CHENEY, Wash. — It's a new year, but basketball season is center stage for Eastern Washington athletics this week. Both the men's and women's basketball teams will participate in the first Big Sky-Summit League Challenge this week to close out their non-conference schedules. The women are at home tomorrow night, with the men on the road. The teams will flip on Saturday with the men at home and the women on the road.
Women's Basketball (10-3, 2-0 Big Sky) — vs. Omaha (Wednesday, 6 p.m. PT), at North Dakota (Saturday, 11 a.m.) — Get Tickets
The Eagles have a perfect start to their conference schedule, sweeping the opening weekend of games on the road. Eastern started with a 68-58 victory over Portland State, rallying from a third quarter deficit.
Aaliyah Alexander had a game-high 21 points and
Jacinta Buckley followed with 18 of her own.
Jamie Loera matched a program record with seven steals and EWU forced 21 total turnovers against the Vikings.
Eastern followed up with a dominating defensive performance against Sacramento State in a 60-33 win. The Eagles' defense held the Hornets to 23.7 shooting overall and 6.3 percent from three-point range. EWU also matched its season-low in points allowed. Alexander turned in another 20-point performance, ending with 23. She added a game-high 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season.
Alexander averaged 22.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game over the weekend and earned Big Sky Player of the Week Award. The redshirt-sophomore holds the second highest scoring average in the Big Sky with 16.3 points per game. Alexander's 48.7 field goal percentage is also third in the conference.
Men's Basketball (6-7, 2-0 Big Sky) — at South Dakota (Wednesday, 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CT), vs. North Dakota State (Saturday, 2 p.m.) — Get Tickets
Like the women, the men look to build off a dynamite start to conference play after big wins over Portland State and
Sacramento State last weekend. The 34-point win over Portland State was the program's largest margin of victory over a Big Sky opponent since 2006 and the two-game combined margin (+60) was the largest in school history in back-to-back Big Sky games.
On Wednesday, they take on the South Dakota Coyotes (8-7, 1-1 Summit League) in Vermillion, S.D. for a 5 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. CT tip-off. The Eagles are 1-3 all-time against the 'Yotes, winning in Cheney back in 2011. Eastern has come up short in the last two head-to-head matchups in 2017 and 2015. Wednesday's game will be available streaming on the Summit League Network via Midco Sports (subscription required).
The men return to Reese Court on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tip against North Dakota State (7-7; 0-1 Summit League), looking to replicate last year's 77-70 win at home when G
Steele Venters exploded for 33 points on his way to player of the week honors. It will be just the third meeting between the two programs; NDSU won the first in 2018. The Bison host Montana on Wednesday. For those who can't make it to Cheney, the game will be broadcast on SWX in the Spokane area and streaming on ESPN+.
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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