Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (2-4/1-0 Big Sky in 2020-21 - 23-8/16-4 Big Sky in 2019-20) Thursday, Jan. 14 – Southern Utah – 6:05 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16 – Southern Utah – 12:05 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 game on Jan. 14 is televised live regionally via SWX, with Dennis Patchin providing play-by-play and former Eagle Marc Axton providing analysis.
­­­Webcast:	Fans can watch EWU home broadcasts via Pluto TV channel 1053 or via https://bigskyconf.com/watchbigsky
Live Stats:	EWU Home Games: http://ewustats.com

After nearly a month without a game, the Eagles are finally back to play a fellow unbeaten foe in the Big Sky Conference – they hope.
 
Pending results of this week's Covid-19 testing protocols, the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team resumes action this Thursday (Jan. 14) with its delayed league home opener at Reese Court. The Eagles take on Southern Utah at 6:05 p.m. Pacific time, and then the Eagles will host the Thunderbirds two days later on Jan. 16 at 12:05 p.m.
 
At this time, no spectators will be permitted to attend home basketball games due to institutional, regional, and state guidelines in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
The first game of the doubleheader will be televised live regionally on SWX, with new KHQ/SWX TV sports director Dennis Patchin calling the play-by-play, and former Eagle Marc Axton serving as analyst. Both games will be available via PlutoTV channel 1053 and via https://bigskyconf.com/watchbigsky. Eastern games are also 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. Live statistics from all Eastern home games are available via http://ewustats.com.
 
The Eagles, the preseason and defending regular season champions, are 2-4 overall and 1-0 in the Big Sky Conference, and haven't played since an 80-64 victory at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19. The first game of that doubleheader was canceled because of Covid-19 testing protocols and will not be made up.
 
Eastern's next four games were also canceled because of a positive Covid-19 case within the Eastern program and subsequent protocols and procedures. Thus, EWU will have gone a full 25 days without a game, wiping out anticipated doubleheaders versus both Portland State and Weber State.
 
Eastern senior guard Jack Perry will finally get the opportunity to play in his 100th game, and be able to do it on EWU's home court. He enters Thursday's game versus the Thunderbirds with 99 games and 64 starts worth of experience for the Eagles, and has career totals of 550 points, 214 assists, 46 steals and 133 3-pointers made.
 
Eastern has had a trio of losses to top-notch NCAA Division I competition by a total of just 11 points after leading at halftime and with 10 minutes left in each.  One of those was an 80-75 loss on Dec. 15 at Saint Mary's, which had entered the game ranked fourth in the CollegeInsider.com top 25 poll of mid-major teams. Two of those losses were versus Pac-12 Conference foes Washington State and Arizona.
 
While Eastern hasn't played since Dec. 19, Southern Utah is coming off a home sweep of Idaho (85-80 and 83-67) to improve to a perfect 4-0 in the league and 9-1 overall with a nine-game winning streak. The Thunderbirds haven't lost since losing their season opener at Loyola Marymount on Nov. 25 by an 85-83 score. Besides Idaho, SUU also swept Montana in December – 64-63 on Dec. 3 and 75-74 on Dec. 5. Thus, its first three league wins came by a combined total of just seven points before the 16-point win over the Vandals.
 
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
 
More About the Thunderbirds
 
A year ago, the Thunderbirds were 18-14 overall and 12-18 in the league to finish fourth. In this year's preseason polls, Southern Utah was picked to finish sixth by the media and seventh by the coaches.
 
Illinois transfer Tevian Jones has averaged 19.2 points to pace the Thunderbirds, including a team-high 28 3-pointers in 79 attempts (35.4 percent). The 6-foot-7 junior is second in the league in scoring and his average of 2.8 made treys per game leads the league. He's supported by three other players averaging in double figures – 6-6 junior Maizen Fausett (13.6), 6-3 guard John Knight III (12.5) and 6-0 guard Dre Marin (10.5). Fausett also averages 6.6 rebounds per game to rank eighth in the Big Sky, and Knight leads the league in assists (4.5) and Marin is ninth (2.7).
 
 
More About the Eagles
 
The Eagles had their best showing of the season in a relatively easy 80-64 victory at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19 in Flagstaff, Ariz. Eastern took a 32-28 lead at halftime, then used a season-best 48-point second half to pull away. The Eagles, who had entered the game averaging just 29.0 points in the second half through its first five games, led by as many as 22.
 
Junior forward Tanner Groves leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (9.8 per game) and is also ninth in scoring (14.5), second in field goal percentage (.552) and third in blocked shots (1.3). Sophomore Tyler Robertson is 17th in scoring (12.0), and pre-season All-Big Sky Conference selection Kim Aiken Jr. is sixth in rebounding (7.0). Aiken is also averaging 10.3 points per game, and preseason All-Big Sky MVP Jacob Davison is averaging 11.8 points.
 
On the same road trip as the NAU victory, Eastern fell 80-75 at Saint Mary's in a game in which the Eagles led for 28 1/2 minutes. The first victory for the Eagles came on Dec. 11 when they took a 17-4 lead over The College of Idaho and cruised to an 80-56 win. Previously, Eastern fell to Oregon 69-52 on Dec. 7, just two days after a heart-breaking 70-67 loss at Arizona. Eastern opened the season with a 71-68 loss at Washington State on Nov. 28.
 
In each of EWU's first two games, Eastern led at halftime, led with 10 minutes left and led with five minutes remaining. Eastern led for 33:09 versus WSU, but a late 13-5 run by the Cougars was the difference; a 14-4 run by Arizona cost the Eagles that win after they led for 13:49 in the game. Eastern also led by as many as six in the first half against Oregon and trailed by just four at halftime. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 15, the Eagles led for 28:30 and had the lead at halftime and with 10 minutes to play.
 
A year ago, Eastern was 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the Big Sky Conference to win the outright regular season title. The Covid-19 Pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the season, including the conclusion of the Big Sky Conference Tournament and the entire NCAA Tournament. Eastern was on site for their league tournament opener on March 11, 2020, when the news hit. The Eagles entered the 2020-21 season with four starters back from last year's squad.
 
Legans, the reigning Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, led EWU to a final record of 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the league in the 2019-20 season. Legans entered the 2020-21 season  59-41 in his three years as head coach for a .590 winning percentage. In league games, he directed EWU to 13, 12 and 16 victories, winning 71 percent for a record of 41-17. Both percentages are currently the best among the eight men who have been head coaches in EWU's tenure in the league, and his 41 league wins is the best three-year stretch in school history.
 
More recently, in the spring of 2020, Legans was selected to ESPN's "40 Under 40" list of the top NCAA Division I basketball coaches under the age of 40. He was selected No. 11 -- eighth among head coaches -- in the list of coaches ranked by achievement and potential.
 
Eastern's school-record 16 Big Sky wins a year ago included sweeps over seven of the league's 10 other teams, and a split versus Idaho State and Idaho. Eastern was swept by Montana, which had won the two previous regular season and tournament titles. The Eagles had just two seniors – Mason Peatling and Tyler Kidd – so EWU has high aspirations for 2020 and beyond.
 
Eastern won its fourth Big Sky regular season title in school history (2000, 2004, 2015, 2020), but now joins the 2004 team with the only outright titles. Eastern has gone on to win two Big Sky Tournament titles (2004 and 2015) to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles also have national postseason appearances in the NIT (2003) and the College Basketball Invitational (2016, 2017, 2018).
 
 
Eastern Has Eighth-Toughest Strength of Schedule in Initial NCAA NET Rankings
 
While ranking 110th in the nation overall and tops in the Big Sky Conference, the ranking that popped out most in the initial NCAA NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings released on Jan. 4 was No. 8. That was the team's national ranking in strength of schedule, which was aided by pre-conference games versus three Pacific-12 Conference foes (Arizona, Oregon, Washington State) and another powerhouse from the West Coast Conference (Saint Mary's).
 
The second-highest Big Sky Conference school in the initial rankings was Southern Utah at 135, followed by Weber State (162), Sacramento State (188) and Montana (190) in the top 200. The remainder of the league ranked from No. 224 (Montana State) to No. 333 (Idaho) among the 340 NCAA Division I programs listed. Among EWU's non-conference foes, Oregon (19), Arizona (21), Saint Mary's (53) and Washington State (101) were all in the top 101.
 
The NET rankings serves as the primary sorting tool for the selection and seeding process for the NCAA tournament. The NET is in its third season for men's basketball and was modified in the offseason when it was simplified to a two-component system. The two components are the Team Value Index, which rewards teams for beating quality opponents, especially away from home, and a team's efficiency rating, which is adjusted for the strength of an opponent and the location of a game.
 
Through games of Jan. 11, Eastern remains the top Big Sky school ranked at No. 131, and has is 19th in strength of schedule. Southern Utah is No. 2 in the league at 148th overall, followed by Weber State (151), Sacramento State (184), Montana State (191), Montana (215), Idaho State (266), Portland State (288), Northern Colorado (289), Northern Arizona (329) and Idaho (337).
 
 
Eastern Bucks Second-Half Trend With 48 Points at NAU
 
A familiar trend through the first five games saw the Eagles play impressively in the first half only to see their shooting go south after intermission. But that was erased against Northern Arizona on Dec. 19 in an 80-64 Eagle win, as EWU scored a season-high 48 points in the second half after entering the game averaging just 29.0 after intermission for the season.
 
In its first five games, EWU out-scored opponents 197-167 in the first half, but was out-scored by 35 in the second half (179-145). Eastern made 47.7 percent (73-of-153) of its shots from the field in the first half, including 28-of-64 3-pointers for 41.1 percent. But in the second half, those percentages dipped to 33.3 percent (51-of-153) overall and 18.0 percent (13-of-72) from the arc. Ironically, in each of EWU's first three games it made just 2-of-15 3-pointers in the second half.
 
Versus NAU, Eastern sank 58 percent in the first half and scored 32 points, then hit 59 percent of its shots in the second half and scored 48. That led to a season-best 58.8 percent shooting performance for EWU, whose best in a game to that point was 45.2 percent at Saint Mary's four days earlier. Eastern sank 8-of-17 3-pointers in the NAU game for a season-best 47.1 percent, including 6-of-11 in the second half for 54.5 percent.
 
Throughout the season the Eagles have been impressive defensively, holding opponents to a 40.4 shooting percentage. Eastern has held the opposition to 30.6 percent from the 3-point stripe (41-of-134).
 
 
On the Horizon
 
Eastern is scheduled to return to the road to face Northern Colorado for a doubleheader on Jan. 21 and 23 against a Bears team ranked third by the media and fifth by the coaches in the preseason poll. Led by first-year head coach Steve Smiley, UNC is 5-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big Sky heading into road games at Idaho on Jan. 14 and 16. The Bears suffered a pair of home losses to Montana State recently, falling 79-67 on Jan. 7 and then 76-74 in overtime on Jan. 9.
 
Preseason All-Big Sky selection Bodie Hume leads the Bears with averages of 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6 junior guard is supported by 6-4 junior guard Daylen Kountz with averages of 11.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and 6-2 guard Matt Johnson averages 10.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 boards.
 
A year ago, the Bears were 22-9 overall and 15-5 in the Big Sky to finish second behind EWU.
 
 
 
 
 

Player Notes

 
MVP Davison and Aiken are on Preseason All-Big Sky Team
 
Senior Jacob Davison was selected as the MVP as he joined junior Kim Aiken Jr. on the 2020-21 Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference Team announced by the league office on Nov. 10. Davison earned second team honors a year ago and Aiken was on the third team as they led Eastern to the regular season Big Sky Conference title.
 
"I love seeing our players receive accolades because I see all the hard work they put in behind the scenes to get there," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "Both on and off the court, our guys work harder than any group I've ever been around, and I am so proud of all they have achieved, and eager for all that is to come."
 
Davison was a unanimous selection on the preseason squad. The Eastern duo was joined on the all-conference team by Bodie Hume of Northern Colorado, Jubrile Belo of Montana State, Cameron Shelton from Northern Arizona and Michael Steadman of Montana. Steadman is a 6-foot-10 transfer from San Jose State.
 
In the 2019-20 season, Davison was 70th nationally and fourth in the Big Sky in scoring (18.4), to go along with averages of 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.  In league-only statistics, Davison was fourth in the league in scoring (18.7), as well as ranking 11th in field goal percentage (.439), 10th in free throw percentage (.752), 12th in steals (1.2) and 14th in assists (2.7).
 
"A lot of times teams have to pick their poison with us," said Legans. "Jacob is 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. We watch the way teams defend him in games and then we adjust."
 
Davison is Eastern's newest member of the 1,000-point club, going over that mark with a 21-point effort versus Idaho on Feb. 13, 2020. He followed that with 30 points in a win at Portland State on Feb. 15 to give him four performances in his career with at least 30 (three in the 2019-20 season).
 
In his now 93-game career (63 as a starter), he's averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals while sinking 45.2 percent of his shots from the field, 33.4 percent from the 3-point stripe (112-of-335) and 76.6 percent of his free throws. He now has 1,221 career points to rank 13th on EWU's all-time list of 1,000-point scorers, joining 2019-20 Big Sky MVP Mason Peatling as one of 23 in the club. In his career, Davison now has 23 performances with at least 20 points (14 in the 2019-20 season).
 
So far this season, Davison is averaging 11.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds, making 38.0 percent from the field and 20.7 percent from the 3-point stripe (6-of-29). He's also made 11-of-15 free throws and has four steals and five blocked shots.
 
Aiken, meanwhile, has averaged 10.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, while making 40.8 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from the arc (11-of-34). He's also made 11-of-14 free throws and has seven steals, five blocked shots and eight assists. He scored 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point stripe in EWU's 80-64 win at Northern Arizona, and also had nine boards.
 
Aiken averaged nearly a double-double in the 2019-20 season, finishing fourth in NCAA Division I in defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and 36th in rebounding overall (9.7). He led the Big Sky in both categories, and was also 38th in the nation with 12 double-doubles and averaged 13.3 points per outing.
 
Aiken's overall rebound average was Eastern's best since Ron Cox averaged 12.3 in the 1976-77 season when the school was affiliated with the NAIA. Aiken's average broke the school's previous DI record of 9.1 in the 2016-17 campaign, and his single-game high of 22 is the second-most in school history and EWU's DI record.
 
The 6-foot-7 Aiken also finished his sophomore season third in the league and 85th in the nation in steals (1.74). In league games only, Aiken finished second in rebounding (9.0), first in defensive rebounds (7.5), third in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), fifth in steals (1.7), 12th in blocked shots (1.1) and 21st in scoring (12.1).
 
At times his shooting was inconsistent, but he still managed to sink a team-leading 76 3-pointers on 229 attempts for 33.2 percent. Overall, he shot at a 39.8 percent clip from the field and 78.7 percent from the free throw line (59-of-75).
 
He had a career-best 26-point effort at Washington on Dec. 4, 2019, and had five total performances of 20+ points (seven in his career). Against Belmont in a huge 87-82 victory, he scored eight of EWU's last 12 points and had four defensive boards in the final 44 seconds on his way to final tallies of 11 points and 11 boards.
 
Aiken had 14 double-figure rebounding performances as a sophomore (18 in his career), and thus far in his 67-game career (48 as a starter), he is averaging 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds with 16 career double-doubles (12-4 record). He has 78 career steals, 56 blocked shots and 64 assists.
 
 
The Elder of the "Groves Bros" Tandem, Tanner Groves on Mid-Season All-BSC Team
 
Junior Tanner Groves has had a stellar start to the 2020-21 men's basketball season, and he was rewarded Dec. 31 by being selected to the HoopsHD.com mid-season All- Big Sky Conference team.
 
Through six games this season, Groves leads the Eagles with averages of 14.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game, and has made 55.2 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. He currently ranks sixth in the Big Sky in scoring and is the league leader in rebounding, and is also second in field goal percentage, third in blocks and 12th in free throw percentage.
 
Other players selected to the team included guards Bodie Hume (Northern Colorado), Cameron Shelton (Northern Arizona) and Isiah Brown (Weber State), as well as forward Maizen Fausett (Southern Utah). Brown was selected as the mid-season "Player of the Year So Far."

In his most recent action, Groves sank 82 percent of the shots he took in a pair of games for the Eagles, and for his efforts he was selected Dec. 21 as the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. He earned the same honor from College Sports Madness.
 
Groves averaged a double-double as he equaled, then broke, his career-high in scoring in two games – a narrow 80-75 loss at Saint Mary's on Dec. 15 and then an 80-64 win at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19 to open the league season.
 
In the two games combined, Groves averaged 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds, while also contributing four assists and two blocked shots. He sank 16-of-23 field goals for 69.6 percent and 11-of-13 free throws for 85 percent – a combined 27-of-33 for 81.8 percent.
 
Groves hit 7-of-10 shots and 3-of-4 free throws at Saint Mary's in a game in which EWU led for 28 1/2 minutes. He equaled his career high of 17 points set on two other occasions, and also had a seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
 
The 6-foot-9 junior had the fourth double-double of his career, hitting 9-of-13 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws to finish with 26 points at NAU. That eclipsed his previous high of 17 on three occasions, including twice this season. His 13 boards equaled the 13 he had earlier this season at Oregon, and he also had three assists.
 
The Eagles fell behind 8-0 versus the Lumberjacks, but woke up after that. Eastern outscored NAU 32-14 to eventually take a 10-point lead at 32-22. The Eagles didn't score in the final two minutes and led at halftime 32-28, with Groves scoring the team's final 11 points in the half and 12 total. Groves then scored 14 in the second half as EWU led by as many as 22.
 
 "Tanner is a stud and our players did a great job looking for him," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans after the NAU game. "He scored 26 but didn't shoot any threes, and he loves to shoot threes. He did a great job of getting the ball and making himself available. He's got a lot more games like that in him. I saw him go against (2019-20 Big Sky MVP) Mason Peatling in practices and we saw the flashes of what he is capable of. He's playing really, really good basketball and is very confident. You love to see that, especially out of a player with so much character, how hard he plays, how much he loves his teammates and how much he gives his team every game."
 
The aptly named "Groves Bros" – including sophomore Jacob Groves – have given Eastern a boost this season. Jacob has averaged 9.7 points and 4.2 boards as a sophomore and has made 45.5 percent of his shots. Jacob added seven points and seven rebounds in the road victory at Northern Arizona.
 
Tanner scored 13 at Arizona on Dec. 5, a week after equaling what was then his career high of 17 versus Washington State. He also had nine rebounds and three assists versus the Cougars as he equaled the career high for scoring he had as a sophomore with 17 points. Jacob chipped in 10 points – all in the first half at Arizona after having a career high with 16 points at WSU. He sank 6-of-16 shots in the first start of his career, and had eight rebounds, as he eclipsed his previous high of eight points as a freshman, and his eight rebounds was also a career high as well. Versus Oregon on Dec. 7, Tanner pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, eclipsing his previous high of 11 as a freshman.
 
Tanner came off the bench to average 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in his sophomore season, and this year helps fill the role left by 2019-20 Big Sky Conference MVP Mason Peatling. Tanner scored a career-high 17 points versus Multnomah on Dec. 13, 2019, including a rebound dunk that was the No. 1 play by ESPN's Sportscenter that night and had 2 1/2 million views. Groves also came off the bench to score 16 versus Montana State on Feb. 8, hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers.
 
Thus far in his 65-game career (nine as a starter) he's averaged 5.1 points, 3.3 boards and has 44 blocked shots, while sinking 53.3 percent from the field.
 
Jacob averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in the 24 games he played as a freshman in the 2019-20 season. His first two appearances came in victories against High Point and Belmont, and he had his high game with eight points versus Multnomah. In his 30-game career (one as a starter), he's averaging 4.0 points and 2.1 rebounds, and has 12 steals and nine assists.
 
Both Groves brothers are graduates of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash. Tanner stands 6-foot-9 and graduated in 2017, and Jacob is 6-7 and graduated two years later. Their parents are Randy and Tara Groves.
 
 
Sophomores Continue Solid Contributions as Starters
 
Sophomores Tyler Robertson and Casson Rouse made their season debuts against Arizona on Dec. 5, and combined for 28 points in the narrow three-point loss. They followed that with a combined 21 points at Oregon on Dec. 7, and thus far have a combined six double-figure scoring performances.
 
Robertson had a career-high 17 points with five 3-pointers in seven attempts at Saint Mary's on Dec. 15 in the second start of his career. In his first start against The College of Idaho on Dec. 11, he assisted on four of Eastern's first five baskets en route to a 17-4 lead. He finished the game with 12 points, a career-high six rebounds and five assists.
 
Robertson made 5-of-7 shots from the floor to finish with a career-high 15 points in his first game of the season versus Arizona, eclipsing his previous high of nine set as a freshman. He also had five rebounds, and drew the foul that disqualified Arizona 6-11 forward Jordan Brown from the game.
 
Rouse, who also didn't play in EWU's opener at Washington State, had 13 in his first game of the season against Arizona. He sank a trio of 3-pointers and had four assists to share team-high honors. Robertson and Rouse both hit 3-pointers in a 9-1 run as the Eagles took their biggest lead of the half at 56-48 with 8:42 remaining. In the next game, Robertson scored 11 points and Rouse had 10.
 
In five games played thus far, Robertson is averaging 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists while sinking 52.4 percent from the field (10-of-23 3-pointers) and 66.7 percent from the free throw line (6-of-9). Rouse is averaging 7.2 points and 2.4 assists, and has made five 3-pointers (in 20 attempts for 25.0 percent, 34.2 percent overall).
 
A year ago as a redshirt freshman, Rouse started seven games and chipped in 6.5 points and 1.7 assists while making 37-of-96 3-pointers (38.5 percent). He exceeded his previous career best by seven points when he scored 21 points in a 100-75 victory over Idaho State on March 5 to help EWU wrap-up at least a share of the Big Sky title. So far in his career, he's played in 36 games (12 as a starter) and is averaging 6.6 points, 1.9 assists and 2.0 rebounds while sinking 42-of-116 3-point attempts (36.2 percent).
 
Robertson played in 26 Eastern games a true freshman in 2019-20, averaging 8.1 minutes, 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high eight points at Boston College and one game later had his high for rebounds with three at High Point. In a 68-64 victory at Northern Colorado in a battle for first place in the league standings, Robertson came off the bench to provide some of the defense on UNC's Jonah Radebaugh, who needed 24 shots to score 21 points. In his career thus far, Robertson has played 31 games (his first 28 off the bench) and has averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds while sinking 21-of-54 3-pointers for 41.2 percent.
 
 "Casson and Tyler are really good, and they are two reasons why I'm so high on this team," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans after the Arizona game. "We have a lot of depth on this team and we can call on a lot of players when we need to."
 
 
Senior Jack Perry Continues Marksmanship from 3-Point Line
 
With nearly 100 games of experience as an Eagle, so far this season senior Jack Perry has averaged 3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while sinking 5-of-13 3-point shots.
 
He adds senior leadership in the back court after averaging 6.2 points and 2.5 assists during a junior campaign that was limited to 26 games because of a high ankle sprain. In league-only statistics last season, Perry was 14th in assists (2.7) and 11th in 3-pointers made per game (1.7). He has also provided some clutch moments through the years for EWU, including the 100th 3-pointer of his career to give EWU the lead for good in a 78-75 victory at Idaho on Jan. 16, 2020.
 
On schedule to play in his 100th game as an Eagle on Jan. 14 versus Southern Utah, Perry has played in 99 games (64 as a starter), just five games from moving into the No. 22 position in school history. He is currently 13th on EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 40.1 percent (133-of-332), and has averaged 5.6 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game with 46 total steals.
 
 
Ellis Magnuson, a 31-Game Starter from a Year Ago, Makes Debut Versus Oregon
 
Ellis Magnuson started all 31 Eagle games as a true freshman in the 2019-20 season, but missed the first two games of his sophomore season because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He made his season debut versus Oregon on Dec. 7 and finished with two assists and no points in eight minutes of action. In four games thus far, he's averaged 14.6 minutes, 2.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
 
A year ago, Magnuson finished 118th in the nation in assists (4.2 to rank fifth in the Big Sky) and was 112th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.84 per game to rank fifth in the league). In Big Sky-only statistics, he was eighth in assists (3.4), and was the only freshman ranked in that category in the top 15. He was also the only freshman in the top 11 in assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking seventh (+1.5).
 
In his 35-game career (31 as a starter), Magnuson is averaging 3.9 assists, 5.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He's made 35.8 percent of his field goal attempts, including 22-of-74 (29.7 percent) from the 3-point arc. He's also made 32-of-39 career free throws for 82.1 percent.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* The Eagles are 15-6 all-time against Southern Utah (8-1 in Cheney, 5-5 in Cedar City, 2-0 on a neutral court). The Eagles have won the last eight meetings in Cheney, and haven't lost to the Thunderbirds at Reese Court since Dec. 21, 1993. by a 70-68 score. Eastern has a three-game winning streak overall in the series, and had lost the last two meetings in Cedar City until a 69-51 win on Feb. 27, 2020. That was part of a season sweep by the Eagles that also included an 81-78 overtime victory at home for the Eagles on Jan. 25, 2020.
 
* Included in EWU's recent victories over SUU was a 77-61 win in the semifinals of the 2019 Big Sky Conference Tournament in Boise, Idaho. A year earlier, EWU recorded an 82-70 victory over the Thunderbirds on March 9, 2018, in the quarterfinals of the league tourney in Reno, Nevada. The Thunderbirds joined the Big Sky in the 2012-13 season and EWU is 14-3 versus them since then with an eight-game winning streak from Feb. 16, 2013, to Jan. 20, 2018.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
Eagles Beat Northern Arizona 80-64 Despite Long Wait
 
There was a little angst involved to get the game played, but Eastern beat Northern Arizona 80-64 Dec. 19 at the Rolle Activity Center on the NAU campus in the Big Sky Conference opener for both schools. Having had the previous night's game canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Eastern used a pair of hot stretches in the first half and second half en route to its second win of the season. Kim Aiken Jr. hit five 3-pointers to finish with a season-high 19 points, and Tanner Groves had a double-double with career highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Eagles out-scored the Lumberjacks 32-14 at one point in the first half, and had a 22-11 run after intermission to help open a 21-point lead and put the game away. Eastern led by as many as 22 points and no less than 15 the rest of the way, and beat NAU for the 16th time in the last 19 meetings. Eastern had a dominating 42-26 rebounding advantage and led 42-24 in points in the paint. Eastern shot a season-best 59 percent from the field while holding NAU to 37 percent shooting. Groves had the fourth double-double of his career, hitting 9-of-13 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws to finish with 26 points. Aiken, a preseason All-Big Sky selection, made 5-of-7 3-point shots to finish with 19 points and come just seven from his career high. He also had nine rebounds, coming one from his first double-double of the season. Senior Jacob Davison, the preseason MVP in the Big Sky Conference, chipped in eight points. The Eagles fell behind 8-0, but woke up after that. Eastern outscored NAU 32-14 to eventually take a 10-point lead at 32-22. The Eagles didn't score in the final two minutes and led at halftime 32-28, with Groves scoring the team's final 11 points in the half and 12 total. Eastern opened the second half on a tear as well, and used an 8-2 run to regain a 10-point lead. Eastern then hit four 3-pointers, including a trio by Aiken, to open a 54-39 advantage with 12:15 to play. Eastern continued to pour it on, and went up by 21 after seven free throws by Groves. Eastern led by as many as 22 and no fewer than 15 the rest of the way.
 
 
Eagles Nearly Get Breakthrough But Fall 80-75 at Saint Mary's
 
Eastern led for 28 1/2 minutes, but didn't get the finish it needed en route to an 80-75 loss at Saint Mary's – the nation's No. 4 mid-major team – on Dec. 15 in Moraga, Calif.  Sophomore Tyler Robertson and junior Tanner Groves led a quartet of players in double figures with a career-high 17 each for the Eagles, but Saint Mary's Tommy Kuhse was too much to overcome. He had a career-high 34 points to go along with six assists and seven rebounds. Eastern rallied late with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to two, but Kuhse and hit the dagger with a driving layin with 1:09 left. Eastern missed its last four shots in the final 1:38. The game featured 11 lead changes and eight ties – both season highs for EWU -- until the Gaels took command with 9-0 run late in the game. Both teams shot the ball well, with EWU finishing at a season-best 45.2 percent and the Gaels at 48.4 percent. The only difference in the game in favor of the Gaels was a 38-33 rebounding advantage as both teams had seven 3-pointers and eight turnovers. Eastern had an 18-8 advantage in second-chance points – highs in both categories for EWU – thanks to eight offensive boards. Robertson had his fourth double-figure scoring performance in the four games he's played this season, finishing with a career-high 17. He sank 5-of-8 shots from the field, including 5-of-7 from the 3-point stripe. He eclipsed his previous high of 14 at Arizona on Dec. 5, and his high last season as a freshman was nine. His previous high for 3-pointers made was three. Groves also scored 17 to equal his career high, sinking 7-of-10 shots from the field and 3-of-4 free throws. He also had seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots as he came three boards from his second-straight double-double and fourth of his career. He equaled his high of 17 earlier this season at Washington State and a year ago versus Multnomah. Senior Jacob Davison, the preseason MVP in the Big Sky Conference, had 15 points, including 11 in the first half. Junior Kim Aiken Jr., a preseason All-Big Sky selection, scored 12 points and finished with eight rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Casson Rouse chipped in six points and four rebounds. Davison had a driving lay-in, 3-pointer and the 100th steal of his career in the opening minute as EWU took an early 5-0 lead. Eastern also had a 5-0 run to open its biggest lead of the half at 34-28 with 1:49 to play. Neither team had scoring runs of more than five points before intermission, as Saint Mary's also had a pair and trailed 40-37. There were eight ties and seven lead changes in the first half, and Eastern led for 15:02 compared to 2:24 for the Gaels. The game was tied the other 2:34. Robertson hit a 3-pointer to start the second half, then hit another at the 16:41 mark to give EWU its largest lead at 50-41. Less than two minutes later he hit another with 14:49 left to maintain the nine-point lead at 55-46. The Gaels, however, had a pair of 5-0 runs to help knot the score at 63 with 7:25 to play. Eastern took its last two leads of the game on free throws, including a pair by Aiken with 6:35 left.
 
 
 

2019-20 Highlights

 
* The Eagles had their-second highest win total in 37 years as a NCAA Division I member with 23 victories.
* Their 16 league triumphs were the most in their 33 years as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
* The Eagles finished sixth in the nation in scoring offense (80.9 per game) and were fourth in assists (17.5).
* Eastern was able to celebrate heartily on March 7, 2020, after the Eagles beat Weber State 78-69 to wrap-up the outright Big Sky Conference title.
* The Coronavirus pandemic resulted in cancellation of the Big Sky and NCAA Tournaments, and ended a historic run by EWU and senior Mason Peatling, who won the league's MVP award after averaging a double-double in 20 league outings.
Mason Peatling also was a first team Academic All-America selection, and finished his career with 118 games played, 1,250 points, 725 rebounds, 112 blocked shots and a .555 field goal shooting percentage – all marks which rank in the top 12 in EWU history.
* Mason Peatling and Jacob Davison were rewarded for the historic season by receiving All-District 6 honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
* Peatling was a first team All-Big Sky selection, while junior Jacob Davison was picked for the second team and sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. was on the third squad.
* Head Coach Shantay Legans himself was the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year after leading EWU to a final record of 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the league.
* Legans is now 59-41 in his three years as head coach for a .590 winning percentage. In league games, he has directed EWU to 13, 12 and now 16 victories, winning 71 percent for a record of 41-17. Both percentages are currently the best among the eight men who have been head coaches in EWU's tenure in the league, and his 41 league wins is the best three-year stretch in school history.
* Mason Peatling was on fire during the league season, closing with averages of 18.5 points on 56 percent shooting from the field, 10.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 blocked shots and 0.8 steals. He had 11 double-doubles in his last 15 games.
* Mason Peatling was honored three times during the year as Big Sky Conference Player of the Week, and Jacob Davison earned the honor twice.
* Eastern's school-record 16 Big Sky wins included sweeps over seven of the league's 10 other teams, and a split versus Idaho State and Idaho. Eastern was swept by Montana, which had won the two previous regular season and tournament titles.
* The Eagles had just two seniors – Mason Peatling and Tyler Kidd – so EWU has high aspirations for 2020 and beyond.
Eastern won its fourth Big Sky regular season title in school history (2000, 2004, 2015, 2020), but now joins the 2004 team with the only outright titles. Eastern has gone on to win two Big Sky Tournament titles (2004 and 2015) to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles also have national postseason appearances in the NIT (2003) and the College Basketball Invitational (2016, 2017, 2018).
* A Big Sky Conference-best eight players were named to the league's All-Academic squad, including four-time recipient Mason Peatling. The others were Kim Aiken Jr., Jacob Groves, Tanner Groves, Ellis Magnuson, Michael Meadows, Jack Perry and Tyler Robertson.
* A trio of Eagles – Kim Aiken Jr., Jacob Davison and Mason Peatling – were honored during the year as the EWU Scholar-Athletes of the Month.
* Six different players earned team awards at the conclusion of the season. Mason Peatling was chosen as the MVP after earning the same honor from the league. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr., received the team's Best Defender award, and Peatling, Aiken and junior Jacob Davison were recognized as EWU's co-captains for the 2019-20 season. In addition, junior Jack Perry received the team's Most Improved award, true freshman Ellis Magnuson was the Top Newcomer and sophomore Tanner Groves out of Spokane's Shadle Park High School was Most Inspirational.
 
 
 
 

More Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On NAU Win: "Sitting in the hotel and not doing anything for 50 hours and then coming out and playing that way was amazing. For this group of players it shows mental toughness. They were really excited to play this game. I couldn't be happier to watch them get out and play. Everybody on the roster played and they deserved it. I was proud of their effort for what they had to go through. We tried to make it as normal as possible, but it's not normal. We got punched in the mouth early because they were playing really good basketball. But our team battled through it and made all the right plays and took the easy baskets. When you shoot that well on the road, you have to be proud. Our players defended well and held them to 37 percent."
 
On Kim Aiken Jr. at NAU: "It was great to see his scoring, but it was great to see him rebound and get offensive boards. It's good to see him shoot with confidence, and play upbeat and happy. And when he's defending like he did today, I think he's the best defender in the league. He did a great job. He got seven 3-point attempts and made five – that's a big-time game for him."
 
On Saint Mary's Loss: "We have to come out and make sure we make winning plays and rebound. We didn't do that in the second half and that's the story of the year so far. We have to get better game-by-game. Our team will get there. We have a great bunch of guys and smart players. We just have to finish these games off at the end."
 
On Playing in an Empty Reese Court: "I think they're used to it. They gym has been set up like this for our practices. I think they were mentally ready, especially going on the road already and seeing nobody there in those big arenas. They try to give each other energy on the bench and they make sure it's real. We talk about celebrating teammates, and that is huge this year. You have to celebrate your teammates if you want to have that energy and feel an advantage."
 
On Depth: "We have a lot of depth, and we like to give players opportunities to see what they can do and see if they run with it. We have a lot of players, and we have to figure out who can get in there and do certain things and play roles. That's the fun of coaching to figure that part out."