MOSCOW, Idaho — The streak continues to grow for Eastern Washington men's basketball after the team defeated Idaho, 79-59. Eastern has now won five-straight games and is 3-0 in the Big Sky and 9-7 overall.
EWU had five players score in double figures to showcase its balanced offensive approach. Casey Jones led the team with 14 points, while Ethan Price and LeJuan Watts each scored 13. Cedric Coward and Mason Williams added 11 points apiece.
The first half saw 12 lead changes and six ties between Eastern and Idaho. Neither team had a sizable lead, with the Eagles largest being four. Price was EWU's top scorer in the first half with seven points on 3-of-5(60.0%) shooting.
"Idaho did a great job disrupting our rhythm in the first half. We had to find other ways to score and be patient," head coach David Riley explained. "The biggest thing was winning on defense. We did a great job and [Idaho] only shot 28 percent for the game."
Price gave Eastern the lead at 28-27 with 49 seconds left in the first half. Williams fired a long three-pointer with four seconds remaining to build the Eagles halftime lead. EWU kept the Vandals in check, holding them to a 23.5 shooting percentage in the half.
Idaho kept the Eagles close to begin with in the second half and they cut the lead down to three at 42-39 with 13:20 left in the game. Leading 45-41, Eastern organized a 12-2 run highlighted by a three from Dan Erikstrup.
"Our guys made a big run. I told them if they made a run, they were not coming out of the game," Riley added. "They did a great job, especially defensively during that stretch."
The Eagles turned up its offense in the second half to pull away from the Vandals. They would outscore Idaho, 48-31 in the second half, led by Watts who scored 11 of his 13 points. He was 2-of-2 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
EWU kept up the pressure and extended its lead to as much as 24 during the second half, finishing with the 21-point victory.
Riley explained his team's mindset starting this conference road trip, "It's a long season and if you just keep focusing on going on 1-0 and having great practices; that is the key. I thought we had a great practice yesterday that helped us get this win. It's tough on the road and this is a tough place to play. We just have to keep chipping away."
Eag Notes
- Eastern edged Idaho on the boards, securing 41 rebounds to the Vandals 36. Ethan Price led the team with eight, a season-high for the junior. EWU outscored the Vandals in the paint, 38 to 14.
- Cedric Coward set a new career-high with four blocks.
- Dane Erikstrup matched his career-high with four assists.
- The Eagles bench contributed 33 points, with LeJuan Watts and Mason Williams each scoring in double figures.
Up Next
Eastern Washington plays Weber State next Thursday (Jan. 18) at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. in Ogden, Utah. EWU then plays Idaho State on Saturday (Jan. 20) at 5 p.m. in Pocatello. Idaho.
Season tickets for EWU men's and women's basketball are now available and start as low as $100! Tickets for basketball and all EWU Athletics events are available at goeags.com/tickets or via the EWU Athletics Ticket Office at 509-359-6059.
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.
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