Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (6-6/5-2 Big Sky in 2020-21 - 23-8/16-4 Big Sky in 2019-20) Thursday, Feb. 4 – at Idaho – 6:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 – Idaho – 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 Saturday (Feb. 8) is televised live regionally via SWX, with Dennis Patchin providing play-by-play and former Eagle Marc Axton providing analysis.
­­­Webcast:	Fans can watch this week's games via Pluto TV channel 1060 (Feb. 4) and 1053 (Feb. 6)  or via https://bigskyconf.com/watchbigsky
Live Stats:	Click Here for Game at Idaho; EWU Home Games: http://ewustats.com

The Eagles still remember and the Vandals are hungry.
 
Idaho will look for their first win of the season under former Eagle player Zac Claus when they host the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team on Thursday (Feb. 4) at 6 p.m. Pacific time at Memorial Gym in Moscow, Idaho. The Eagles then host the Vandals on Saturday (Feb. 6) at noon Pacific time.

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.
 
Saturday's game 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 – Thursday is on channel 1060 and Saturday is on channel 1053 -- as well as 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.
 
Eastern senior Jacob Davison should play in his 100th game on Thursday to join 24 other Eagles in school history to hit that mark, including his teammate Jack Perry (103). Davison has scored 1,312 career points to rank 12th in school history, and is just seven from reaching the 1,319 that Axton had from 2002-05.
 
The Eagles are 6-6 overall and with a three-game winning streak are starting to get on the roll like they did a year ago en route to the regular season league title. Last year after five games of the league season, the Eagles were 3-2 (like this year's team), and had won the first game of what would become a six-game winning streak. Eastern ended the regular season with a streak of seven-straight victories to win the league title with a 16-4 mark.
 
Idaho is 0-13 overall and 0-10 after hosting and losing twice to Weber State this past weekend, falling 81-56 on Jan. 28 and then 81-62 on Jan. 30. A year ago, Eastern slipped past the Vandals in Moscow by a 78-75 score in a game that featured 10 ties and 10 lead changes. But Claus had a happy homecoming in his first game back at Reese Court as Idaho's head coach, with the Vandals winning 74-71. Eastern's furious comeback fell short as the Eagles trailed at halftime by 18 and by as many as 24 in the second half.
 
That loss to the Vandals was just one of four the Eagles had during the league season. Eastern was 13-2 at Reese Court a year ago, but only lost to Montana and the Vandals.
 
"It's always hard, and we won the league last year but they kicked our tails pretty good at home," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "That was one of our only losses at home last year. They play really tough and hard, and will obviously be up for this game. They have some good players and a good coach."
 
After a three-day delay to play the game because of a positive Covid-19 case within their program, the Eagles finally hosted Sacramento State last Sunday (Jan. 31) and triumphed 68-60. They followed with a 94-79 romp the next day, and utilized an 18-1 run on Sunday and runs of 16-2 and 16-0 on Monday to register the sweep.
 
Now sitting at 6-6 overall and 5-2 in the Big Sky Conference as the preseason favorites to win the league title, Eastern succeeded in garnering its first three-game winning streak of the season with a combination of offense and defense.
 
"We have make sure we come into this game and stay focused on doing what we are supposed to do defensively," Legans said. "If we can play defense and rebound, it will be a good game. We have to be ready, smart, tough and disciplined. We have to play our game and do all the small things to win against Idaho."
 
In Sunday's game, the Eagles held Sac State to no field goals in the final 8:12 of the first half, scoring 14 unanswered points during the 18-1 run. The Eagles led 37-22 at intermission, and trailed by no less than four in the closing seconds of the game. Eastern had season bests defensively in allowing just 22 points in the first half and in holding the Hornets to 20 points inside the paint for the game.
 
A day later, Eastern fell behind by scores of 19-4 and 30-20, but out-scored Sac State 74-49 the remainder of the game as a 16-2 run in the first half and 16 unanswered points in the second half put the game away. Eastern's 94 points equaled a season high, and for the weekend, Eastern was a plus 40 in points in the paint (82-42) and plus 50 in points off the bench (73-23).
 
Eastern is in a logjam in a league season impacted by numerous cancellations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Through the five league games that were able to be played this week, Montana State sits on top at 6-0, followed by Southern Utah (6-2), Eastern (5-2), Weber State (4-2), Idaho State (5-3) and Sacramento State (4-4). Northern Colorado is at 5-6, followed by Northern Arizona (4-6), Montana (3-5), Portland State (2-4), and Idaho (0-9).
 
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
More About the Vandals
 
Zac Claus lettered for EWU in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 seasons after transferring from Nebraska, and is in his second season at the helm at UI.  Entering this Thursday's game, 6-foot-8 senior forward Scott Blakney is averaging 11.6 points per game to lead Idaho, and 5-11 senior guard Damen Thacker averages 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Gabe Quinnett, a 6-4 sophomore guard, chips in 9.6 points and 2.1 assists. His father, Brian Quinnett, starred at Cheney High School and Washington State University before playing three seasons in the NBA for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks.
 


More About the Eagles
 
Junior forward Tanner Groves continues to be a dominant force in the Big Sky, with three double-doubles in his last four games, and five on the season. He is the reigning Big Sky Conference Player of the Week after garnering the honor on Feb. 1 after playing just one game – a 23-point, 15-rebound effort on Jan. 31 versus Sacramento State. It was the second time he was honored this season.
 
Groves leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (9.3 per game) and field goal percentage (.588). He is also fifth in scoring (17.3), eighth in blocked shots (1.0) and eighth in free throw percentage (.786). He is nearly averaging a double-double in the Big Sky, and is first in rebounding (9.4) and second in scoring (21.0). He is also tops in field goal percentage (.628), seventh in free throw percentage (.865) and 15th in blocked shots (0.6).
 
Preseason All-Big Sky MVP Jacob Davison is averaging 13.5 points to rank 12th in the league, and is fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.08). He scored 31 versus Southern Utah on Jan. 16 when he hit nine 3-pointers to come one from the school record of 10. In league games only, he is 14th in scoring (14.14) and second in treys per game (2.71).
 
Pre-season All-Big Sky Conference selection Kim Aiken Jr. is second behind Groves in rebounding in the league, averaging 9.3 per game overall and 8.7 in league play. Overall, he is fifth in the BSC in blocked shots (1.08) and 15th in steals (1.0), and in league games only he is 16th in scoring (12.6), second in blocked shots (1.43) and 13th in assists (2.7).
 
Sophomore Tyler Robertson is also averaging in double figures for EWU at 12.6 points per game to rank 17th in the league overall, and is ninth in assists (2.9) and 12th in 3-pointers per game (1.73). In league games only, he is tops in the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (+3.83 per game) and ninth in assists (3.3).
 
The Eagles have won a trio of league games by at least 12 points (16, 15, 12), plus victories by six and eight points. Their two losses have come by a combined seven points (5, 2). Their biggest margin of the season came 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 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 who had played at that point of the season. 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 Feb. 2, Eastern has fallen to second among Big Sky schools with a ranking of 155th, and is 149th in strength of schedule (tops in the league). Weber State is No. 1 in the league at 108th, followed by EWU, Montana State (177), Southern Utah (184), Montana (218), Sacramento State (243), Portland State (264), Northern Colorado (269), Idaho State (282), Northern Arizona (327) and Idaho (344) among the 347 schools who have now played.
 
 
Eagles Nearly Set 3-Point Records Versus SUU
 
With 10 3-pointers in the first half and nine in the second, the Eagles as a team and Jacob Davison as an individual flirted with school records for 3-point shooting in EWU's 99-94 loss to Southern Utah on Jan. 16. Eastern came one make from the team record of 20 set against Portland State on Jan. 28, 2016. Eastern finished the SUU game with 43 3-point attempts, and the school record of 45 came against Oregon on Nov. 9, 2018. Eastern's high through the first seven games of the season was 10 3-pointers made on two occasions, and 35 attempts versus The College of Idaho on Dec. 11.
 
Davison sank nine of 18 3-point attempts, and his previous high for 3-pointers made was seven. The school record is 10 set previously by Tyler Harvey (2/1/14 vs. Northern Colorado) and Kevin Winford (12/4/10 vs. New Hope). The record for 3-pointers attempted is 23 (Winford versus New Hope).
 
 
On the Horizon
 
Eastern goes on the road to play Montana State, which enters action this week a perfect 6-0 in the Big Sky and 9-3 overall. The Bobcats have not lost since dropping to 2-3 with a 62-59 loss at Portland on Dec. 22. Montana State is scheduled to play at Weber State in a pair of games this week, with the Wildcats currently sitting at 4-2 in the league and 9-4 overall.
 
 
 

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 now has 1,312 career points to rank 12th 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 now 99-game career (66 as a starter), he's averaged 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals while sinking 44.8 percent of his shots from the field, 34.7 percent from the 3-point stripe (131-of-377) and 77.3 percent of his free throws. In his career, Davison now has 24 performances with at least 20 points (14 in the 2019-20 season and one in 2020-21) and five with at least 30 (three in the 2019-20 season and one in 2020-21).
 
So far this season, Davison is averaging 13.5 points, 1.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds, making 38.8 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from the 3-point stripe (25-of-71). He's also made 23-of-28 free throws (82.1 percent) and has eight steals and six blocked shots. He more than doubled his season-high of 15 points when he had 31 points in loss to Southern Utah on Jan. 16. He hit nine 3-pointers in that game, coming one from the school record.
 
Aiken, meanwhile, has averaged 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds, while making 46.8 percent from the field, 31.4 percent from the arc (16-of-51). He's also made 27-of-35 free throws (.771) and has 12 steals, 13 blocked shots and 25 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. He had his first double-double of the season and 17th of his career with 23 points and 12 rebounds versus Southern Utah on Jan. 16.
 
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 (eight 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 (20 in his career), and thus far in his 73-game career (54 as a starter), he is averaging 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds with 17 career double-doubles (12-5 record). He has 83 career steals, 64 blocked shots and 81 assists. His 542 rebounds currently rank 10th in school history, his 7.4 average is 10th) and his 64 blocks are 10th.
 
 
The Elder of the "Groves Bros" Tandem, Tanner Groves on Mid-Season Henson Award Watch List
 
Junior Tanner Groves has had a stellar 2020-21 men's basketball season, and has been rewarded on four occasions thus far. On Jan. 26, he was selected on the mid-season watch list for the 2020-21 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award. He is one of 40 players listed as a candidate for the award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in NCAA Division I college basketball. This year's recipient will be announced in April, and the award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.
 
Groves was rewarded Dec. 31 by being selected to the HoopsHD.com mid-season All- Big Sky Conference team. 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."
 
Twice he has earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors – the first honor coming on Dec. 21 and the second on Feb. 1 after registering a double-double with 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in a win over Sacramento State one day earlier. He received the same honor the same weeks from College Sports Madness.

Groves leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (9.3 per game) and field goal percentage (.588). He is also fifth in scoring (17.3), eighth in blocked shots (1.0) and eighth in free throw percentage (.786). He is nearly averaging a double-double in the Big Sky, and is first in rebounding (9.4) and second in scoring (21.0). He is also tops in field goal percentage (.628), seventh in free throw percentage (.865) and 15th in blocked shots (0.6).
 
He registered a pair of double-doubles in EWU's split against Northern Colorado, with the Eagles falling 78-76 in the first game on Jan. 21 and winning the second 82-76 two days later. In the second meeting with UNC, he missed his first free throw of the game, snapping his streak of 27 made free throws in a row dating back to making his last seven at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19. He made 8-of-14 to start the year, but went on a 33-of-36 tear (91.7 percent) and has sank 78.6 percent for the year (44-of-56). Groves now has five double-doubles this season and seven in his career.
 
In December, 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 to finish with 17 points, seven rebounds and two 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 and 13 rebounds 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.
 
 "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 8.0 points and 3.8 boards as a sophomore and has made 47.7 percent of his shots. Jacob added seven points and seven rebounds in the road victory at Northern Arizona, and had 10 points in a loss at Northern Colorado on Jan. 21. He has started every game for EWU since Jan. 23, and had 11 points and a career-high three assists versus Sacramento State on Feb. 1.
 
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 71-game career (15 as a starter) he's averaged 6.4 points, 3.7 boards and has 48 blocked shots, while sinking 55.2 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 36-game career (four as a starter), he's averaging 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds, and has 15 steals and 14 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. Randy played basketball at Shadle Park HS and Community Colleges of Spokane, and Tara (formerly Tara Flugel) still owns the Whitworth scoring record of 2,040 points and is in the school's Hall of Fame. She's formerly from Colville, Wash.
 
 
Robertson Continues Solid Contribution as One of EWU's Talented Sophomores
 
Sophomore Tyler Robertson has provided a huge boost this season for the Eagles, registering eight double-figure scoring performances, including four in EWU's last five games. He is coming off his best performance of the season on Feb. 1 versus Sacramento State when he came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points to go along with team highs of six rebounds and six assists. He hit his first seven shots in the game, including four 3-pointers, and finished 7-of-8 overall for the day.
 
Robertson's previous career high was 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.
 
In 11 games played thus far, Robertson is averaging 12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists while sinking 48.5 percent from the field (19-of-48 3-pointers for 39.6 percent) and 74.1 percent from the free throw line (20-of-27).
 
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 37 games (six as a starter) and has averaged 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists while sinking 30-of-79 3-pointers for 38.0 percent.
 
Fellow sophomore Casson Rouse joined Robertson in making his season debut against Arizona on Dec. 5, and that duo combined for 28 points in the narrow three-point loss. They followed that with a combined 21 points at Oregon on Dec. 7. Rouse is averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 assists this season, and has made five 3-pointers (in 27 attempts for 18.5 percent, 28.0 percent overall).
 
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.
 
 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 42 games (12 as a starter) and is averaging 5.7 points, 1.7 assists and 1.8 rebounds while sinking 42-of-123 3-point attempts (34.1 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."
 
Recently, sophomore Michael Meadows has provided a boost, and has started each game since Jan. 23rd. He's averaged 8.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists in those three games, including a career-high 11 points versus Sacramento State on Feb. 1. For the season, he's averaging 5.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists, and in his 26-game career (three as a starter) he's averaging 2.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
 
 
Senior Jack Perry Continues Marksmanship from 3-Point Line
 
With more than 100 games of experience as an Eagle, so far this season senior Jack Perry has averaged 3.7 points, 156 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while sinking 9-of-21 3-point shots (.429). In an 82-76 win at Northern Colorado on Jan. 23, he helped spark the Eagles in the second half with eight points as he sank both of the 3-pointers he attempted and had a team-high three steals in the game.
 
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 in the 2019-20 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.
 
Perry has played in 103 games (64 as a starter) to become just the 24th player in school history to hit the century mark (he now ranks 23rd). He is currently 12th on EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 40.3 percent (137-of-340), and has averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game with 52 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 10 games thus far, he's averaged 16.9 minutes, 3.0 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.9 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 41-game career (37 as a starter), Magnuson is averaging 3.6 assists, 5.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He's made 36.3 percent of his field goal attempts, including 23-of-80 (28.8 percent) from the 3-point arc. He's also made 33-of-41 career free throws for 80.5 percent.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Since 1996 when Idaho first left the Big Sky Conference, the two schools have now played 28 times, with Eastern winning 16 of them. Idaho leads the all-time series 58-31. Since EWU became a NCAA Division I member in the 1983-84 season, EWU is 19-37 against Idaho (10-16 home, 8-17 away, 1-4 neutral). In the 14 meetings since Idaho re-joined the Big Sky Conference in the 2014-15 season, EWU is 8-6, but the average winning margin is just 6.9 points (total of 65). Not including a 25-point Eagle win in 2019, the average margin of the other 13 games is 5.5 points.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
Career Day by Robertson Leads to 94-79 Eagle Win
 
Sophomore Tyler Robertson had a career-high with a near-perfect shooting performance, but he had lots of help on a team that was on the mark all day. Five Eagles scored in double figures as EWU used runs of 16-2 and 16-0 to roll past Sacramento State 94-79 to complete a two-day sweep at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., on Feb. 1.  Robertson scored 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while preseason Big Sky Conference Player of the Year Jacob Davison had 14. The Groves Bros – Big Sky Player of the Week Tanner Groves and his younger brother Jacob Groves -- scored 17 and 11, respectively. The fifth Eagle in double figures was sophomore Michael Meadows with 11.  The Eagles sank 63.3 percent of their shots from the field, including a 70-percent second half in which EWU out-scored the Hornets 51-33. From the point Sac State led by 10 in the first half, EWU out-scored Sac State 74-49 with a 16-2 run in the first half and 16 unanswered points in the second half putting the game away. Eastern's 94 points equaled a season high. Eastern had a dominating 46-22 advantage in points in the paint and 47-14 advantage in bench points. Eastern made 11-of-21 3-point shots for a season-high 52 percent. Robertson also had team highs of six rebounds and six assists. He hit his first seven shots in the game, including four 3-pointers, and finished 7-of-8 overall for the day. His previous career high of 17 points came earlier this season versus Saint Mary's on Dec. 15, 2020. Junior Tanner Groves came up four rebounds short of his fourth-straight double-double, finishing with 17 points and six rebounds. Senior Jacob Davison, the preseason MVP in the Big Sky Conference, came off the bench to score 14, and sank four 3-pointers in six attempts. Sophomore Jacob Groves, the younger brother of junior Tanner Groves, had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes of action as a starter. Sophomore Michael Meadows equaled his career high with 11 points, and also had three assists. He started for the third-straight game as he equaled the 11 points he had as a freshman versus Portland Bible. Junior Kim Aiken Jr., a preseason All-Big Sky selection, contributed eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Redshirt freshman Steele Venters came off the bench to chip in nine points in 19 minutes, hitting 3-of-4 shots from the field with a pair of 3-pointers. Eastern made the first basket of the game, but then Sacramento State's defense created offense as the Hornets used a 19-2 run to go up 19-4. Eastern hit four-straight shots to cut the lead to 23-15 with an 11-4 run, but Sac State still led by 10 at 30-20 when Eastern made its move. While his brother, Tanner Groves, was on the bench with a pair of fouls, Jacob Groves picked up the scoring slack with eight points in a 16-2 Eagle surge. His basket gave EWU the lead, then a 3-pointer by Robertson capped the run and put the Eagles up 36-32 with 4:42 left in the half. Sac State ended up hitting a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to lead 46-43 at halftime, a half in which EWU was guilty of 12 turnovers to Sac State's 10. The Hornets sank 62 percent of their shots – including 8-of-14 3-point attempts – while the Eagles sank 57 percent and 4-of-11 from the 3-point stripe. Robertson scored 11 as he and the Groves brothers (eight each) combined for 27 of EWU's 43 points in the first 20 minutes, which included three lead changes and a pair of ties. Eastern opened an 8-point lead in the second half, but led just 64-62 when it made its decisive scoring run. Robertson ignited it with a 3-pointer, and in between back-to-back baskets by Tanner Groves, he also altered a missed Sac State dunk attempt. Three other Eagles scoring in the run as EWU opened an 80-62 lead at the 6:59 mark. Eastern led by as many as 21 and no less than 13 the rest of the way.
 
 
Eastern Uses 18-1 Run to Get Past Sacramento State 68-60
 
It took 12 minutes for the Eagles to shake off a little rust from not practicing all week, but for the final eight minutes of the first half the offense and defense was clicking on all cylinders. Eastern used an 18-1 run to end the first half and open a 15-point halftime lead on its way to beating Sacramento State 68-60 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., on Jan. 31. After a three-day delay to play the game because of a positive Covid-19 case within their program, the Eagles finally played the Hornets and were led by a double-double – in the first half alone -- by Tanner Groves. The Eagles held Sac State to no field goals in the final 8:12 of the first half, scoring 14 unanswered points during the 18-1 run. The Eagles led 37-22 at intermission, and the 22 points EWU allowed in the first half were a season best. The Eagles trailed by no less than four in the closing seconds of the game as they closed the contest by making all four of its free throw attempts in the final 17 seconds. Eastern had a huge 45 percent to 32 percent shooting advantage in the first half, and 42 to 35 percent for the game. Eastern also out-rebounded the Hornets 41-33, including 22-15 in the opening half. Groves had his third-straight double-double, finishing with 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds after hitting double figures in each in the first half. He made 9-of-16 shots from the field, including a trio of 3-pointers, and also had a pair of assists and a blocked shot. His previous high for rebounds was 13 twice this season, including at Northern Arizona to open league play in December. Sophomore Tyler Robertson came off the bench to score 11 of his 13 points in the second half. He hit 5-of-10 shots for the game and also had four assists and a pair of steals. Senior Jacob Davison, the preseason MVP in the Big Sky Conference, came off the bench to score nine, including seven in the first half. He also had four rebounds and three assists. Junior Kim Aiken Jr., a preseason All-Big Sky selection, had just four points, but also contributed nine rebounds, two blocked shots, a steal and an assist. Sophomore Michael Meadows chipped in six points and a pair of assists as he started for the second-straight game. Sophomore Jacob Groves, the younger brother of junior Tanner Groves, also started and had four points and a rebound. Sophomore Ellis Magnuson scored five points and had an assist and a steal for EWU. Redshirt freshman Steele Venters scored the final four Eastern points in the first half and also contributed three rebounds in the game for EWU. The first half was a nip-and-tuck affair through the first 12 minutes, with EWU's biggest lead of the early going coming at 15-11 and Sac State's largest lead at 21-19 on a basket at the 8:12 mark. But the Hornets would miss their final 12 shots of the half, and had only a free throw in that span as EWU led at intermission 37-22. As a result, Eastern closed the half with an 18-1 run, including a string of 14-straight. Davison scored the first five points in the run, and Tanner Groves had the next nine – all on 3-pointers. Venters scored the final four points of the half for EWU. The opening 20 minutes included four ties and six lead changes. Tanner Groves had a double-double in the first half alone with 15 points and 11 rebounds for EWU, and Davison scored seven. The Hornets hit their first two shots in the second half, and eventually cut the lead to seven. But EWU was able to maintain their lead, with Robertson leading the charge with 11 second-half points.
 
 
 
 

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 Idaho: "You have to take everybody seriously – they beat us last year. We had four league losses, and one of them was to them. We lost twice at home and one of them was a loss to Idaho. You have to respect them and come out and play your tail off. They are going to play well and hard – Zac is a second-year coach who does a really good job of getting them amped up and ready to play. He's an Eastern grad and was here before – he loves Eastern and wants to come in here and beat us."
 
On Loss Last Season to Vandals: "When you roll the ball out there anything can happen. Last year Idaho beat us on the glass and we turned the ball over. We played a horrible game, and it was because of how they played. They out-played us and kicked our butts – they've done that the last two years, as a matter of fact."
 
On Win Over Sac State on Feb. 1: "Our offense in the second half was amazing. We took it strong to the hole, and we had 46 points in the paint. We kept going after them and kept going after them. They had to pick one or the other in terms of defending us inside or outside – we ended up making some shots from everywhere. We had 47 bench points and that's hard to guard when you have players coming off the bench doing that. That really helped us out and got us in the flow."
 
On Scoring Inside the Paint: "That's a huge key for us. We have some players who can really get into the paint and make some plays, and we're finally doing that. When we are able to do that and get downhill, it makes the game that much easier. Tanner can score in any way, and Jacob Davison is hitting his threes and can drive it to the basket. Mike Meadows is driving it now, and Kim Aiken can too. We have a lot of threats out there and it puts us in a good position. When we can score that way it really helps us become an efficient team."
 
On Rebounding: "Teams are going to try to out-physical us and try to pressure us. We have to be tougher and be able to drive the ball to the basket and make plays. We just have to be smart, because in certain situations we can make teams pay. We have some size, but if teams play us on the outside we'll have inside position for rebounds. You have to really fight for them all the time because that is going to help us down the stretch. We have some size and quickness and we have to use that to our advantage."
 
On Sunday Win Over Sac State: "I'm proud of the way we played. I'm particularly proud of the way we defended and rebounded in that first half. "It was one of the best performances we've had – holding a team to 22 points in the first half was huge for us. Every game is going to be hard, but this was a game where we didn't practice all week."
 
On Winning Without Practicing: "That has a lot to do with the culture and having players who are have experience in our program and continuity amongst the players. They've grown up together and they are great leaders. They came out and executed, and you have to be proud of them for that. You want your team to be okay, healthy and happy, and the No. 1 thing is our health. Our administration and athletic trainers did a great job in getting the guys ready and getting this game going. I'm proud of our fellas for how they responded."
 
On Tyler Robertson in Second Half on Jan. 31: "He was huge and clutch – he really made some really, really good buckets. He has a lot of flair in his game. He had the utmost confidence when he's out there playing, and we're happy for him. He's been under quarantine more than anybody else on our team. You feel for him, so when he plays a game like this you are very happy for his performance."
 
On Target on Their Backs as Preseason Picks: "We need to understand we are the guys being hunted now, and we have to have a different mentality for every game. We'll get there because we have guys stepping up all over the place and they are giving us great contributions and great toughness. That's what's going to win games. We'll always recruit players who can score, but we need to play tough, defend and rebound the ball well. When you do that and not give up easy baskets, you put yourself in a great position to win games."
 
On Rebounding: "Rebounding is toughness. We have talent, but if you have toughness to go along with that talent you will win a lot of games. That's what we did last year and that's what we'll do this year."
 
On 19 3-Pointers Versus SUU: "We can do that – we have great shooters all the way around. But we have to make sure our defensive play is better. I think we are a good defensive team, and we have to come back next week and focus on that side of the ball. I think we'll be okay."
 
On Intensity Level in SUU Win: "It's huge. I think we are one of the better defensive teams in the league, especially when we focus on it – and we did that. We have players on the court with experience, and they came through tonight. We are the only ones in the gym and we have to bring our own energy. The team did a great job of being there for one another. If they weren't playing they were cheering. That's huge in these types of settings and it's going to be huge for the rest of the season."
 
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, 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 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."