CHENEY, Wash. — It's October and that means basketball season is almost here and for the second consecutive season, Eastern Washington will host Eagle MadNest on Wednesday, October 16 at 6:30 p.m. EWU men's and women's basketball will be joined by wheelchair basketball at the event.
Eagle MadNest is a high-energy celebration to kick off the basketball season on the brand new Reese Court floor to showcase the Eagles' talent. It is free and open to the public.
The night includes team introductions, games, giveaways, skills competition, 3-point contest and the dunk contest to close out the event. The entertainment is non-stop with exciting performances from both the cheer and dance teams.
Fans can get pre-event autographs with players from all three teams on the mezzanine.
Join us for an unforgettable night of school spirit and fun as we rally the Eagles for Homecoming Week!
The Teams
Women's basketball put together the best season in program history in 2023-24, culminating in winning the Big Sky Conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. EWU won the regular season conference title as well, while breaking the program record with 16 Big Sky wins. The team finished with a 29-6 overall record, breaking both the Eastern and Big Sky single season wins record.
Head coach Joddie Gleason was named Big Sky Coach of the Year in her third season leading the team. Eagle guard
Jamie Loera earned Big Sky MVP, defensive MVP, Big Sky Tournament MVP, first team All-Conference and All-Defensive team honors for the season.
The 2024-25 team will have eight returning players, with five letterwinners.The team brings in eight newcomers that includes five freshmen and three transfers.
Men's Basketball enters a new era after hiring Dan Monson as the program's 20th head coach in April of 2024. Monson spent 17 seasons leading Long Beach State and became the program's all-time winnings coach with 275 victories. Familiar with the area, Monson led Gonzaga to the 1999 Elite Eight after winning the WCC regular and tournament titles. He won the conference regular season title in 1998 and was named WCC Coach of the Year.
Monson assumed the head coaching role after David Riley departed for Washington State in April. Eastern won their second consecutive Big Sky regular season title last season, going 15-3 in conference and 21-11 overall.
The Eagles have six returners with three letterwinners from 2023-24. Monson brings in a talented group of newcomers, with eight transfers and one freshman.
Wheelchair Basketball's season starts this week with the University of Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor. The team has seven total competitions for the 2024-25 season, including one at home. The EWU Canadian Invitational runs from Nov. 22 to the 23rd at Reese Court.
Head coach David Evjen starts his eighth season with the Eagles and carries a roster of 10 players. The roster consists of five returners from 2023-24 and five newcomers.
Season tickets for men's and women's basketball are now on sale. Reserve your seats at Reese Court for the 2024-25 seasons by clicking on the link here, emailing tickets@ewu.edu or calling the ticket office at 509-359-6059.
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.
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