­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (9-6/2-2 Big Sky) Thursday, Jan. 16 – at Idaho – 7:30 p.m. (approx.) Saturday, Jan. 18 – at Montana State – 3:05 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 for Idaho; The MSU game will be broadcast live regionally by SWX.
­­­Webcast:	Fans can also watch the broadcast via Pluto TV channel 534 for EWU games (542 for game at Idaho and 538 for game at Montana State) or via https://bigskyconf.com/sports/2015/11/19/WatchBigSky.aspx
Live Stats:	EWU Home Games (and Montana State): http://ewustats.com Click Here for live stats at Idaho
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 14 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.

Challenges abound for the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team, and this week's road trek is a doozy.
 
With a week between games, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team resumes Big Sky Conference play at Idaho on Thursday (Jan. 16) at approximately 7:30 p.m. at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. The EWU women's team take on the Vandals in the first game of the doubleheader at 5:30 p.m.
 
Eastern games are 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. Tickets to EWU home games are available via the EWU web site at http://goeags.com/tickets.
 
The Vandal men lost at home to Montana State 71-68 last Thursday (Jan. 9) to fall to 1-3 in the Big Sky Conference and 5-10 overall. Idaho is coached by former Eagle Zac Claus, who lettered for EWU in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons after transferring from Nebraska.
 
Eastern is coming off a disappointing home effort on Jan. 9, falling behind by as many as 18 in the first half and 29 in the second half of a 90-63 loss to Montana. That evened EWU's league record at 2-2 and dropped the Eagles to 9-6 on the season.
 
After the Idaho game, the Eagles have a short turnaround to play at Montana State in Bozeman on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 3:05 p.m. Pacific time. The Bobcats will be well-rested entering the EWU game with no contests on the schedule since falling at home to Portland State 77-76 on Jan. 11 in Bozeman.
 
After hitting a speed bump versus the Grizzlies, Eastern is hoping to regain its momentum this week. The loss dropped Eastern from a tie for second into a percentage tie for sixth with Montana State (3-3 in league, 9-8 overall) in the Big Sky standings through games of Jan. 11.
 
"You can say what you want to be, but you have to go out and win games," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "This road trip will be great test for us to be tougher and play tougher. When you expect to win games, losses hurt. I want them to be happy after games, especially home games."
 
Three of the Big Sky's top five individual scorers will be on display this week, including Idaho's Trevon Allen (19.3, second), Montana Sate's Harald Frey (17.35, fifth) and Eastern's Jacob Davison (17.40, fourth). Including Eagles Kim Aiken Jr. (15.8, ninth) and Mason Peatling (15.2, 11th), the totals are four of the top nine and five of the top 11. In league games only, all five players rank in the top 12 – Allen (20.3, second), Frey (17.2, seventh), Aiken (16.3, ninth), Davison (15.8, 12th) and Peatling (15.8, 12th).
 
Eastern will return home to Reese Court on Jan. 25 to face Southern Utah, then will host Northern Colorado two days later. Those two schools are also among the upper echelon of the Big Sky, and will provide yet more tests for EWU. Both are currently 3-1 in the league and 10-5 overall entering action this week.
 
"The crowd support was great and we have to keep building on it," Legans said of the first loss in seven tries at home for EWU this season. "When you win, they'll come, so we have to get some more wins under our belt and keep pushing for them to come back."
 
Prior to the Montana loss, EWU registered a 71-69 home victory over Portland State on Jan. 4. Eastern beat Weber State 79-77 in its Big Sky opener, then the Eagles dropped a 75-69 decision at Idaho State in which EWU's inconsistent shooting kept them from garnering a lead in the last 27 1/2 minutes.
 
The Eagles finished their 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 Third in NCAA Division I in Scoring
 
Eastern continue to rank third in NCAA Division I in scoring with an average of 84.4 point per game, with Gonzaga leading at 87.8 per game. The Eagles also rank seventh in assists (17.7 per game) through games of Jan. 12, and are averaging 9.2 made 3-point field goals per game to rank 42nd nationally and second in the Big Sky (Northern Colorado averages 10.1). Eastern is 20th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.33 per game), 54th in rebounds (39.3), 60th in defensive rebounds (27.6), 41st in field goal percentage (.468), 65th in turnover margin (+2.3), 67th in turnovers forced (15.7) and 53rd in steals (8.2).
 
Individually, sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. is fourth in NCAA Division I in defensive rebounds per game (8.9) and 14th in rebounding overall (10.7). He leads the Big Sky in both categories, and is also 12th in the nation with nine double-doubles. Junior Jacob Davison is 87th nationally and fifth in the Big Sky in scoring (17.4) and first in the league and 66th in the nation in steals (1.93). True freshman Ellis Magnuson is 29th in the nation in assists (5.9 to lead the Big Sky) and is 29th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.51 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 15.8 (ninth) and Peatling at 15.2 (11th).
 
This week, the Eagles face a Montana State squad ranked 23rd in NCAA Division I in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.282) to rank second in the Big Sky (Sacramento State leads at .248).
 
 
Trio of Eagles Averaging in Double Figures
 
The Eagles thus far are 6-1 at home and 3-5 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 non-conference 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., who had a 15-point, 15-rebound performance against Portland State on Jan. 4. He is averaging 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He had a career-best 26-point effort at Washington on Dec. 4, and thus far has nine double-doubles this season. Four of his double-doubles came at home in the preseason – 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 45-game career (26 as a starter), he is averaging 9.6 points and 6.8 rebounds with 13 career double-doubles (9-4 record).
 
Leading EWU in scoring with an 17.4 average is junior Jacob Davison, who had a 26-point performance in a win over Portland State on Jan. 4 to give him five 20-point performances this season and 14 in his career. He 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 71-game career (41 as a starter), he's averaged 11.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals while sinking 46.7 percent of his shots from the field, 34.5 percent from the 3-point stripe (78-of-226) and 78.4 percent of his free throws.
 
Forward Mason Peatling, one of just two Eagle seniors on this year's team, is averaging 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks. He had his third double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds against Portland State. 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 24-15 (15-9 last year, 9-6 this season). In his now 102-game career (80 as a starter), Peatling has averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds with a total of 108 assists, 69 steals and 85 blocks to rank sixth in school history (two from fifth). He now has 11 double-doubles in his career with a record of 10-1.
 
Junior guard Jack Perry, who missed five games in November and early December with a high ankle sprain, is back in the starting lineup and is averaging 4.8 points and 1.8 assists. He is currently just off EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 38.5 percent (99-of-257). He started EWU's Big Sky Conference opener on Dec. 28 versus Weber State in a 79-77 road win, then scored a season-high 10 in a loss at Idaho State. He's played 77 total games as an Eagle (45 as a starter) and has averaged 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
 
Eastern's youth movement has also been impressive, with true freshman Ellis Magnuson cracking the starting lineup. Magnuson has started all 15 EWU games at point guard and has averaged 5.9 assists and 5.7 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. He produced 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and a pair of steals in his Big Sky Conference debut on Dec. 28 versus Weber State in a 79-77 victory.
 
Redshirt freshman Casson Rouse has chipped in 5.3 points while making 16-of-44 3-pointers (36.4 percent), and sophomore Tanner Groves has come off the bench to average 6.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 0.7 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 43-game career (three as a starter) he's averaged 4.1 points, 2.7 boards and has 28 blocks. His brother, true freshman Jacob Groves, is averaging 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in the 11 games he has played – the first two in victories against High Point and Belmont. He had his high game with eight points versus Multnomah.
 
Eastern's other senior, guard Tyler Kidd, has come off the bench to average 6.0 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 44-game career (19 as a starter), he's averaged 8.8 points and 2.6 assists per outing.
 
 
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 24-15 (15-9 last year, 9-6 this season) heading into EWU's game at Idaho on Jan. 16.
 
 
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 featured 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 played 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 were 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 faced 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. 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

 
* Since 1996 when Idaho first left the Big Sky Conference, the two schools have now played 26 times, with Eastern winning 15 of them. Idaho leads the all-time series 57-30. Since EWU became a NCAA Division I member in the 1983-84 season, EWU is 18-36 against Idaho (10-15 home, 7-17 away, 1-4 neutral). In the 12 meetings since Idaho re-joined the Big Sky Conference in the 2014-15 season, EWU is 7-5 but the average winning margin in the first 11 was just 5.9 points (total of 65). Included was a Vandal sweep in 2017-18 and an EWU sweep in 2016-17.
 
* Last season in Moscow, the Eagles had a trio of impressive stretches but couldn't come all the way back from a 22-point deficit and fell 74-71 to Idaho Jan. 3, 2019. Eastern had a run of 16-9 to start the game and 11-2 to start the second half, then had its most impressive run in the final four minutes. The Eagles fell behind 70-56 with 4:48 to play, but a 15-4 run pulled EWU within 74-71 with 47 seconds remaining. Eastern had a chance to tie, but Mason Peatling missed a 3-pointer with five seconds left and then EWU couldn't get another shot off after collecting an offensive board. In EWU's final 15-4 rally, seniors Ty Gibson, Jesse Hunt and Tyler Kidd each hit key 3-point baskets, as well as two-point buckets by Kidd, Luka Vulikic and Jacob Davison.  Peatling led Eastern with 17 points, plus had six rebounds and four assists. Hunt had 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Hunt entered the game with four double-doubles on the season and five in his career. Gibson had his second-straight double-figure scoring performance, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the 3-point stripe. Cody Benzel had 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the 3-point line. Idaho sank 58 percent of its shots in the second half, leading to a 50.0 percent night for the Vandals. Idaho also sank 10-of-19 3-pointers (52.6 percent) compared to 10-of-31 (32.3 percent) for the Eagles. Eastern shot at a 40.7 percent clip for the night. Trevon Allen paced Idaho with 25 points, hitting 3-of-4 3-point shots. Idaho had a run of 34-7 to end the half and open a 20-point halftime lead it never relinquished. The Vandals led by as many as 22 before EWU rallied with an 11-2 run to pull within 11 with 16:07 left. Idaho quickly regained a 16-point lead and held a double-digit advantage for the next 10 minutes.
 
* Last season in Cheney, a 9-0 run early in the second half helped open a double-digit lead they wouldn't relinquish, and Eastern beat Idaho 82-57 Feb. 18, 2019, in a President's Day game at Reese Court. Eastern shot at a 62 percent clip in the second half to turn a seven-point advantage into a 29-point bulge in the second half. The Eagles had just seven 3-pointers, but sank 26-of-38 shots inside the stripe for 68 percent to lead in points in the paint 50-24. Eastern had a dominating 39-25 rebounding advantage – a season-best margin of 14 -- and led 15-4 in second-chance points, 19-6 in points off turnovers and 29-9 in bench points. Four Eagles scored in double figures for EWU, led by the double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds by Mason Peatling. Others in double figures were Kim Aiken Jr. (17), Jesse Hunt (12) and Tanner Groves (career-high 14). Hunt also had six rebounds and six assists as EWU finished with a season high 24 assists as a team. In having a 48-30 advantage after intermission, Eastern's 48 points in the second half tied for the highest this season, also in the second half versus Idaho on Jan. 3. Eastern suffered through a 3-of-15 shooting half from the 3-point line, but made 12-of-18 shots from 2-point range to help Eastern to a 34-27 halftime lead. The Eagles dominated on the boards 23-11, and Peatling had a double-double just 16:09 into the game. He finished the half with 11 points and 11 boards. Eastern held a seven-point lead in the second half when Hunt scored six points and Aiken added a 3-pointer to lead EWU during the 9-0 run and give the Eagles a 50-34 lead. Eastern held the Vandals without a field goal for three minutes, and EWU eventually built its lead to 29 with 1:06 remaining. The Eagles had 50 points inside the paint, 15 second-chance points and 24 assists. Eastern sank 53.2 percent of its shots from the field and had a dominating 39-25 rebounding advantage with 12 offensive rebounds.
 
* The meeting on Jan. 10, 2015, in Moscow was EWU's first-ever league victory over the UI, and was the first league meeting between the schools since Feb. 17, 1996. The Vandals rejoined the Big Sky Conference in the 2014-15 season after previously competing in the league from 1963-1996, winning tournament championships in 1980, 1981, 1989 and 1990. Eastern began playing in the Big Sky in 1987-88, and won the tourney title in 2004 and again in 2015. In those previous nine seasons of co-existence in the Big Sky, the Vandals won all 18 league meetings between the two schools, as well as the Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship game in 1990 won 65-62 by the Vandals on a shot at the buzzer by Ricardo Boyd. In all, Idaho had won 22-straight against the Eagles, who went nearly 14 years between victories (1/15/86 to 11/29/99).
 
 
* Eastern has won 11 of the last 15 meetings against Montana State, including a 90-84 victory in the Big Sky Conference Tournament quarterfinals, an 85-81 victory in Cheney and a 74-66 loss later in the year in Bozeman. Eastern has won 21 of the last 34, and is 12-3 at home in that span. Eastern, in fact, has not lost to the Bobcats at Reese Court since a 60-56 Bobcat win on Feb. 24, 2011. The Eagles are 42-46 all-time against MSU, including a 34-37 record as a member of NCAA Division I (23-12 in Cheney, 10-25 in Bozeman, 1-0 on neutral courts). The records include two MSU forfeits in the 1993-94 season.
 
* Last season in Boise, the trio of Mason Peatling, Cody Benzel and Jesse Hunt combined for 68 points to lead Eastern to a 90-84 victory over Montana State to advance to the semifinals in the Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament presented by My Place Hotels on March 14, 2019, at CenturyLink Arena. On his way to a double-double with a career-high 28 points and 14 rebounds, the 6-foot-8 Peatling had 19 points and eight boards in the first half alone. In the second half Benzel took over, scoring 15 of his 22 points and closing the game with five 3-pointers. Hunt provided 18 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists. Eastern had dominating advantages in second-chance points (21-4) and points in the paint (34-4), and used an 11-0 run to lead by as many as 12 in the second half. After missing four free throws earlier in the half, Eastern sank seven of its last eight to close out the game. After nine ties and nine lead changes in the first half, Eastern led nearly the entirety of the second half with just one tie. The Eagles out-shot MSU 55.2 percent to 45.5 percent and had a 34-25 rebounding advantage. Behind a monster first half for Peatling, Eastern lead at intermission 49-44. Eastern had 10 offensive boards on its way to a 15-0 advantage in second chance points. Eastern trailed by as many as six, but scored the final seven of the second half on baskets by Benzel, Peatling and a 3-pointer by Jack Perry. Both teams sank over 50 percent from the field in the first half, which featured nine lead changes and nine ties. Benzel took over in the second half, and his 3-pointer with 15:53 left gave EWU its largest lead of the night at seven. The Bobcats cut the lead to one twice, but both times Benzel led EWU runs to keep MSU at bay. The first was a 6-0 run that included a four-point play on a 3-pointer by Benzel. The second was an 11-0 run that included back-to-back 3-pointers by Benzel, followed by hoops by Tyler Kidd and Kim Aiken Jr. to give the Eagles a 74-62 lead with 8:19 left. Montana State miss four-straight shots during the run and was scoreless for four minutes. Montana State tied the game with 1:31 left, but Hunt hit a big basket at the 1:05 mark to give EWU the lead for good.
 
* Last season in Bozeman, Eastern couldn't hold off Montana State late and fell to the Bobcats 74-66 on Feb. 7, 2019, in a game at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse that included 12 lead changes and eight ties. Jacob Davison paced the Eagles with 24 points, and Tyler Kidd added 18 points, five assists and a pair of steals. After an earlier stretch of 6:51 without a field goal, the Bobcats ended up making seven of their last 11 shots. A 13-3 run overcame a nine-point Eastern lead, then MSU scored the final 10 points in the last 2:08 to wipe out EWU's final advantage of the game at 66-64. Eastern was out-shot 45.5 percent to 41.5 percent, and EWU made just 7-of-25 3-point attempts for 28 percent. But the biggest difference was at the line where EWU made 5-of-8 free throws compared to 19-of-24 for the Bobcats. The Eagles used a 12-0 run in the second half to open a nine-point lead at 57-42 with 10:22 to play. The first half featured eight lead changes and four ties, and MSU used a late stretch of five-straight Eastern misses to take a 34-32 lead at intermission. Eastern put together an impressive stretch of offense and defense in the second half, with Davison scoring seven of EWU's points during a 12-0 run to take a 57-48 lead with 10:22 left. Eastern made 4-of-6 shots in that stretch, while MSU missed five in a row and went 6:51 without a field goal and 4:48 without scoring at all. But the Bobcats came back with their own 13-3 run to knot the game at 62. Eastern got big baskets by Kidd at the 4:01 mark and Jesse Hunt with 2:35 left, but MSU's Harold Frey hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:08 left, another jumper with 50 ticks remaining and then three free throws in the final 27 seconds. He finished with a 22 for the Bobcats. Hunt finished with seven points, seven rebounds and two assists for the Eagles, and Mason Peatling had eight points, 10 rebounds and a pair of steals after missing the previous two games with an injury.
 
* Last season in Cheney, EWU shot a season-best 57.9 percent from the floor and held off Montana State 85-81 on Jan. 19, 2019, in a Big Sky Conference showdown at Reese Court. The Eagles led for the final 24:47 of the game and sank half of their shots for the first time this season and finished with 12 3-pointers. Jacob Davison led four Eagles in double figures with 23 points, and Jesse Hunt had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Kidd had a career-best 17 points – 15 of them in the first half – and Mason Peatling added 13. Montana State's Tyler Hall scored 26 against the Eagles to take over as the leader in the 56-year history of the league, passing the 2,169 Eastern's Bogdan Bliznyuk held for less than a year (316 total days). With Hall scoring 19 first-half points, the Bobcats led much of the first half before Eastern's defense forced MSU to miss seven of nine shots. That enabled the Eagles to take the lead for good at the 4:47 mark, then 43-37 with 1:19 left in the half on a 3-pointer by Davison. In the second half, Eastern used an 8-3 run with 3-pointers by Kim Aiken Jr. and Hunt to lead 63-53 with 14:06 to play. A 9-0 MSU run made it a nip-and-tuck affair the rest of the game, with MSU's Keljin Blevins missing a potential tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. Despite the long layoff, Eastern made 17 of its first 27 shots for a blistering 63 percent, and went on to out-shoot MSU 57.9 percent to 46.0 percent. The Eagles finished 12-of-26 from the 3-point stripe for 46.2 percent, compared to 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) for the Bobcats. Eastern was out-scored in points off turnovers 18-5 and second-chance points 14-8, but still out-rebounded the Bobcats 34-31.
 
 
 
 

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 Held to 63 Points in Loss to Montana
 
With round one going to the Grizzlies, Eastern fell behind by as many as 18 in the first half and 29 in the second half and lost to Montana 90-63 on Jan. 9 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The game was the anticipated match-up of the two Big Sky Conference favorites and the participants in the last two league tournament championship games. A crowd of 1,837 watched as the Grizzlies sank 54 percent of their shots compared to 38 percent for the Eagles, who lost for the first time in seven home games. Eastern entered the game ranked second in NCAA Division I in scoring – up one position from earlier in the week -- averaging 85.9 per game. The point total for the Eagles versus the Griz was their second-fewest this season, ranking only behind the 60 they scored at Saint Louis on Nov. 13. Junior Jacob Davison led the Eagles with 15 points, and senior Mason Peatling had 12 with nine rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. was held to a season-low eight points and had only six boards after entering the game averaging a double-double. Eastern was out-rebounded 37-29 by UM. Eastern true freshmen Ellis Magnuson, Tyler Robertson and Jacob Groves were productive, with Magnuson finishing with four points and five assists, Robertson scoring five and Groves finishing with eight. Senior Tyler Kidd also had five points to go along with three assists, and junior Jack Perry scored five as well. Eastern made seven of its first 13 shots and was down by just two, but the Eagles sank just 3-of-14 after that to fall behind at halftime 46-28. Montana, on the other hand, missed eight of its first 11 shots, but then hit 15-of-22 the rest of the half. The Eagles, who had its second-lowest point total in a half this season, also had eight turnovers, was out-rebounded 19-15 and was out-shot 55 percent to 37 percent in the first 20 minutes. Eastern looked better early in the second half, and a 3-pointer by Aiken cut the Montana lead to 13 at 50-37 four minutes in. But the Grizzlies responded with a 13-3 run over the next five minutes to open a 63-40 lead. The Grizzlies led by no less than 17 and by as many as 29 the rest of the way. Six-foot-4 Montana freshman Derrick Carter-Hollinger entered the game averaging just 6.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocked shots per game, but responded with 20 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. Sayeed Pridgett had 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
 
 
Eagles Surge Past Portland State for 71-69 Win
 
Eastern got untracked in the second half and improved to 6-0 at home when it beat Portland State 71-69 in a Big Sky Conference game Jan. 4 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.  The Eagles used a frenetic 13-5 run in the final nine minutes to take the lead for good and overcome PSU's final advantage of the game. Eastern led by as many as 10 with 2:09 to play in a battle of teams averaging a combined 165 points per game. Junior Jacob Davison paced the Eagles with 26 points, with senior Mason Peatling and sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. each contributing double-doubles. Peatling finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots, and Aiken had 15 points and rebounds to go along with four assists. The Eagles finished the game shooting at 49 percent, making 11 of their last 16 shots (69 percent) after a 19-of-45 start (42 percent). Portland State, the NCAA Division I leader in offensive rebounds, finished with 12 but had just a 10-9 advantage in second-chance points. Eastern led in points in the paint 46-30 and fast-break points 21-9. Eastern had a 41-38 rebounding advantage and held PSU to 39 percent shooting in the game. However, EWU made just 5-of-25 3-pointers (20.0 percent), compared to 25-of-36 (69 percent) inside the arc. After leading for only 45 seconds in the first half, EWU took the lead after intermission on a 3-pointer by Aiken and a basket by Davison. After PSU regained a five-point lead, the Eagles got hot. Eastern was down by two when the Eagles went on a 13-5 run, started by a basket by Peatling. Aiken had a 3-pointer and Davison hit a pair – including two fast-break dunks – to put EWU on top 63-57 with 5:29 to play. The Eagles made 6-of-7 shots in that stretch. The Eagles led by 10, but PSU battled back and took advantage of a pair of late Eagle turnovers and the missed front end of a one-plus-one bonus opportunity to have a chance to take the lead. But the Vikings missed a 3-point attempt and Peatling rebounded with three seconds left to secure the win.
 
 
 
 
 

Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Montana Loss: "It was a great environment and college basketball atmosphere. We just didn't handle our own business. We'll get there. We just laid an egg, didn't play well and didn't step up to the challenge. Next time out there I'll do a better job and our team will be prepared. That wasn't a way we should play – ever – especially in front of our home fans, family and friends. They kicked our butts and showed us what a championship-caliber team is. We aren't there yet. We like to think we are, and we love all the accolades, but we were out-classed, out-toughed and out-coached. I have to do a better job of getting our guys ready and prepared for these games."
 
On First Half Deficit: "The fight wasn't there right from the start, so we have to be better there. And you have to play smart basketball. Their physicality bothered us, and we didn't do a great job of handling that physical play. Teams are going to play like that against us – that's the second time we've been played that way in the league, and we lost both of those games. When teams come out and play us physical, we have to fight back and be tougher. We can't complain – we just have to play through it."
 
On Portland State Win: "As the games keep coming and we keep fighting, every game is going to be this way. Games are going to come down to important possessions, and the PSU game came down to one possession and we came out victorious. The league is going to be a lot of fun, and up and down like this one. We want to keep getting our players to understand what it takes to win these ballgames. I think we are getting there -- we are having a good season so far. But we have to do the things that win games, and making free throws is huge."
 
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 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."