CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington athletics will be on the road this week, with three teams taking the courts on Saturday. Fresh off a combined sweep in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge, men's and women's basketball travel to Moscow for a double-header against Idaho. Women's tennis begins its spring schedule with a non-conference matchup on the west side against Washington. Track and Field resumes its indoor season with its first competition of 2024 with a short road trip north to the Podium for the Spokane Indoor Challenge from Friday to Saturday.
Men's Basketball (8-7, 2-0 Big Sky) — at Idaho (Saturday, 4 p.m. PT)
The Eagle men cap the double-header in Moscow on Saturday afternoon looking to maintain momentum after four-straight wins, including both against Summit League opponents last week.
Eastern took down South Dakota 93-79 on the road last Wednesday behind a career-high 32 points from junior forward
Dane Erikstrup. Erikstrup led the charge again on Saturday as the Eags held on in a
tightly-contested game against North Dakota State at Reese Court, winning 91-83. Erikstrup had 27 points in that game as the Eagles led the entire way but NDSU came within 2 points late in the second half.
With conference play in the rearview, EWU shifts their focus solely on Big Sky play with a road matchup against the Idaho Vandals on Saturday afternoon. Eastern swept the season series last year and has won five of the last six overall against the Vandals, who enter the week 7-8 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky Play. They lost two in a row recently, 67-75 against the Summit League's St. Thomas last Wednesday and 72-77 vs. Portland State on Dec. 30, with both games at home in Moscow.
Is history repeating itself? EWU had similarly-misleading results in the win-loss columns during non-conference play last season, punctuated by a tough, defense-focused 70-77 loss at Texas Tech on Dec. 13 to reach a 5-9 record. They won their final 2 non-conf. games (vs. UCD, vs. NW Indian) to finish 7-9 before starting Big Sky play 16-0. Will the physical 66-73 defeat at Washington be this year's Texas Tech game?
Women's Basketball (12-3, 2-0 Big Sky) — at Idaho (Saturday, 1 p.m. PT)
Eastern Washington resumes its conference schedule this week, traveling for a single matchup against the Vandals in Moscow. The game will be broadcast on SWX and streamed live on ESPN+.
Last week, Eastern competed in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge, posting a 2-0 record for the conference. The Eagles first played Omaha at home on Jan. 3, defeating the Mavericks, 96-82. EWU had a season-high in points, while both Milly Knowles (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Jacinta Buckley (22 points, 11 rebounds) recorded double-doubles. Jaleesa Lawrence matched her career-high with 23 points, while Jamie Loera added 18 points and seven assists
The second matchup of the challenge put Eastern against North Dakota on the road. The Eagles earned its second win, 72-65, after rallying from a third-quarter deficit. EWU erased the Fighting Hawks seven-point lead with a 31-point fourth quarter. The rally was driven by an 18-point, 14-rebound effort from Aaliyah Alexander. Eastern had four players score in double figures including Jaydia Martin(17), Buckley(14) and Loera(13). Buckley also recorded her second-straight double-double with 11 rebounds.
The Eagles are currently on a six-game winning streak and sit atop the conference standings. EUW has a plus-16.1 scoring margin to lead the Big Sky. The team is third with 73.7 points per game and allows opponents 57.6 points per game.
Alexander averages 15.7 points per game, the second-highest scoring average in the Big Sky. With a 47.4 field goal percentage, Alexander also sits at second on the conference leaderboard. Loera tops the Big Sky in assists per game (5.7) and steals per game (2.5). In the paint, Knowles is 11th in the conference with 6.1 rebounds per game, followed closely by Buckley with 5.9 for 12th.
Women's Tennis (0-0, 0-0) — at Washington (Saturday, 11 a.m. PT)
Eastern Washington begins its 2024 schedule on the road as they travel to Seattle, Wash. to play the Huskies.
EWU finished last season with a 2-6 record in the Big Sky and 4-12 overall. The team knocked off eventual conference champion, Weber State, 4-3 in Cheney to highlight the season. Head coach Dustin Hinson continues with his 12th season leading the Eagles. Hinson returns six players from the 2022-23 team, adding two new players to the roster for this season.
Among the returners are 2023 All-Big Sky second team singles selection Kenzington Mann, along with 2022 All-Big Sky second team singles selection Scout Mathews. Mann posted an 6-2 Big Sky singles record last season, going 8-6 overall, playing at the No. 5 and 6 positions. Mathews was 6-10 overall and 3-5 in the Big Sky during spring of 2023, with all of her matches at the No. 1 spot. The returners also include Isabella Foshee (2-9, 1-6), Jennifer Kida (3-5, 2-5), Leandra Nizetic (4-12, 2-6) and Sara Vasic (1-5, 1-1).
Eastern hosted the Eagle Invite during the fall schedule, with Mathews and Foshee teaming up to win the doubles title. Nizetic won the singles title at the Gonzaga Invite during the fall slate, compiling four wins in the tournament.
Among the newcomers, Anait Arutiunian joins the EWU squad from Moscow, Russia and Kelly Arends arrives from Cape Town, South Africa. Arutiunian reached the semifinals in singles at the Gonzaga Invite, recording two wins in the bracket.
Track and Field — Spokane Sports Showcase (Friday), Spokane Indoor Challenge (Fri.-Sat.) at The Podium in Spokane.
Eagle Track and Field returns to action this weekend after a few weeks of training off from competition. The Eags earned several strong performances in the season-opening indoor meet
at The Podium in Spokane back on Dec. 9. Veteran team leader Madelyn Knight finished second in the 60-meter hurdles, moving into 2nd in EWU history in the event. Newcomers Egypt Simmons and Kristian Phennicie also made a splash in their first competition wearing red and white.
Friday's Spokane Sports Showcase will be an elite meet, showcasing some of the best talent in the region, while the Spokane Indoor Challenge will include collegiate competitors from all along the West Coast. The Showcase will begin at 9 a.m. and run through the late afternoon on Friday, while the
Indoor Challenge will host a handful of events on Friday evening before starting back up on Saturday at 9:15 a.m.
Visit spokanesports.org/Indoormeets for more information.
Football
In case you missed it, the 2024 EWU Football schedule was officially unveiled on Monday, featuring six home games on the red turf at Roos Field in Cheney. The Eags will start the season on Thursday, August 29.
Season ticket renewals and new season ticket deposits are now available. EWU is excited to offer several new exclusive season ticket package benefits and options start as low as $16.50 per game. Visit goeags.com/tickets for more information.
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.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
