CHENEY, Wash. — Out of the Thanksgiving break, Eastern Washington athletics has a pair of teams taking the court this week. The men's and women's basketball teams will participate in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge this week. Both teams will play a home and away game against a Summit League opponent. Football's season is over, but will look to lock up its next group of Eagles with the early signing day on Wednesday
Men's Basketball – at North Dakota (Wednesday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time), at South Dakota State (Saturday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time) - Get Tickets
Coming off a challenging road trip, the Eastern Eagles now turn their attention to this week's matchups, starting with North Dakota on Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at Reese Court. Eastern then travels to Brookings, S.D., to face South Dakota State on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4 p.m. PST for the Big Sky – Summit League Challenge.
Historically, the Eagles are 6-6 against North Dakota, with their last meeting in December 2021 resulting in a 76-60 victory. Eastern has won four straight against UND. However, against South Dakota State, the Eagles are 0-2, with their most recent matchup in December 2022 ending in a narrow one-point loss.
The Eagles dropped both games at the Mountain to Sea Showcase, falling to UCSB and Utah. Despite the setbacks, Andrew Cook and Emmett Marquardt were named All-Tournament selections for their individual performances. Cook totaled 37 points, shooting 59% from the field and going a perfect 9-9 at the free-throw line. Marquardt dominated on the boards, grabbing 17 rebounds while adding 26 points.
In the UCSB game, Marquardt (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Cook (14 points) led Eastern's efforts. However, second-half scoring droughts and defensive lapses allowed UCSB to pull away. Despite the loss, both players earned All-Tournament honors for their standout performances.
Against Utah, Eastern was within striking distance, trailing by just two at halftime. However, a critical second-half scoring drought allowed Utah to extend their lead. Cook finished with 23 points, and Marquardt contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds, but the Eagles were unable to mount a comeback. Both games showcased Eastern's resilience but highlighted the need for more consistent offense and defense moving forward.
Women's Basketball - at South Dakota State (Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time), vs. North Dakota State (Saturday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m.) - Get Tickets
Eastern Washington plays two games this week in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge, traveling to play South Dakota State first, followed by a home contest against North Dakota State. The game against the Jackrabbits will be streamed live on MidCo Sports Plus, with the Bison matchup streaming live on ESPN+.
EWU went 1-0 during Thanksgiving week, defeating CSU Bakersfield, 67-58 at Reese Court this past Wednesday. The game was close in the first quarter, but a 10-2 run from the Eagle in the second quarter gave them a cushion against the Roadrunners. Neither team had a significant run in the second half, allowing Eastern to maintain its advantage.
Peyton Howard scored a game-high 21 points for her third 20-point game of the season. EWU had 19 offensive rebounds in the game, scoring 19 points on second-chance opportunities. The Eagles also had seven blocks and 11 steals in the game.
Howard ranks second in the Big Sky with 16.1 points per game, while shooting 48.2 percent from the floor. Her 42.1 three-point percentage and 16 made threes also both rank third in the conference.
Eastern averages 41.4 rebounds per game, with 13.3 offensive boards per game to sit at third on the Big Sky leaderboards. The team has a plus-6.0 rebounding margin that ranks third as well. The Eagles are led by Jaecy Eggers who records 5.3 rebounds per game, with 12 offensive rebounds. Ella Gallatin is second on the team with 4.9 rebounds per game, while also ranking second with 8.4 points per game on 36.5 percent shooting.
Football - NLI Signing Day(Early period) - Wednesday, Dec. 4
Eastern Washington will introduce the first part of its 2025 signing class on Wednesday during the National Letter of Intent Signing Day. Wednesday marks the early signing period for Division I football. The 2025 Eagle recruits will make their commitment to the school official after signing their national letter of intent. The second signing day to finalize the '25 class will be on February 5, 2024.
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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