The first-round match-up is set for the defending Big Sky Conference Tournament Champions.
 
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team has earned a No. 6 seed and will play No. 11 Northern Arizona in the first round of the Big Sky Championships on Wednesday, March 9, in Boise, Idaho at the Idaho Central Arena. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m. Pacific time on ESPN+ and 700-AM ESPN.
 
Eastern Washington just hosted Northern Arizona at Reese Court on Thursday, March 3, where they came away with a 69-62 victory. The Eagles also defeated NAU on Jan. 1 in Flagstaff, winning 78-65. Eastern has a 10-game winning streak over the Lumberjacks and ended NAU's season in last year's quarterfinals by a score of 66-60.
 
This will be the fifth meeting between the two foes in the postseason, with Eastern owning a 4-1 record. The last time the two teams met in the tournament was in 2016 in the First Round in Reno, Nev., where EWU was the No. 6 seed and NAU earned the No. 11 seed. Eastern won, 74-52.
 
The winner will go on to play No. 3 Northern Colorado on Thursday, March 10, at 7:00 p.m. PT. The Eagles and the Bears split the season meetings by each picking up a road victory.
 
Eagle fans in Boise can gather at the official EWU Fan Zone at Tupelo Honey two hours before tip-off time for every Eagle men's and women's game. For more information on the championships including the bracket and ticket information, click HERE.
 
TOURNAMENT HISTORY WITH NAU:
2021 – Quarterfinals (Boise, Idaho) #2 seed vs. No. 10 Northern Arizona – W, 66-60
2016 -- First Round (Reno, Nevada) #6 seed vs. #11 Northern Arizona - W, 74-52
2004 - Championship (Cheney, Wash.) - #1 seed vs. #2 Northern Ariz. - W, 71-59
2001 - Semifinals (Northridge, Calif.) - #2 seed vs. #5 Northern Arizona - W, 58-53
2000 - Semifinals (Missoula, Mont.) - #2 seed vs. #3 Northern Arizona - L, 65-82
 
BIG SKY TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Eastern has made 18 Big Sky Conference Tournament appearances in 33 years as a member of the league, and has a record of 20-15 in its 35 games. The Eagles are 1-0 in the first round, 7-5 in the quarterfinals, 9-4 in the semifinals and 3-6 in the championship.
 
Eastern won Big Sky Conference Tournament championships and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2021, 2015 & 2004. The Eagles have also advanced to the National Invitation Tournament in 2003 and the College Basketball Invitational in 2016 and 2017.
 
The Eagles rolled through the 2021 Big Sky Conference Tournament with a trio of victories, leading for a total of 108:19 out of 120 minutes (trailed for 8:25 and tied for 3:16). EWU led by as many as 12, 38 and 20 in the three wins, respectively.