SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Eastern Washington (1-5) battled hard but ultimately fell to UC Santa Barbara (5-1) in a tough 67-51 contest. Despite a strong first-half performance, the Eagles couldn't keep pace in the second half.
"Tonight, I thought we played good defense the first 30 minutes," said head coach
Dan Monson. "We gave ourselves a chance to win because we defended and rebounded the best we have all season."
Emmett Marquardt posted his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while
Andrew Cook also contributed 14 points.
Nic McClain led the Eagles in assists with four, adding seven points in the effort.
"I thought Emmett really battled in there, he's not a true five-man, he's more of a pick and pop four man. It was our best rebounded effort and it started with him."
First Half:
The Eagles opened the game with energy, as
Elijah Thomas knocked down a three-pointer just 27 seconds into the second half. UCSB quickly responded, hitting back-to-back threes to regain the lead. Eastern Washington kept things close, with McClain connecting on a timely three to tie the game at 13.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, the Eagles trailed by just three after McClain converted a second-chance layup. Marquardt then drilled a deep three-pointer, giving Eastern Washington its first lead since the opening basket. Both teams then endured a scoring drought, with neither able to score for over four minutes.
UCSB broke the dry spell with a three-pointer, reclaiming the lead.
Andrew Cook ended a five-minute scoring lull for the Eagles with two free throws in the final 30 seconds of the half. The Gauchos responded with three successful free throws in the last 10 seconds, taking a 30-28 lead into the break.
Second Half:
To start the second half, Marquardt sank both of his free throws, followed by a quick steal and layup from Cook, giving the Eagles a brief 32-30 lead. However, UCSB answered with a 9-0 run, capitalizing on some defensive lapses by Eastern Washington.
Cook answered with back-to-back layups to pull the Eagles back within three points. But UCSB found its rhythm in the final 10 minutes, going on a 13-0 run and taking advantage of a three-minute scoring drought for the Eagles.
"We have to grind and get through those droughts, to give ourselves a chance to win."
Vice Zanki ended the drought with two quick baskets, but the Eagles were unable to recover, finishing the game with just four points in the final three minutes — all coming from the free-throw line. Ultimately, UC Santa Barbara pulled away, securing the 67-51 victory.
Up Next
The Eagles will wrap up the three game 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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