SPOKANE, Wash. — Eastern Washington fell to Washington State, 96-81, in a fast-paced, high-scoring matchup on Tuesday night. Despite a strong effort, the Eagles couldn't overcome a second-half surge from the Cougars, who pulled away late to secure the win.
"Today was more my fault," said head coach
Dan Monson. "We said we were committed to keeping these guys out of the paint, making them shoot threes, and hoping they wouldn't make them. But they made them."
Three Eagles finished in double figures:
Nic McClain led the team with 24 points,
Andrew Cook contributed 20, and
Sebastian Hartmann added 16. McClain also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists, showing his all-around game.
First Half:
The game began with Washington State knocking down a quick three-pointer, but Eastern responded immediately with a triple from Hartmann just 30 seconds later. The two teams traded baskets early on, with Eastern's defense standing out. The Eagles forced the Cougars into four turnovers in the opening minutes, converting those mistakes into four points.
However, Washington State soon found its rhythm, going on a 7-0 run to take a 21-15 lead. Eastern answered with a second-chance layup from
Emmett Marquardt and a mid-range jumper from McClain to stay within striking distance.
A three-minute scoring drought by the Eagles allowed the Cougars to go on a dominant 14-0 run, extending their lead to 18 points.
Pavlo Dziuba finally broke the streak with a layup, and Hartmann hit a corner three to help slow Washington State's momentum. McClain sparked the Eagles again with a steal and a fast-break dunk, trimming the deficit slightly.
"I think you have to credit Washington State," Monson said. "They made us pay for what we dared them to do, and once they got into a flow, it's really hard to turn it off at this level."
At halftime, Eastern trailed 51-36 but closed the half strong with back-to-back buckets from Hartmann and McClain, keeping the game within reach.
Second Half:
Washington State came out firing after the break, starting with a 10-0 run to push their lead to 23 points. Eastern battled back, cutting the lead to 18 after a quick flurry of points.
Elijah Thomas hit the Eagles' first three-pointer of the half and followed it up with a huge block on the other end.
"The second half, we played even and fought," Monson said. "I told them, if we would've fought like this against Missouri, I think we would've won. If we would've fought like this against Cal Poly the whole game, I know we would've won."
With 10 minutes remaining, Washington State still held a comfortable 22-point lead. But Eastern mounted a brief run, cutting the deficit to 16 with a 6-0 spurt capped by McClain's driving layup. However, the Cougars quickly answered with a timely three-pointer and a dunk to halt the Eagles' momentum.
Despite the large deficit, Eastern refused to quit. With three minutes left, Cook sparked a final push for the Eagles, scoring a fast-break layup and converting an and-one opportunity to further cut into the lead. With 1:18 remaining, Eastern trimmed the margin to 13 points, the closest they'd been since early in the second half.
Ultimately, Washington State held on for a 96-81 victory, sending Eastern Washington to its fourth loss of the season.
Up Next
Eastern Washington will embark on a three-game road trip starting this weekend, with the Eagles set to face a trio of tough opponents in California and Utah. The road swing begins in the Sunshine State as EWU takes on Cal Baptist on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 5 p.m. (PST).
The Eagles will continue their journey with a matchup against UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at 7 p.m. (PST), before wrapping up the road trip with a game against Utah in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 2 p.m. (PST).
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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