining the other three with some impressive academic accomplishments. Gibson and Hunt will both become four-time members of the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team, and Benzel was honored a year ago. Gibson has a 3.99 GPA as an accounting major, and Hunt was an Academic All-America nominee and has a 3.57 grade point average in business management. Benzel has a double major in marketing and finance.
 
 
Shooting Percentages Skyrocket in During League Play
 
Look no further than shooting to understand the reversal of fortunes for the Eastern Washington men's basketball team. Eastern is 11-1 when making at least 45.0 percent of its shots from the field and 2-16 when it doesn't, and EWU was victorious in its lone four games in which it has sank at least 48 percent of its shots (3-0 when it makes at least 50 percent). The Eagles had two of their top three shooting nights of the season versus Montana on Jan. 10 when they made 52.9 percent of their 3-pointers (9-of-17) and 48.0 percent overall, then a week later made a season-best 57.9 percent from the field against Montana State. The other was a 54.5 percent performance against Northern Colorado in an 88-78 overtime win on Feb. 16 and 53.2 percent one game later against Idaho.
 
However, Eastern suffered an aberration with a 33.3 percent shooting night at home in a 59-56 loss at home to Sacramento State on Feb. 28. In fact, it equaled EWU's lowest in a Big Sky home game since Feb. 26, 2010, when EWU made 28.8 percent in an 85-57 loss to Weber State. Overall, it equaled the 33.3 percent EWU had versus UC Irvine in a 70-61 setback on Dec. 15, 2013. It was also EWU's worst shooting in a league game since making only 30.4 percent at Northern Arizona in an 84-65 loss on Jan. 16, 2014. The shooting performance versus the Hornets led to EWU's lowest point total in league play this season and third overall.
 
Eastern then won two games while making less than 45 percent of its shots – 41.7 percent versus Northern Arizona and 38.3 percent against Portland State. Eastern rebounded for a 49.2 percent shooting night in a 91-62 victory over Idaho State on March 7, hitting a season-high 15 3-pointers in 36 attempts. Eastern's defensive field goal percentage has been stellar the last four games, holding opponents to a collective 37.9 percent (89-of-235) overall and 25.6 percent from the 3-point stripe (21-of-82).
 
Below is a breakdown of EWU's shooting and won-lost records as the season has progressed.
 
Through Non-Conference Play (2-9) . . . 38.1 percent (30.5 percent from the 3-point line) / opponents 46.5 (38.5)
Through First 15 Games (3-12) . . . 38.9 percent (30.9) / opponents 47.2 (39.5)
Last 16 Games (10-5) . . . 45.9 (38.8, 144-of-371) / 43.8 (35.2, 113-of-321)
For the Season (13-17) . . . 42.3 percent (34.6) / opponents 45.5 (37.4)
  
 
Eagles Have Used 12 Different Starting Lineups
 
Injuries have affected EWU's starting lineup this season, and EWU has used a total of 12 different lineups this season. An ankle injury by Jacob Davison against Northern Colorado resulted in Kim Aiken Jr. making his third start of the season against Idaho on Feb. 18 and he's started ever since. Two weeks earlier on Feb. 2 versus Southern Utah and Feb. 4 against Northern Arizona, redshirt freshman Tanner Groves made the first starts of his career as an injury replacement for Mason Peatling. Before that, Eastern used its fifth starting lineup in seven games when the Eagles beat Montana 78-71 on Jan. 10. Tyler Kidd made his first start of his EWU career and was joined in the starting lineup by Peatling, Jesse Hunt, Davison and Cody Benzel. That unit was used seven times and is 4-3 this season. Hunt has started a team-high 30 games this season, Davison has started 19 of the 22 he's played, Peatling has started all 18 he has played and Benzel has started 22 games and come off the bench in eight others.
   

Brackets Set for Big Sky Tourney in Boise
 
The move from Reno to Boise has also resulted in a change in the brackets for the 2019 Big Sky Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships presented by My Place Hotels. Tickets and lodging for the event are available now at: http://BigSkyinBoise.com.
 
The tournaments are set to take place March 11-16 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Eastern's women's team could start as early as Monday, March 11, while the men don't begin play until the quarterfinal round on Thursday, March 14. The women's tournament will be held March 11-15, while the men's championship will take place March 13-16. The tournament champions will receive automatic berths to the NCAA Division I Basketball Championship.
 
For the fourth-straight season, all Big Sky members will compete in the conference tournament with the field featuring 11 teams for both the men and women in 2019. The top five teams in the final regular season standings will earn a bye to the quarterfinal round of the Big Sky Championship. The six-day event will be held in the state of Idaho for the first time since 1994 when former Big Sky member Boise State served as the championship host.
 
The three first round games of the Big Sky women's championship will start Monday afternoon before four quarterfinal matchups follow on Tuesday for the women. A five-game Wednesday slate features a trio of men's first round games, leading up to the women's semifinals in the evening.
 
The men's tourney continues Thursday with the quarterfinals. Friday's action consists of the women's championship game, while the men's semifinals follow that night. The week-long event wraps up Saturday with the men's championship game on ESPNU at 5 p.m. Pacific time.
 
CenturyLink Arena is a 5,300-seat facility located in downtown Boise that has been the home of the Idaho Steelheads hockey team since opening in 1997. The arena hosts an average of 100 events annually and has welcomed over 5.5 million attendees in 20 years. It also hosts numerous concerts, trade shows, and conventions each year. CenturyLink Arena is attached to the Grove Hotel, Boise's only four-diamond hotel.
 
The 2019 championship will be the fourth neutral site basketball championship in the Big Sky's history after holding the event in Reno, Nevada, the previous three seasons.
 
To stay up-to-date with the Big Sky Conference, follow us on Facebook at /BigSkyConf or on Instagram and Twitter @BigSkyConf. Fans can also follow Big Sky men's and women's basketball on Twitter, @BigSkyMBB and @BigSkyWBB.

 
 

 
Series Notes

 
* The Eagles have won four of their last eight games against an opponent EWU was 20-45 against prior to that. Eastern is 24-49 all-time against Weber State, including a 6-30 road record, 16-18 mark at home and 3-3 record in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. 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.
 
* Earlier this 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. Junior 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. 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.

* In last year's meeting, senior Bogdan Bliznyuk did his part with 27 points, including a pair of game-clinching free throws with five seconds left, as EWU picked up a key, 75-70 road win over Weber State Feb. 22, 2018, in Ogden, Utah. Jacob Davison had a big game with 17 points, and Mason Peatling added 15 for the Eagles. Eastern made all eight of its free throw attempts in the last 1:57 to close out the win after a pair of 9-0 runs overcame an eight-point deficit. In a seven-minute stretch, EWU held Weber State to 1-of-12 shooting from the field. The win snapped a nine-game winning streak for the Wildcats, a week after EWU snapped league-leading Montana's 13-game streak with a 74-65 win at Reese Court on Feb. 15. Eastern trailed by eight in the second half when Bliznyuk scored all nine points in a 9-0 run. After the Wildcats hit a 3-pointer to regain the lead, Eastern followed with another 9-0 run to lead 56-49 with 7:43 to play. A basket by Bliznyuk gave Eastern the lead for good at the 9:02 mark. Eastern out-shot the Wildcats 50.9 percent to 42.6 percent, and out-rebounded the Wildcats 33-29. Eastern sank 65 percent of its shots in the second half. 
 
 
 

Eagles in the Big Sky Tournament

 
* Eastern has made 16 Big Sky Conference Tournament appearance in 31 years as a member of the league, and has a record of 15-14 in its 29 games. The Eagles are 1-0 in the first round, 5-5 in the quarterfinals, 7-4 in the semifinals and 2-5 in the championship. Before winning the 2015 title, Eastern hadn't appeared since the 2011-12 and 2010-11 seasons, which were EWU's first since 2006. The Eagles qualified for each tournament from 1998-2006.
 
* Eastern won Big Sky Conference Tournament championships and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2015 & 2004. The Eagles have also advanced to the National Invitation Tournament in 2003 and the College Basketball Invitational in 2016 and 2017. Eastern registered the school's first NCAA Division I postseason win with a 79-72 victory over Pepperdine in the first round of the CBI in 2016.
 
* Eastern's 2014-15 squad won the title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament with a trio of victories in Missoula, Montana. Included was a come-from-behind 69-65 over the host Grizzlies in the championship game.
 
 * Before beating Montana for the 2015 title, Eastern had ended its season with losses to the Grizzlies in appearances in 2012, 2006 and 2005. But the year before, in 2004, EWU won the title with a 71-59 championship game victory over Northern Arizona to advance to the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament (EWU made its first-ever NIT appearance in 2003).
 
* Although its streak of Big Sky tournament berths came to an end in the 2006-07 season, at the time Eastern was just the fifth school in league history to make nine-straight appearances in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Eastern started the streak back in 1998 after making just one trip to the tourney in their first 10 seasons as a member of the conference. Interestingly, Montana's 77-69 victory over the Lumberjacks on Feb. 28, 2005, extended Eastern's streak and ended NAU's eight-season streak. Eastern's streak started in 1998 with an end-of-year victory at Montana. That "winner advance, loser eliminated" game ended Montana's 21-year streak.
 
* In 2011, Eastern's season came to an end with a 79-70 loss at Weber State in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. That came just three days after the Eagles stunned WSU on their home court 75-59 to end the regular season. Because of the upset, the Wildcats lost their chance at a first-round bye and had to face the Eagles again. In the rematch, WSU out-scored EWU 46-25 in the second half as the Wildcats overcame a 12-point EWU halftime lead and a 15-point deficit early in the second half. In 2013-14, the Eagles were 15-16 overall and missed the Big Sky Conference Tournament with a 10-10 league mark. Interestingly, Sacramento State was also 10-10, but secured the final bid because of a tiebreaker advantage over EWU, which dropped its final game of the season to Weber State 82-78.
 
Here is a list of Eastern's all-time games in the Big Sky Tournament . . .
2018 -- Championship (Reno, Nevada) #3 seed vs. #1 Montana - L, 65-82
2018 -- Semifinal (Reno, Nevada) #3 seed vs. #10 Southern Utah - W, 82-70
2018 -- Quarterfinal (Reno, Nevada) #3 seed vs. #6 Portland State - W, 78-72
2017 -- Semifinal (Reno, Nevada) #2 seed vs. #3 Weber State - L, 72-80
2017 -- Quarterfinal (Reno, Nevada) #2 seed vs. #7 Sacramento State - W, 89-70
2016 -- Quarterfinal (Reno, Nevada) #6 seed vs. #3 Idaho - L, 73-77
2016 -- First Round (Reno, Nevada) #6 seed vs. #11 Northern Arizona - W, 74-52
2015 – Championship (Missoula, Mont.) #2 seed vs. #1 Montana - W, 69-65
2015 – Semifinal (Missoula, Mont.) #2 seed vs. #3 Sacramento State - W, 91-83
2015 – Quarterfinal (Missoula, Mont.) #2 seed vs. #7 Idaho - W, 91-83
2012 – Semifinal (Missoula, Mont.) #4 seed vs. #1 Montana  – L, 66-74
2012 – Quarterfinal (Cheney, Wash.) #4 seed vs. #5 Idaho State – W, 81-75
2011 - Quarterfinal (Ogden, Utah) - #6 seed vs. #3 Weber State - L, 70-79
2006 - Semifinal (Flagstaff, Ariz.) - #3 seed vs. #2 Montana - L, 71-73 (ot)
2006 - Quarterfinal (Cheney, Wash.) - #3 seed vs. #6 Portland State - W, 81-75
2005 - Quarterfinal (Missoula, Mont.) - #6 seed vs. #3 Montana - L, 48-58
2004 - Championship (Cheney, Wash.) - #1 seed vs. #2 Northern Ariz. - W, 71-59
2004 - Semifinals (Cheney, Wash.) - #1 seed vs. #5 Weber State - W, 72-53
2003 - Championship (Ogden, Utah) - #2 seed vs. #1 Weber State - L, 57-60
2003 - Semifinals (Ogden, Utah) - #2 seed vs. #4 Idaho State - W, 76-67
2002 - Championship (Bozeman, Mont.) - #2 seed vs. #5 Montana - L, 66-70
2002 - Semifinals (Bozeman, Mont.) - #2 seed vs. #3 Weber State - W, 62-57
2001 - Championship (Northridge, Calif.) - #2 seed vs. #1 CS Northridge - L, 58-73
2001 - Semifinals (Northridge, Calif.) - #2 seed vs. #5 Northern Arizona - W, 58-53
2000 - Semifinals (Missoula, Mont.) - #2 seed vs. #3 Northern Arizona - L, 65-82
1999 - Quarterfinals (Ogden, Utah) - #6 seed vs. #3 Portland State - L, 74-80
1998 - Quarterfinals (Flagstaff, Ariz.) - #3 seed vs. #6 CS Northridge - L, 98-104 (ot)
1990 - Championship (Boise, Idaho) - #2 seed vs. #1 Idaho - L, 62-65
1990 - Semifinals (Boise, Idaho) - #2 seed vs. #5 Weber State - W, 83-67

 

More Player Notes

 
Eastern Duo Climbs EWU Three-Point Charts
 
Senior guards Cody Benzel and Ty Gibson have both played in more than 100 games for the Eagles, with current totals of 131 (second in school history) and 126 (fourth) games of experience, respectively. Jesse Hunt is right behind with 113 games played (13th). Both Benzel and Gibson are three-point threats -- Benzel ranks fourth in school history with 195 3-pointers and Gibson is 10th with 149. Benzel passed Marc Axton on EWU's all-time leaders list (184 from 2002-05). Benzel is shooting at a 39.8 percent clip from the 3-point arc to rank 14th all-time at EWU and Gibson is just out of the top 16 in school history with 38.5 percent accuracy. Sophomore Jack Perry also currently 14th on the percentage list at 39.8 percent.
 
Benzel and Gibson, as well as forward Jesse Hunt, were named to the NABC Honors Court for the 2017-18 school year. Gibson is majoring in professional accounting, and has a 3.99 GPA at EWU after graduating from Issaquah (Wash.) HS in 2015. Benzel is a 2014 graduate of Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., and has a 3.19 GPA as a marketing major. Hunt has a 3.57 GPA as a management major, and is formerly from Australia and graduated from Sir Francis Drake HS in California in 2015. Gibson and Hunt will each earn their fourth Big Sky All-Academic honor this season for EWU. Eastern had a 3.54 grade point average as a team in fall quarter of 2018, with a current accumulative team GPA of 3.61.
 
 
Five Eagles Made Eagle Debuts Versus Syracuse
 
Four Eagles, including redshirt freshman Kim Aiken Jr. as a starter, made their collegiate debuts when Eastern played at Syracuse on Nov. 6. For Aiken, it was the first start of his career in his Eagle debut, finishing with five points. Coming off the bench in EWU's season opener were redshirt freshman Tanner Groves and true freshmen Elijah Jackson and Austin Fadal. All three scored their first points and had their first rebounds of their careers as Eagles, as did junior college transfer Tyler Kidd. A redshirt last season after transferring from Skagit Valley Community College, Kidd made 3-of-8 shots from the field – including 3-of-5 3-pointers – to finish with a team-high nine points. He also had a pair of rebounds, an assist and a steal. Against Oregon one game later, Groves and Jackson both made their first 3-pointers as Eagles.
 
Besides Aiken, the rest of EWU's starting lineup against Syracuse included seniors Ty Gibson and Jesse Hunt, as well as sophomores Luka Vulikic and Jack Perry. Eastern played without three players – Mason Peatling, Jacob Davison and Steven Beo – plus Gibson played just eight minutes after suffering an injury in the first half. Gibson did not play versus Oregon and was replaced in the lineup by Cody Benzel, who finished with a team-high 16 points.
 
 
 Eagles Add Trio as Letter of Intent Signees
 
Eastern signed in November a trio of players – including the brother of a current member of the team – to letters of intent to attend EWU and play basketball for the Eagles next year. The players signed include 6-7 guard/forward Jacob Groves, whose brother Tanner Groves is a redshirt freshman for the Eagles. Jacob is currently a senior at Shadle Park High School in nearby Spokane, Wash., and Tanner graduated from the school in 2017. The other players signed are 6-6 guard/forward Tyler Robertson from Melbourne, Australia, a member of his country's Australian national youth teams, and Abdullahi Mohamed, a 6-foot-8 power forward from West Seattle High School.
 
Groves earned second team All-Greater Spokane League honors as a senior at Shadle Park, helping the Highlanders to a 15-11 record overall in the first season under coach Arnold Brown. Because of weather, Shadle Park had to win two games on one day – one in Hermiston, Ore., and the other in Kennewick, Wash. – to advance to the regional round of the State 3A Tournament.
As a junior, Groves averaged over 16 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior at Shadle Park, making 60 percent from the field overall and 47 percent from the 3-point stripe. He scored a season-high 26 points and hit six 3-pointers in a 53-51 win over Kellogg (Idaho) High School.
 
 "Jacob has continued to improve his long-range shooting stroke, and he is growing into his 6-7 frame," said Legans. "He's a home-grown student-athlete, and it will be very exciting to see Tanner and Jacob play side-by-side for the Eagles over the next few years."
 
A 3.8 student in high school, he has volunteered at the Washington Family Ranch and participated in highway clean-ups. He intends on majoring in education at EWU and has an interest in becoming a physical education teacher. His parents are Randy and Tara Groves, and he also has another brother named Dylynn.
 
 "He's also had great success in the classroom and community," added Legans. "He has had a terrific career at Shadle Park and has made great strides while showing tremendous growth as a player. He has a very unique combination of size and skill, and has a great shooting touch that gives him the ability to become a prolific 3-point threat in the Big Sky. His skill level on the court, combined with his IQ and toughness, is going to make him a major contributor."
 
 "Having Jake join his brother Tanner here at EWU next year is going to be a great fit, both on the floor and in the locker room," Legans said. "We've had some amazing shooters from Spokane lately with Parker Kelly and Cody Benzel, and Jake fits that mold perfectly. He is one of the best shooters in the state and with his size, that should translate very well to the college level."
 
Robertson played on his country's FIBA U18 team last summer, and has been part of the State and National high performance programs since 2014. He helped Australia national teams win championships at the 2017 U17 Oceania Championship and the 2018 U18 Asia Cup, while helping Australia qualify for the World Championships in 2019. Robertson also played on a team representing the state of Victoria for four years, helping the team win a silver in 2015 (as vice-captain) and gold in 2016, 2017 (as captain) and 2018. He'll be with the team as well in February of 2019.
 
"Tyler is going to be a tremendous addition to our family," said Legans. "He is joining a long line of Aussies from Melbourne in our program and will make his mark as an exceptional playmaker and shooter. His size, skill, and versatility is going to make him a matchup nightmare in our league."
 
Robertson has played 12 years of club basketball starting when he was 6-years-old. He played five years for the Dandenong Rangers, the same club several other Eagles have played on in the past, including current Eagle Jack Perry. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 he played in the Victorian Youth Championship League for Dandenong, serving as team co-captain in 2018. He played in the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) in 2017 & 2018 for Dandenong under the coaching of Darren Perry.
 
His school team has won the Champions Cup the past four years as the top team in the state of Victoria. He played for Rowville Secondary in 2015 and with Box Hill Senior Secondary in 2016, 2017 & 2018. The 2017 Box Hill team won the Australian School Championship.
 
As a senior, Mohamed helped West Seattle advance to the State 3A Tournament and finish 17-9 overall and 11-4 for a fourth-place finish in the highly-competitive 3A Metro League. He earned second team All-Metro League honors.
 
Mohamed averaged over 15 points and nine rebounds per game as a junior at West Seattle, and was also a factor on the defensive side of the ball. He was born and raised in West Seattle, and will graduate in 2019.
 
 "We are excited to welcome Abdul to the program," said Legans. "Some of the best players in EWU history have come from West Seattle and we're excited to have a one of Abdul's caliber come play here. Abdul has big goals both on and off the basketball court and will fit right in with our culture."
 
"Abdullahi has an extremely high basketball IQ, which is why he is going to fit in perfectly with our family here at Eastern Washington," said Legans, who has begun his second year at the helm of the Eagles program. "His skill level on the court, combined with his intelligence and toughness, is going to make him a major contributor in the years to come. Abdullahi has also set his goals high in academics."
 
He enjoys volunteering with neighborhood children, and has a 3.0 grade point average. He tutors his classmates and teammates in math and science, and hopes to major in engineering at EWU.
 
"Abdullahi excels on and off the court, and has consistently done well in the classroom," added Legans. "He is known as a leader on the court, but his ability to lead off the court and set an example in the classroom has been most impressive. Abdullahi has very lofty goals for his future and has said how he wants to rebuild East Africa and bring stability to that country by providing youth with tools to further develop its economy."
 
His parents are Bashir Mohamed and Burhan Farah, and he has three brothers (Abdirahim, Ahmed and Yusuf), and a sister (Fatuma), who he closely mentors in basketball as well. His father has been in Somalia for the past 2 1/2 years taking care of his elderly mother. Abdullahi's mother works three different jobs to provide for her family, and also makes a huge impact on the African community in Seattle public schools.
 
 
 

More Team Notes

 
League Schedule Features 20 Games for the Third Time in League History
 
As expected, the 2018-19 schedule of games in the Big Sky Conference for the Eagles had a few twists and turns. It includes 20 league games for the first time since the 2013-14 and 2012-13 seasons. Those were the only years in the league's 55-year history the schedule has included 20 conference games.
 
The departure of North Dakota left the league with 11 members, making for a challenge in scheduling 20 games for each team in a span of 11 weekends. Travel partners – such as Idaho paired with EWU – were retained as much as possible, but the "lone wolf" is always prevalent when scheduling an odd amount of teams.
 
Most notably, Eastern played four games on Monday, including three at home at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.  The Eagles also hosted Montana and Montana State in back-to-back games, but those came nine days apart. However, the good news for the Eagles is that their road travel schedule is as good as could be expected. The lone Monday road game was at Northern Colorado -- four days after the Eagles played at nearby local rival Idaho.
 
"Scheduling 11 teams in a 20-game schedule is definitely a difficult task," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "But we are pleased with how it came out for us. It's definitely different playing on Mondays."
 
The Big Sky Conference Championship, which will take place in Boise, Idaho, for the next three years, is scheduled for March 13-16, 2019 at CenturyLink Arena.
 
 
Preseason Schedule Included Teams from Seven Different Conferences
 
It has already been another year of challenges, as Eastern played a total of 11 non-conference games – four at home and seven on the road – prior to the start of Big Sky Conference play on Dec. 29.
 
Eastern opened the year by suffering a pair of season-opening losses to nationally-ranked opponents in the first of two preliminary games of the 2K Empire Classic. Eastern fell 66-34 to Syracuse on Nov. 6 before falling to Oregon 81-47 three nights later. The Ducks, the favorite to win the Pac-12 Conference title, were ranked 14th in the Associated Press preseason poll and 16th in the USA Today Coaches rankings. The Orange, which advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, entered the EWU game ranked 16th and 14th, respectively.
 
In all, Eastern's non-conference schedule included teams from seven different conferences – ACC, Pac-12, Horizon, Ohio Valley, Western Athletic, Summit and the West Coast. The 11 non-conference opponents EWU played combined for a 194-149 overall record last season, and were 86-78 in their respective leagues.
 
Along with Syracuse, South Dakota State also advanced to the NCAA Tournament and finished 28-7 after winning the Summit League title with a 13-1 record. Washington, Stanford and Oregon all played in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), winning first-round games before bowing out in the second round.
 
Seattle and San Francisco joined EWU in the 2018 CBI. Both Eastern and the Redhawks – coached by former Eagle head coach Jim Hayford – fell in the first round. But the Dons advanced all the way to the championship series versus North Texas where USF won 72-62 in the opener but lost 69-55 and 88-77 in the next two games.
 
In all, 10 of EWU's 21 NCAA Division opponents appeared in postseason NCAA Division I Tournaments. Montana represented the Big Sky in the NCAA Tournament, while Portland State and Northern Colorado both played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).
 
 
Eastern Honored For Fifth-Straight Year by the NABC for Academics
 
For the fifth consecutive year, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team has been honored with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award announced July 11, 2018. The award was won by 184 colleges and universities for having a team cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and above for the 2017-18 season. Teams in NCAA Division I, II, II and NAIA Division I and II were eligible.
 
Eastern, Gonzaga and Seattle were the only NCAA Division I schools in the state of Washington to be honored, and were joined by Seattle Pacific from NCAA Division II. Eastern, Idaho State and Sacramento State were the only Big Sky Conference schools to be recognized.
 
Eastern had a 3.54 grade point average as a team in fall quarter of 2018, with a current accumulative team GPA of 3.61.
 
"We have and always will make academics a priority within our program," said second-year head coach Shantay Legans, who also spent eight seasons as an Eagle assistant coach. "Our players continue to take care of business in the classroom and on the court, and are setting the bar high for our next group of newcomers."
 
Players on EWU's 2017-18 team included Academic All-America nominee, Big Sky MVP and four-time league All-Academic selection Bogdan Bliznyuk. Others on the team who won Big Sky All-Academic accolades were Cody Benzel, Ty Gibson, Benas Griciunas, Jesse Hunt, Mason Peatling and Jack Perry. Other members of the squad included Sir Washington, Jesse Hunt, Jacob Davison, Richard Polanco, Grant Gibb and Joshua Thomas, with Luka Vulikic, Steven Beo, Kim Aiken Jr., Tanner Groves, Brendan Howard and Tyler Kidd redshirting.
 
 
Big Sky-Best Six Eagles on 2017-18 NABC Honors Court
 
Six Eastern Washington University men's basketball players – the most in the Big Sky Conference – have been honored on the 2017-18 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court announced on July 17, 2018.
 
Graduated forward Bogdan Bliznyuk is a repeat winner, and joined fellow senior Benas Griciunas on the squad. The remainder were underclassmen -- Cody Benzel, Ty Gibson, Jesse Hunt and Grant Gibb.
 
"We are very proud of those players," said Eagle head coach Shantay Legans. "To lead the league in the number of selections receiving this honor is a tribute to the hard work our players put into being true student-athletes, and the emphasis our program, athletic department and university put towards academics."
 
The six selections were the most EWU has had a single season, bettering the four the Eagles had in the 2014-15 school year. Of the 22 selections in school history, 20 of them have come in the six seasons starting in 2012-13. Besides Bliznyuk, repeat winners have included Venky Jois, Tyler Harvey, Daniel Hill and Julian Harrell.
 
The Honors Court recognizes those men's collegiate basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season. The NABC Honors Court recognizes the talents and gifts that these men possess off the court and the hard work they exhibit in the classroom.  To qualify, the recipients must have junior or senior standing academically, and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the 2017-18 academic year. They must have also matriculated at least one year at their current institution.
 
NABC Honors Court Recipients: 2017-18 - Cody Benzel, Bogdan Bliznyuk, Grant Gibb, Ty Gibson, Benas Griciunas, Jesse Hunt; 2016-17 - Bogdan Bliznyuk, Julian Harrell, Mario Soto; 2015-16 - Julian Harrell, Venky Jois; 2014-15 - Tyler Harvey, Daniel Hill, Venky Jois, Fred Jorg; 2013-14 - Tyler Harvey, Daniel Hill, Martin Seiferth; 2012-13 - Jordan Hickert, Kevin Winford; 2008-09 - Andy Genao, Benny Valentine.
 
 
Legans Has Most Coaching Wins for a Rookie in 75 Years
 
First-year head coach Shantay Legans is the 18th coach in Eastern history, and has made history of his own. His 20 wins in his first season at the helm were the most by a first-year Eastern coach in EWU's NCAA Division I era, besting Ray Giacoletti with 17 in the 2000-01 season. Joe Folda also won 17 games in 1982-83 as an interim head coach during Eastern's rise from NAIA to NCAA Division I. Thus, you have to go back to the 1942-43 season when Bob Brumblay won 27 games in his debut season to find a rookie Eastern coach with more than 18 victories, which is also the only time it's happened.
 
Legans was an Eastern assistant for eight years before becoming EWU's 10th coach at the NCAA Division I level. Legans spent six years on the staff of Jim Hayford (now head coach at Seattle), and two previous seasons under former head coach Kirk Earlywine (now an assistant at Idaho). Legans was associate head coach under Hayford for the final three of those eight seasons.
 
He has been a part of Eastern teams from the 2013-14 through 2017-18 seasons which have win totals of 15, 26, 18, 22 and 20 games. The three 20-victory seasons are among the top four win totals in EWU's 35-year history in NCAA Division I. The combined 101 wins in five seasons, 86 victories in four seasons, 66 in three and 44 in two are also the most since EWU became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season. The same can be said of EWU's stretch of league victories -- 10, 14, 10, 13, 13 -- in that five-year span.
 
A former player at Cal and Fresno State, he was married on May 10, 2014, to former Eastern women's basketball player Tatjana Sparavalo. Their daughter, Zola Lee, was born June 16, 2016, and their son, Maksim (Mak) Lee, was born March 23, 2018.
 
 
 

 
More Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On ISU Win: "I thought we did a great job. Idaho State at one point led in rebounding 15-5, but we came back and did a good job on the glass. Tyler Kidd got a lot of guys a lot of threes – I thought he had more than five assists and did a great job leading of our team. Cody had an amazing game shooting the ball from the 3-point line, and Jack really played confident. When you do that it really opens it up on the inside and that's why we shoot such a good percentage down there. That was why we came out and played great in the second half."
 
On 15 3-Pointers Versus ISU: "We have the best shooters in the league I believe. When we get opportunities against the zone, we lock-in on that and have confidence. We made the extra passes against Idaho State, and I think we had more than 15 assists. We played great team basketball with four guys in double figures and had other players contributing in a number of different ways."
 
On Benzel: "You root for Cody – he does everything we ask of him and is our glue guy. Besides being a great shooter, he's a good defender and does everything our team needs. He came in as a player who shoots threes, but he earned his way into the starting lineup and that says a lot. He's gone some games where he doesn't even take a shot, but he does things that don't show up in the stat sheet. He's playing amazing basketball. His shots haven't been down, but he's never really left alone and he helps our other players have great games. It sure shows when he's knocking them in like he did against Idaho State. It's a simple thing -- when he's on the court we win games."
 
On Portland State Win: "It gives us confidence because we beat the hottest team in the league. They were playing good basketball and we held them to a pretty decent shooting percentage. We did everything we were supposed to do. You have to do the tough things – you have to get the rebounds and play defense. We were excited how we followed that game plan. We didn't shoot well from the 3-point line, but we got to the free throw line and we shot them well. It showed our team that we can play at a snail's pace offensively, and if you follow the defensive game plan and do what you are supposed to do, you can win these games. I was more than excited for the team in being able to see how well they responded to our loss to Sacramento State."
 
On Game-Winning Shot by Kim Aiken Jr.: "You have to let players make plays. It was a high ball screen and Jack (Perry) made an incredible play to get the ball to Kim. It's something we work on a lot just playing. He came in and made the great play – he had a layup that would have been contested, but he found Kim for the open three. It was a great scene to see a sophomore hit a freshman for the game-winner to send our seniors out as winners on Senior Day."
 
On Jack Perry: "We are a player's program, and guys are getting better throughout the season Jack has had a solid year, but he's hit some speed bumps during the year. But he did well against a Portland State team that pressures, which has been his Achilles heel this season."
 
On Sac State Loss: "Sac State came out and had a great game plan – they played well against us and were tough. They did a terrific job of keeping us out of rhythm. The game was a little choppy and there were a lot of fouls, kind of like the Southern Utah a week earlier. We space the floor so well and have players who can make plays, but at the same time they make the game choppy and foul our bigs. They come underneath, bump cutters and limit our freedom of movement. We just have to be tougher and we have to be better prepared for games like this. Certain teams are going to play us that way – there were 41 fouls and you have to play through it. It was tough because we had key players in foul trouble."
 
On NAU Road Win: "That's what it looks like when you play with energy and toughness. We didn't quite have that in our previous game, but we showed character and got a huge road win by the way we fought and played. They played together and you could see the intensity. Everybody came in and played a huge role in the game. We shot the ball well and had a season-high for 3-pointers, and 14 is a great number for us. We had a horrible defensive performance against Southern Utah, but we held NAU to 33 percent. We did a lot of good things, and I'm proud of the way we played."
 
On Defense: "Your offense doesn't always travel, but your defense and effort go everywhere. If you play defense, rebound and play your tails off, it's going to show on the scoreboard. When we can combine that with defense we have a really good team and can really challenge for a tournament championship when we get to Boise. The way we can play and defend, if we are clicking on all cylinders I really have a lot of confidence in our ballclub."
 
On Idaho Victory: "They didn't have an answer for us inside because of their lack of depth and some injured players. To be able to go at them like we did was great. I had a fun time coaching our players. It's always good to beat Idaho because they are a rival right down the street."
 
On UNC Victory: "I am proud – they played great. They were involved and mentally in it the entire game. We didn't hold the lead like we wanted, but at the same time when we lost the lead we fought back. In the overtime we held them to 1-of-6 shooting and that was really big-time. They are one of the better offensive and defensive teams in the league and we shot 50 percent from the field against them. We played pretty well in stretches. We just have to be better defensively, but I'm proud as heck of this team."
 
On Trio of Eagles With 20 Points Versus UNC: "We had guys step up and make some plays. Having multiple players score 20 points is huge. When we lose Jacob we are losing a leader, is somebody who is very, very active on the offensive glass and he gets downhill and gives us another player who can get us two-point baskets."
 
On UM Loss: "We played spectacular at the end and we were a shot away from winning that ballgame. We had the best player on the floor with the ball in his hands. He's averaging about 25 points over the last seven games, and we just let Jacob try to make a play. It was a shot I've seen him make a thousand times. He makes it all the time and I had a lot of confidence in that in a one-point game. I thought we were playing great and we were clicking offensively at that time. We felt that putting the ball in Jacob's hands was the best decision to win that game."
 
On Jacob Davison: "Last spring and summer he was looking just like he is right now. He got into a car accident and broke his wrist, and he had a high ankle sprain. He's coming into his own and feeling a lot more comfortable. The players around him are giving him all the confidence in the world. He's having some great games and he's understanding what we are asking of him. He's playing better defense and that is awesome." 
 
On Reversal of Fortunes After 1-9 Start: "We just needed to stick with it – we knew we had a good team here. As the team gains confidence it's something special. They all believe in each other, even when we were 2-9 in the preseason. Anything can happen, but right now it's fun to watch this team grow and come into its own."
 
On Tanner Groves Performance One Game After Kim Aiken's Double-Double: "It was unbelievable to see. But anybody in our locker room is not surprised about that. Tanner and Kim have put in such hard work. Tanner was cheering his tail off for Kim, and it was vice versa in the next game. They are playing against two very good players every day in practice when they go against Mason and Jesse. They are only going to get better with the work they put in and everything they do. They always go hard and they bring energy. They are starting to gain confidence, and when you gain confidence as a player the sky is the limit."
 
On Sac State Road Win: "The character of our players shined through to get a two-point win after all of the momentum Sac State had going to overtime. We told them in the locker room that the hardest one to win is your first road win. The guys came out and deserved it -- they played hard. We stuck with it and were mentally tough. It was a fun game, Sacramento State stuck with it and fought and battled."
 
On Overcoming Adversity Versus Sac State: "It's huge, we've been on the other side of that this year. To do this on the road is hard, so we had to stick with it and be tough mentally and physically. We beat them on the glass and they beat teams on the glass all the time, so to see that was huge. When you're able to have our team play the way that they did, I couldn't be a prouder coach."
 
On Montana Home Victory:  "It's amazing when the ball goes in you win. We did a good job and our assistant coaches did an amazing job of getting our guys prepared for the game. With such a short turnaround, they worked tirelessly. I'm just happy that our guys were accepting to the game plan and stuck with it the whole time. It's nice to come away with a win at home in front of such a great crowd. We heard all the cheers for the football team and our guys got pumped up from that. It's an awesome feeling to see the joy on the bench and in the locker room after the game. They are proud and they can stick their chest out. That was one of our better defensive games of the year. I know they shot 48 percent from the field, but when they attempted threes our guys were contesting every single shot. We need to be able to do that and play as hard as possible."
 
On Kim Aiken: "He's been amazing. He started the first two games of his career against big-time teams and probably lost a little bit of confidence and got down on himself like freshmen do. He got put on the scout team but kicked butt every single day. We needed Kim against Montana and knew he would fight and rebound. The energy he brought was amazing, and he shot the ball well. He puts in so much work, and once everybody leaves the gym he'll come out and shoot like he always does. I tell you, he's going to be the president of the university before he leaves here. He's an unbelievable young man and we're lucky he wanted to come to Eastern – he has great character."
 
On Idaho State Win: "To be honest, it was a must-win for us. Our players have been in the gym working on their game and trying to get their shots back. Coaches have been working tirelessly trying to figure it out. We have some of the best players in the league, and it's tough to be 2-10. But we are competitors. This was a huge game for us to get this win. We had a big second half and Ty Gibson came up big, and we won the game because of our defense."
 
On Ty Gibson: "He's an unbelievable young man – he has a 3.99 grade point average, is a great leader and does a lot in the community. He shoots in the gym all the time, but they haven't been falling for him. He played about 10 seconds in the first half (against ISU) to play defense, but he stuck with it. He played nine minutes and those were the biggest nine minutes of the season for our team. We needed a win and he stayed ready. He has great character and I'm glad he's on our team. The shots are going to fall for him – I see great things ahead for him. I couldn't be happier for him."
 
On Mason Peatling Versus Weber State: "Mason did a great job in his first full game back. You could see he was gassed and tired at times, but he was battling and did a great job down low. He's going to get other players open looks and open shots, but we have to make sure we're ready and smart when we get him rolling. Mason played only 18 minutes in his first game back (against Corban), but he had four offensive rebounds and four assists – he's an unbelievable passer and screener. We play a little more efficiently with him in the lineup. He does a lot of talking back there on defense and is our anchor. We are only going to get better with Mason out there."
 
On Weber State Loss: "We were playing against one of the premier teams in the league, but at the same time I think we are one of the premier teams in the league too. That's what we hold our standard to."
 
On Benzel: "He's a great shooter, and when the ball is moving around and he gets open looks, he's going to make a lot. We've struggled hitting some shots early in the season, but we talk in the locker room that it's going to happen because our players work so hard. When you have players who are confident in their shots and their game, they are going to make a lot of shots. Cody is a very confident player, and he could be 1-of-10 and he'll shoot 10 more threes if he's open. He's never going to waver from shooting threes."
 
On Non-Conference Season: "We learned a lot about ourselves – there is a lot of fight in this team. I didn't see any of our guys hanging their heads. After the game it obviously hurts to lose, but the next day they bounced back and practiced hard. We have a very resilient group and a team that will fight for each other. They want to win and are trying to figure out how to get that message across with each other. But at the same time, they need to be positive and have constructive criticism. I think we know which guys we can call on in certain situations. A lot of players saw action in the preseason, and now we expect players to be ready to go when their number is called. They've accepted their roles pretty well – they have a lot of grit and come to fight every day. You obviously want more wins in the preseason, but I couldn't be more proud. We are getting better each game and we have a confident group. Every game they've played they've learned and we've had a chance to win. We are learning valuable lessons – not just the players but the coaching staff too."
 
On Playing Challenging In-State Opponents: "Players like it and they want to play against the best. When you come to Eastern you are going to get a chance to do that. Our preseason really speaks for itself – we play everybody we possibly can from within this state and it's a lot of fun. The players love it and gain a lot of experience. We have a lot of players from the state of Washington, so it's exciting to play games in front of their friends and families. It's awesome and we'll try to do it every single year."
 
On Losing First Two to Ranked Teams: "We got taught a lesson by two really good teams. We are going to take these back and get better and get smarter. We'll use this experience to move forward and be the best team we can be. We're trying to make that happen by Big Sky play. It's going to be fun to watch Oregon and Syracuse as the season goes along and to say we played them. Hopefully we get the opportunity again -- these are two NCAA Tournament teams."
 
On Non-Conference Opportunities: "We're playing against great teams and in great venues. I talk to our team about the opportunity they are being given at such a young age. We have freshmen out here playing that we thought might redshirt at some point. We want to make sure they are ready to go, but sometimes these freshmen need time to get better. At the same time, I like the fight we've had – we play hard. Some of the guys are playing different positions, some aren't even playing the positions they've played all year long. There are no excuses -- you have to come out here and play the game and put for the effort to try and win these games."
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
Career High 30 by Benzel Helps Eastern Clinch Bye With 91-62 Victory at Idaho State
 
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 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 sophomore 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. Junior Mason Peatling had 14 points and junior 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.
 
 
Aiken's Buzzer-Beater Gives Eagles 68-66 Senior Day Victory
 
Redshirt freshman Kim Aiken Jr. hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to salvage EWU's final homestand of the season with a victory as the Eagles defeated Portland State 68-66 in a battle for fifth place in the Big Sky Conference on March 2 at Reese Court.  Aiken, who led the Eagles with 19 points, hit his game-winner on a drive and pass by sophomore Jack Perry, just nine seconds after PSU took the lead with its own 3-pointer. Eastern made its final three shots of the game after having a pair of 0-of-8 stretches in the second half. Portland State led for 30:16 of the game, and EWU led for just 3:43. It was tied for the other 6:01. The thrilling win was the final regular home game of the season for EWU and ended PSU's six-game winning streak. Seniors Jesse Hunt, Ty Gibson and Cody Benzel were honored in pre-game ceremonies for their more than 100-game careers, and departing junior Joshua Thomas was also recognized. Aiken was one of four Eagles to score in double figures, including Hunt with his 10th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Tyler Kidd had 13 and Mason Peatling added 14 with six rebounds. The Eagles got off to a slow start, and six-straight made field goal attempts by the Vikings helped them open a 22-8 lead with a 10-0 run. But EWU fought back, and used a pair of 5-0 runs and two of 4-0 to regain a 35-34 lead late in the half on a floater by Aiken. The Eagles trailed at halftime 35-34, but made nine of their last 14 shots after starting 3-of-12. Eastern out-shot PSU 46 percent to 39 percent in the opening 20 minutes, with EWU holding the Vikings to a 1-of-8 shooting stretch during its comeback. A stretch of eight-straight misses for the Eagles and six-straight makes by PSU helped the Vikings go on a 12-0 run in the second half and take a 57-47 lead at the 11:17 mark. But Eastern fought back again, and eventually used runs of 8-0 and 6-0 to regain the lead with 6:38 left. However, the Eagles missed eight-straight shots again, and fell behind. But a rebound basket by Aiken with 1:28 left and Kidd's layup with 31 ticks remaining helped set the stage for Aiken's buzzer beater. The Eagles suffered through a 3-of-12 shooting start and two second-half streaks of eight misses in a row, but still managed to finish at 38.3 percent for the game. Defensively, Eastern held PSU to 2-of-10 shooting in the last 7:33 of the game after holding its last two opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent or less from the 3-point stripe. Eastern also had a 39-36 rebounding advantage.