LONDON — The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team opened their international tour of scrimmages with a victory on Friday, beating Hoopsfix Select 106-74 in Essex, just outside of London in the United Kingdom. Transfer guard
Jake Kyman led the Eagles with 20 points while forward
Ethan Price added 14 playing near his hometown.
Played at Essex Sport Arena at the University of Essex, the Eagles put on a showcase in front of hundreds of fans, many there to support Price, who played for the Essex Rebels of the NBL Division I and nearby Ipswich Basketball Academy as a prep. Six of Price's former teammates at Ipswich played in the game while Price's former coach presented the 6-foot-10 two-time All-Big Sky Conference performer with a framed jersey prior.
Hoopsfix, led by former Dartmouth College standout Arryn Rai, kept the game close for much of the first half, going into the break down by only 11, 46-57. Rai finished with 32 points but the Eagles pulled away in the second, forcing turnovers and taking over the paint to extend their lead.
Kyman, a new face to the Eagles after transferring from Wyoming this summer (with a previous stint at UCLA) finished 7-for-14 from the floor (4-10 3PT). As a team, Eastern shot 48 percent from the field (40-83) while earning 20 points off turnovers, 52 in the paint and 16 on the fast break.
Price played 28 minutes in front of his family and friends while the rest of the Eagles' court time was widely distributed, with all but two players logging at least 15. Andre Mulibea had a strong opening game as a recent transfer, putting in 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while adding 7 rebounds, 4 assists and a +31 point differential on the floor.
The Eastern Washington coaches, players and staff would like to extend their greatest thanks to Sam Neter of Hoopsfix, Ross Norfolk of the Essex Rebels, Nick Drane of Ipswitch Basketball Academy and the rest of the organization for coordinating the game.
The Eagles will continue their trip overseas with a stop in Spain. They'll play two more exhibitions, one in Malaga (Aug. 21) and one in Madrid (Aug. 25).
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
