CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington (3-9) turned in a dominant performance from start to finish, rolling to a commanding 107-63 win over Lincoln (1-8). The Eagles controlled the game throughout both halves, displaying an impressive blend of offensive firepower and defensive tenacity.
"I'm really proud of these guys," said head coach
Dan Monson. "I hope they gained some confidence in the second half. Our shot contesting was much better, and I think we've made significant strides as a team over the past ten days."
"Offensively, scoring 107 points despite struggling from beyond the arc shows the depth of this team," Monson continued. "We're in a good place offensively, but we still have work to do on both ends of the floor."
Sebastian Hartmann led the Eagles with a career-high 20 points, while
Andrew Cook added 18.
Mason Williams contributed 13 points,
Jackson Seale chipped in 11, and
Emmett Marquardt rounded out the scoring with 10.
Defensively, Eastern Washington was relentless. The Eagles forced 19 turnovers, out-rebounded Lincoln 45-23, and tallied 13 steals as a team, showcasing their aggressive and efficient play on both sides of the court.
First Half:
Hartmann got the Eagles off to a strong start, scoring a quick layup on their first possession. The game's first eight points came from Hartmann and Marquardt, each contributing two baskets.
The Oaklanders kept pace with Eastern for the first four minutes, but then the Eagles erupted on a 9-0 scoring run. With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Eastern led 34-22. The Eagles' offense continued to dominate, thanks to excellent ball movement, while their defense stifled the Oaklanders with tight closeouts.
In the final four minutes of the half, the Eagles added 11 more points, highlighted by three steals. Heading into halftime, Eastern led 59-41, having out-rebounded Oakland 18-10 and forced nine turnovers. Hartmann and Cook were already in double figures, and the Eagles shot an impressive 67% from the field in the first half.
Second Half:
Although Lincoln scored the first bucket of the second half, the Eagles quickly responded with a statement, going on a 10-0 run before the Oaklanders managed to hit a three-pointer. Eastern kept their foot on the gas, pushing their lead to 27 points as they reached the second media timeout.
With 10 minutes remaining, the Eagles had extended their advantage to 31 points. They then went on another dominant 10-0 scoring run before the next media timeout, pushing their lead to 35. Much of their success came in the paint, highlighted by two thunderous dunks and three easy layups, as they continued to control the game heading into the final media timeout.
In the second half, Eastern shot 55% from the field, outscoring the Oaklanders 44-22 to seal their dominant performance.
Up Next:
Eastern will stay at home to take on Eastern Oregon on Monday, December 30, at 6 p.m.
To kick off the new year and Big Sky Conference play, Eastern will host Montana on Thursday, January 2, and Montana State on Saturday, January 4.
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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