­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (15-6/8-2 Big Sky) Thursday, Feb. 6 – at Montana – 6:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 – Montana State – 2:05 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:	The Montana and Montana State games will both be televised regionally by SWX.
­­­Webcast:	Fans can also watch the broadcast via Pluto TV channel 534 for EWU home games (537 vs. Montana) or via https://bigskyconf.com/sports/2015/11/19/WatchBigSky.aspx
Live Stats:	EWU Home Games (plus Montana): http://ewustats.com
Weekly Coaches Show:	The next show hosted by Larry Weir and featuring head coach Shantay Legans is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. (no show the week of Feb. 3) and is aired live on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM. That show is expected to take place live at 24 Taps Burgers & Brews in Spokane (825 W. Riverside). CLICK HERE for a complete schedule.

The rigors of the road continue for the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team, but Thursday's (Feb. 6) game in Missoula will provide plenty of motivation – and first place for the winner.
 
The Eagles try to stay on top in the Big Sky Conference standings when they play at Montana for the rematch of EWU's 90-63 loss to the Grizzlies on Jan. 9 in Cheney in the lone home loss of the season for EWU.
 
Tipoff is 6:05 p.m. Pacific time in a game televised regionally by SWX. 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.
 
Eastern is in the midst of a playing three road games in a six-day span, and have won the first two – 59-54 at Sacramento State on Feb. 1 and 77-66 at Northern Arizona on Feb. 3. Eastern flew from Arizona to Missoula on Feb. 4 in anticipation of one of EWU's biggest games of the season.
 
"I like that we are the team in first place and playing to stay in first place," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "You play for championships and these moments. I'm just really excited that we have the opportunity -- our team is playing great basketball and everybody is healthy."
 
Montana is the two-time defending Big Sky Conference champion, and EWU has missed out on NCAA Tournament berths by falling to the Grizzlies in both the 2018 (82-65) and 2019 (68-62) championship games of the league tournament. Both EWU and UM are the preseason picks to win the league title in the 2019-20 season – Eastern by the coaches and Montana by the media.
 
"We are playing good basketball right now, but at the same time Montana is a champion," said Legans. "I can promise you they are looking forward to this game and they can't wait to play us. They want to show how tough and good they are. We just have to go out and play our style of game, and defend and rebound like we have. We have to understand it's going to be loud and we're playing at Montana."
 
Senior guard Sayeed Pridgett leads UM with averages of 19.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Teammate Kendal Manuel is averaging 15.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The Grizzlies are idle until playing EWU on Feb. 6, and are 9-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming on Nov. 18 when they were upset by Montana Tech 74-72.
 
Eastern originally moved into first in the league standings when Montana lost its second-straight game, 88-81 to Portland State on Jan. 30. Through games played Feb. 3, the Eagles (8-2) are a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies (8-3), who beat Montana State 78-64 on Feb. 1. Northern Colorado (7-3) is now a game behind, and Southern Utah is 6-4.
 
The Eagles will close a stretch of four games from Feb. 1 to Feb. 8 with a home game versus Montana State. Eastern is 8-1 at home this season, with the lone loss at Reese Court coming in the 27-point setback to the Grizzlies. Only a 112-77 loss at Gonzaga – a 35-point margin – have been larger against EWU this season.
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
Eagles Sixth in NCAA Division I in Scoring
 
Through games of Feb. 3, Eastern is now ranked sixth in NCAA Division I in scoring with a league-leading average of 82.0 points per game, with Gonzaga leading at 88.6 per game. The Eagles also rank fifth in assists (17.7 per game), 14th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.34 per game) and 75th in turnover margin (+1.8 per game) to lead the league, and are 62nd in field goal percentage (.460) 63rd in steals (7.8) and 33rd in 3-point field goals per game (9.3) to rank second in the Big Sky.
 
Individually, sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. is fourth in NCAA Division I in defensive rebounds per game (8.6) and 21st in rebounding overall (10.2). He leads the Big Sky in both categories, and is also 22nd in the nation with 10 double-doubles. Senior Mason Peatling has worked his way up to 80th in rebounding overall (8.6 to rank second in the league behind Aiken) and 49th in offensive rebounds per game (3.2 to rank first in the BSC). Junior Jacob Davison is 82nd nationally and sixth in the Big Sky in scoring (17.9) and Aiken is second in the league and 66th in the nation in steals (1.86). True freshman Ellis Magnuson is 49th in the nation in assists (5.2 to rank third in the Big Sky) and is 68th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.10 per game to rank second in the league). Davison, Aiken and Mason Peatling all rank in the top 10 in the Big Sky in scoring, with Peatling averaging 15.8 (eighth) and Aiken at 14.8 (10th).
 
 
With 51 Points, 33 Rebounds, 12 Assists, 8 Blocked Shots and Hitting 1,000-Point Mark, Peatling Earns Big Sky POW Honor
 
Senior Mason Peatling followed a monster game with a monster sweep.
 
Producing huge statistics in a pair of overtime victories for EWU, Peatling was honored as the Big Sky Conference Ready Nutrition Player of the Week on Jan. 28. It's his second honor of the season and career, and the fourth by an Eagle this season. In two overtime victories, Peatling averaged 25.6 points, 16.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.0 blocked shots per game. He sank 52.6 percent of his field goal attempts (20-of-38) and 71.4 percent of his free throws (10-of-14).
 
Peatling came three assists from a triple double in an 89-84 win over Northern Colorado, finishing with 21 points and 22 rebounds – second most in school history. Peatling also had seven assists and three blocked shots as he had the 12th performance in school history to come within a combination of three points/rebounds/assists from a triple double, in addition to the lone triple double in school history. In overtime, Peatling saved the ball after an EWU miss for his 20th rebound of the game, and that play ended up as a 3-pointer by Aiken with 1:04 to put EWU up by two and gave the Eagles the lead for good. Peatling had a rebound basket with 41 seconds left that put the Eagles up 84-79.
 
Peatling hit a significant milestone on Jan. 25, hitting the 1,000-point mark in his career in an 81-78 overtime home victory over Southern Utah. The Eagle senior hit the mark with his second basket of overtime, which gave Eastern the lead for good. Peatling finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists, and hit a key 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game to OT. In helping EWU rally from an 11-point deficit in the second half, he made 11-of-16 shots from the field and 7-of-11 from the free throw line in the game.
 
He is now just the sixth player in school history to have at least 1,000 points and 525 rebounds in his career. Coming to Eastern from Melbourne, Australia, Peatling is only the second player to couple that with 50 blocked shots. Fellow Australian Venky Jois had 1,803 points, 1,015 rebounds and 240 blocks in his career from 2013-16.
 
Peatling has now played 108 games in his career to rank 19th in school history, and he became the 22nd player all-time at Eastern to hit the 1,000-point mark (he currently ranks 18th with 1,047). His .547 shooting percentage in his career currently ranks ninth, his 623 rebounds are seventh and his 98 blocked shots are fourth. In his career (86 games as a starter), Peatling has averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds with a total of 131 assists, 74 steals and 98 blocks. He now has 15 double-doubles in his career – including seven this season and four in the last five games -- with a record of 14-1.
 
Thus far this season, Peatling is averaging 15.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 blocks. One game prior to the Southern Utah game, he had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds against Montana State on Jan. 18, and also had 14 points, 14 boards and four assists at Northern Arizona on Feb. 3.
 
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 as he earned the first of his two Big Sky Player of the Week accolades. 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 30-15 (15-9 last year, 15-6 this season) heading into EWU's game at Montana on Feb. 6.
 
 
Trio of Eagles Averaging in Double Figures
 
The Eagles thus far are 8-1 at home and 7-5 on the road, having won its first road contest of the season 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 came 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, including the 15.8 average of senior Mason Peatling, who also averages 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 blocks.
 
Averaging a double-double is sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. He is averaging 14.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, in addition to 1.9 steals, 1.6 assists and 1.0 blocked shots. He had a career-best 26-point effort at Washington on Dec. 4, and thus far has 10 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 51-game career (32 as a starter), he is averaging 9.9 points and 7.1 rebounds with 14 career double-doubles (10-4 record).
 
Leading EWU in scoring with a 17.9 average is junior Jacob Davison, who had 26-point performances in wins over Montana State on Jan. 18 and Portland State on Jan. 4. He has had eight 20-point performances this season and 17 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 77-game career (47 as a starter), he's averaged 12.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals while sinking 46.0 percent of his shots from the field, 35.2 percent from the 3-point stripe (93-of-264) and 77.0 percent of his free throws. He now has 952 career points in his quest to join Mason Peatling in EWU's 1,000-point club, which now totals 22 members.
 
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 5.4 points and 1.9 assists, and hit a 3-pointer – the 100th of his career -- to give EWU the lead for good in a 78-75 victory at Idaho on Jan. 16. He made five 3-pointers in the second half to finish with 15 points in a 77-66 win at Northern Arizona on Feb. 3, coming three points from his career high. He is currently just off EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 39.1 percent (110-of-281). He started EWU's Big Sky Conference opener on Dec. 28 versus Weber State in a 79-77 road win, then scored 10 in a loss at Idaho State. He's played 83 total games as an Eagle (51 as a starter) and has averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 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 21 EWU games at point guard and has averaged 5.2 assists and 6.0 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 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. He had a season-high 16 with five assists versus Idaho on Jan. 16 in a 78-75 win.
 
Redshirt freshman Casson Rouse has chipped in 5.7 points and 1.6 assists while making 24-of-60 3-pointers (40.0 percent), and sophomore Tanner Groves has come off the bench to average 6.1 points, 3.5 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 49-game career (three as a starter) he's averaged 4.2 points, 2.7 boards and has 33 blocks. His brother, true freshman Jacob Groves, is averaging 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in the 15 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)
 
 
Davison is Big Sky Player of the Week For the Second Time This Season and in His Career
 
If you pick the wrong poison against EWU, Jacob Davison can score points virtually at will.
 
The Big Sky Conference selected him as its Big Sky Conference Player of the Week on Jan. 21 for his performances in EWU's road sweep of games on Jan. 16 and 18. It was his second POW honor from the league this season and third in his career, and came one day after he received the same accolade from College Sports Madness.
 
Davison averaged 21.5 points, 2.5 steals, 2.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots per game in wins over Idaho (78-75) and Montana State (71-58) to help EWU improve to 4-2 in the league. He scored 17 points and had three steals with a block in EWU's win at Idaho. He scored eight of his points in the second half, all coming in the last 4:58 as EWU prevailed down the stretch. He provided the final point of the game with a free throw with two seconds remaining.
 
Davison followed that with 26 points, five assists, two steals, five rebounds and two blocks at Montana State. His steal and layup tied the game at 40 after EWU fell behind by four in the second half, and he went on to score eight points during EWU's game-deciding 23-6 run. Included were a pair of 3-pointers as EWU opened a 59-46 lead with 5:11 to play. He made his final six points from the free throw line in the last 3:30 of the contest.
 
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.
 
 
Peatling and Aiken Are Selected to Mid-Season All-Big Sky Squad
 
Eastern senior Mason Peatling and sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. were among the five players on the mid-season All-Big Sky Conference team announced in early January by Jon Teitel from the college basketball web site HoopsHD.com. Selected based on their all-around statistical accomplishments from November and December, they were joined on the squad by Montana's Sayeed Pridgett, Montana State's Harald Frey and Sacramento State's Joshua Patton. Pridgett was the web site's Player of the Year So Far (POYSF). Both Peatling and Aiken started all 11 of EWU's preseason games, with Aiken averaging a double-double at 15.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Peatling averaged 15.0 points and 6.9 boards. Aiken also had 21 steals, 13 assists and 10 blocked shots in the 11 games, and Peatling had 24 assists, 13 blocks and seven steals.
 
 
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

 
* Eastern is 23-54 against the Grizzlies since becoming a member of NCAA Division I in 1983-84, including a 10-28 record in Missoula, 13-22 in Cheney and 0-4 on neutral courts. Montana leads the overall series 70-44. The Eagles have won three of the last five meetings in Missoula and two of the last three in Cheney. Until winning 75-69 on Feb. 5, 2015, the Eagles had lost their last 12 meetings in Missoula, dating back to a 71-52 Eagle win on Feb. 7, 2004. The Eagles would also beat the Grizzlies on their home floor in the 2015 Big Sky Championship game, giving the Eagles a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Eastern also picked up a 72-60 victory at Montana on Jan. 26, 2017. EWU is 1-6 versus the Griz in the Big Sky Tournament. Besides the 2015 victory, Eastern has also lost to the Grizzlies in the 2018 (82-65) and 2019 (68-62) title games. The Eagles lost 74-66 to UM in the 2012 semifinals in Missoula; 73-71 in overtime in the 2006 semifinals in Flagstaff, Ariz.; 58-48 in the 2005 quarterfinals; and 70-66 in the 2002 championship in Bozeman.
 
* Earlier this season in Cheney, round one went to the Grizzlies as Montana beat EWU 90-63 on Jan. 9 at Reese Court. , Eastern fell behind by as many as 18 in the first half and 29 in the second half in the highly-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.
 
* Last year in Boise, the late-season run by the Eagles ran out of magic as Eastern fell short its bid to advance to the NCAA Tournament by falling to Montana 68-62 on March 16 in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament presented by My Place Hotels at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. In a rematch of the 2018 title game won by the Grizzlies, Montana out-shot Eastern 62.5 percent to 39.4 percent in the second half on its way to a second-straight tournament title to add to its consecutive regular season championships. The Eagles had led at halftime 31-26 after hitting seven of its first eight shots, and led for 28:38 of the game, compared to 10:18 for UM. Four Eagles scored in double figures, led by a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds by Kim Aiken Jr., who joined Mason Peatling on the All-Tournament team. Peatling scored 13 and had seven rebounds, Jesse Hunt had 17 and seven boards, and Tyler Kidd scored 12 with six rebounds and three assists. However, EWU was out-shot 50.9 percent to 42.1 percent in the game and had 15 turnovers leading to 14 Grizzly points.  Eastern had its five-game winning streak ended to finish 16-18 after a 1-9 start. The high-energy Eagles sank seven of their first eight shots in the game, and took an early 17-5 lead. A 10-0 run was fueled by Aiken's six points, including a rebound dunk. Eastern then missed eight-straight shots and went 6:40 without a field goal, but a 7-0 Eagle run put Eastern back up 24-12 with 6:40 to play in the half on a 3-pointer by Cody Benzel. Eastern led 31-26 at halftime, with the Eagles cooling off to sink 45.8 percent of their shots in the half, compared to 40.0 percent for the Griz. In the second half, Eastern couldn't mount a scoring run and the Grizzlies eventually took their first lead of the game at 47-46 with 11:04 to play. The Grizzlies made 11 of it its first 13 shots in the second half, and led by as many as eight at the 6:45 mark and led the rest of the way.
 
* Last season in Missoula, Cold stretches helped dig double-digit deficits in each half for the Eagles, but they rallied late to knot the score three times before falling to preseason Big Sky Conference favorite Montana 75-74 Feb. 9, 2019, at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont. Jacob Davison led the Eagles with 23 points for his sixth 20-point performance in his last seven games, but he missed a potential game-winning shot in the final seconds. Eastern was trying to take its first lead since the opening three minutes of the contest, as Montana led for 36:03 out of 40 minutes. Davison's miss ended a stretch in which EWU made six-straight shots, helping the Eagles finish at 46.4 percent for the game compared to 47.2 percent for the Grizzlies. Eastern made 59 percent of its shots in the second half, but it was the first time in nine games this season in which EWU made 45 percent or better and lost. Returning to Dahlberg Arena where EWU had won five of its last six games, Jesse Hunt had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Mason Peatling added 16 and seven boards before fouling out. The loss closed a stretch of four games in eight days for the Eagles, who had stretches of eight minutes in the first half and four minutes in the second half without a field goal to fall behind by a dozen in the first half and 13 in the second half. The Eagles used a 12-2 run late in the game to knot the score at 68, with Peatling contributing six of EWU's points and three other Eagles scoring. The Eagles tied it at 70 with 2:03 left, 72 with 1:25 remaining and 74 at the :53 mark, and Michael Oguine scored the winning points with a free throw with 29 seconds to play. Eastern missed eight-straight shots and went six minutes without a basket in the first half, and that helped Montana open a 12-point lead late in the period. Baskets by Davison and Ty Gibson helped cut into the lead, but Eastern was out-shot 45 percent to 33 percent and ended up trailing 38-31 at halftime. A 6-0 run by the Eagles in the second half on baskets by Hunt, Davison and Peatling helped cut Montana's lead to five on a pair of occasions, but EWU had a nearly four minute stretch in which it couldn't make a field goal, and had three turnovers in that stretch to boot. That surge gave UM a 59-46 lead with 11:05 to play. The Grizzlies – the defending regular season and tournament champions and the preseason favorite to win again– got a measure of revenge after falling to EWU 78-71 in Cheney on Jan. 10. Montana extended its winning streak to seven since then to rise to 10-2 and to the top of the league standings.

 
* Eastern has won 12 of the last 16 meetings against Montana State, including last season's 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 22 of the last 35, and is 12-3 at home in that span. Eastern, in fact, has a seven-game home winning streak versus the Bobcats and have not lost to them at Reese Court since a 60-56 Bobcat win on Feb. 24, 2011. The Eagles are 43-46 all-time against MSU, including a 35-37 record as a member of NCAA Division I (23-12 in Cheney, 11-25 in Bozeman, 1-0 on neutral courts). The records include two MSU forfeits in the 1993-94 season.
 
* Earlier this season in Bozeman, the Eagles hit nine of their last 18 shots and then scored 11 points at the free throw line in the final 2:54 to beat Montana State 71-58 Jan. 18 at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Mont. Junior Jacob Davison paced the Eagles with 26 points and also had five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Senior Mason Peatling had a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore Tanner Groves had 11 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. had only three free throws after an 0-of-7 shooting performance, but did finish with 13 rebounds, five steals and four assists. Groves hit all four of his shots, and freshman redshirt Casson Rouse came off the bench to score four points for EWU. True freshman Ellis Magnuson scored four points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the free throw line, and also added four assists. Peatling had his fourth double-double of the season and 12th of his career in the victory, as EWU out-rebounded MSU 41-40. Eastern had a 22-18 advantage in the second half and is now 5-0 this season when it out-rebounds its opponent. Eastern was shooting at a 33 percent clip early in the second half and was down by four, but used a 12-2 run over a six-minute stretch to take a 48-42 lead. Soon after that and leading by two, the Eagles scored 11 unanswered points and went up 59-46 at the 5:11 mark. Three-point baskets by Davison and Groves sparked the big run, and Groves also added two more baskets. His short jumper with 5:11 left was the last field goal the Eagles attempted until Davison missed with 18 seconds left when the game was in hand.  By allowing only 58 points, Eastern had its second-best defensive effort of the season against a NCAA Division I opponent this season (third overall). The Bobcats were held to 37 percent shooting, including just 23 percent from the 3-point stripe (4-of-17). Eastern used an early 9-0 to open an early 9-2 advantage. The Eagles led 18-6 and led the entire half until the 2:23 mark when MSU took the lead. But two baskets down the stretch by Peatling gave EWU a 34-30 halftime lead and EWU led by for 17:37 out of 20 minutes. Eastern hit six of its first nine shots from the field, but suffered through a 3-of-18 shooting stretch, including a string of seven-straight misses. EWU sank 38 percent of its shots in the first half, including just 4-of-14 on 3-pointers, but also held MSU to 39.3 percent shooting.
 
* 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 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 Hits 14 3-Pointers in 77-66 Win at Northern Arizona
 
Junior Jack Perry hit five 3-pointers in the second half and redshirt freshman Mike Meadows hit a pair of key baskets in the first half as Eastern beat red-hot Northern Arizona 77-66 on Feb. 3 in Flagstaff, Ariz., to extend EWU's winning streak to six games and end NAU's at five. With Eastern sinking 14 3-pointers – one from its high this season -- the win helped Eastern maintain first place in the Big Sky men's basketball standings. Perry finished with a season-high 15 points for the Eagles – all in the second half and three from his career high of 18. Junior Jacob Davison had 17 points, and senior Mason Peatling had his fourth double-double in the last five games with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. also had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Meadows finished with five points in four minutes of playing time and redshirt freshman Casson Rouse. had six with a pair of 3-pointers. True freshman point guard Ellis Magnuson had five points and four first-half assists, and Davison has five assists. Peatling also had four assists, a pair of steals and a blocked shot. Eastern's 14 3-pointers equaled its second-most behind the 15 they hit at High Point on Nov. 23. Eastern also had 14 versus Portland Bible College on Nov. 5. The Eagles finished at 14-of-37 in the game after an 8-of-18 performance in the second half. Eastern led by four after the first 20 minutes -- its first halftime lead in the last four games – and led by as many as 15 in the second half. Eastern held the Lumberjacks to 41 percent shooting from the field, including only 6-of-17 from the 3-point stripe. Eastern also had a 38-34 rebounding edge and is now 8-0 when it has an advantage on the boards. Eastern had 12 offensive rebounds and for the second-straight game had 15 second-chance points. The Eagles trailed must of the first half before using a 12-1 run to open a 29-23 lead with 3:57 to play. Five different players scored in the run, including 3-pointers by Davison and Rouse. The Eagles held the Lumberjacks without a field goal for 5:15. Meadows, who had played just nine minutes in three league games entering the NAU game, hit a 3-pointer and another jumper in the last three minutes to give EWU its largest lead of the half at nine. Eastern led 34-30 at halftime. Perry, who was 0-of-4 in the first half from the 3-point line, got hot early in the second half, and his trey at the 16:50 mark gave EWU its biggest lead of the night at 13 points. He, Rouse and Davison then hit triples to give EWU its biggest lead of the half at 59-44 with 10:16 to play. Eastern led by no less than eight the rest of the way.
 
 
Eagles Use 14-0 Run, Defense and Rebounding for 59-54 Win at Sac State
 
A 14-0 run in the second half and defense down the stretch were the keys as the toughest stretch of the Big Sky Conference season began for Eastern with a 59-54 victory over Sacramento State on Feb. 1 at The Nest in Sacramento, Calif. Eastern's defense held the Hornets to 4-of-18 shooting in the final 13 1/2 minutes of the game, and the 14-0 run turned an eight point deficit into a six-point lead. Eastern never relinquished the lead after that as it maintained first place in the Big Sky standings with a 7-2 record. The Eagles handed the Hornets their first home loss of the season as EWU won for the sixth time in 11 road games this season, including four of five in Big Sky play. Junior Jacob Davison led the Eagles with 23 points, and was joined in double figures by senior Mason Peatling with 12 and freshman redshirt Casson Rouse with 13. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. had nine rebounds and Peatling added seven to help EWU nearly out-rebound an opponent for only the eighth time this season. Eastern entered the game 7-0 when it has more rebounds than its opponent, and forged a 32-all tie on the boards against a team ranked second in the league and the top 60 nationally in rebound margin. Eastern also made 14-of-15 free throws to help its cause offensively. Davison had his eighth performance of the season with at least 20 points, and 17th in his career. He now has 935 career points in his quest to join Mason Peatling in EWU's 1,000-point club, which now totals 22 members. Davison also had three assists and four rebounds, and Peatling had five assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Both teams had nine offensive rebounds, but the Eagles had a commanding 15-3 lead in second-chance points. Eastern had one more turnover than the Hornets (12-11), but had a 12-6 advantage in points off turnovers. It was the lowest scoring game of the season for EWU, and its previous lowest point total in a win was 71 points. Defensively, it was the fewest points EWU has allowed versus a NCAA Division I opponent this season. It was a battle of an EWU team ranked second in NCAA Division I in offense versus a Hornets squad ranked third in defense, and EWU finished at 37 percent shooting compared to 40 percent for the Hornets. Peatling hit a 3-pointer to open the game for EWU, but the Eagles would miss their next eight shots and go seven minutes without a field goal. Eastern got untracked with a 9-0 run, with Davison scoring five of EWU's points in the run. A layin by Tanner Groves with 9:19 left in the half on a pass from Aiken gave EWU a 19-11 lead. But Sac State followed with an 8-0 run, and eventually led 28-27 at halftime as EWU made just two field goals in the last seven minutes. The Eagles made just 33 percent of their shots in the first half and had seven turnovers, while the Hornets made 42 percent and had eight miscues in the first 20 minutes. The Eagles fell behind by eight in the second half, but then hit five-straight shots during a game-changing 14-0 run. Five different Eagles scored in the run, including five by Davison, whose jumper put EWU up 48-42 with 8:06 left. During that stretch, EWU held Sac State scoreless for 4:27 and without a field goal for 7:47. Eastern took the lead for good with 9:58 left on a 3-pointer by Jack Perry. Davison hit key baskets with 5:16 and 15 seconds left, the latter basket giving EWU a 57-53 lead. Rouse clinched the win with two free throws with four ticks remaining.
 
 
 

Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Montana Rematch: "They embarrassed us and I'll take that squarely on my shoulders. We did some different things – athletes are routine-based and I got them out of their routine. We put them in black uniforms and did this and did that. We just have to go out and play. I like our team and I like our chances. You never know how it's going to work out, but you have to play smart and hard. You have to be mentally tough and I have to be that way as well. Our coaching staff and our players will be ready – it's going to be a fun game."
 
On Jack Perry & Others at Northern Arizona: "He's played in a lot of games and made a lot of big shots. When you have guys like him doing that it makes the game that much easier. The team trusts each other and they are going to pass the ball to the player who has the best shot. Jack's night was tonight to hit some big shots. Other players hit big shots, and Mason and Kim were doing their thing on the glass. And Mike Meadows came in quietly at the end of that first half, but he really gave us a spark. He gave us toughness, made shots and defended really well. That's how you earn playing time. You always have to be working and ready to go – and he was ready. Our team just stepped up tonight and played a great game."
 
On Defense Versus NAU: "It was huge for us to come out and play great defense. Mason and the other leaders we have on this team make it easy on me. They understand how important each game is and how much fun they are having. They are doing a great job, and defense is what really won this game for us."
 
On Rebounding: "Guys are getting to the glass and they are fighting and battling. They are following the game plan and that was huge tonight. We needed to keep them off the 3-point line and not let Cameron Shelton sit in the paint all-game long. We did a good job of keeping him outside the paint. We wanted to keep him off the line and we didn't, but rebounding was huge tonight."
 
On Sac State Win: "Our team played great defense and rebounded – they did exactly what they needed to do. In crunch time they made big shots and Mason made some big passes and had another big assist game. They did a good job of trying to stop him, but Jacob had a great game tonight. Everybody was chipping in and helping out and that's the kind of effort you have to have. Winning the first game on this road trip is big."
 
On Home Sweep After Win Over UNC: "We're in a fantastic league, we have fantastic coaches and there are some fantastic players who are underrated in this country. There were so many players on that court who are really good. It was a fun basketball game to coach and watch the guys play. There were so many emotions and a lot of stress throughout that game. But there was a lot of excitement too."
 
On Mason Peatling: "He's doing a man's work – it's tough out there getting double-teamed and tripled-teamed. He's making plays for his teammates and he's getting yelled at by his crazy coach to make layups, and he still has 30 points. He listens and handles the emotions of the game. That's what a senior leader does for you, and he's been like that since he's gotten here. He's been even keel, but he's excited when other players make plays and when he makes plays. He's showing our younger players what it means to be an Eagle, play for this university and how important everything is."
 
On Love of Basketball:  "You have to love basketball. It's something that brings you to so many highs and so many lows, but it's great to be able to do it with people you love and like to be around. This is a great community and we are doing it for a great university. It's so much fun and I can't get enough basketball right now."
 
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 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."