CHENEY, Wash. — Heading down the stretch of the conference schedule, basketball resumes action this week, with the men staying in Cheney, while the women head east for two games. Women's golf continues its first competition of the season with two rounds remaining. Women's tennis also gets back on the road for two matches in Montana.
Men's Basketball (15-8, 9-1 Big Sky) — vs. Idaho State (Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.), vs. Weber State (Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.) — Get Tickets
The Eags enter the week with a firm grasp on first place in the Big Sky Conference, a full two games ahead of second-place Northern Colorado, including a win over the Bears in their first head-to-head matchup.
They host Idaho State and Weber State at home this week, looking to earn the season sweep against both after winning on the road in late January. EWU beat preseason favorite Weber State 80-78 in Ogden on Jan. 18 before heading north to beat ISU in Pocatello,
79-67 on Jan. 20.
Cedric Coward dominated against the Wildcats, posting a 24-point, 10-rebound double-double, while
Ethan Price added 22 points and 5 assists. Scoring was more distributed against the Bengals but EWU used a 17-0 second half run to pull away and win comfortably.
Eastern took care of business on Saturday against the Vandals, maintaining their unblemished home record with a hard-fought 87-79 win in front of the biggest home crowd of the season. Price led all Eags with 22 points while Coward added 15 and
Jake Kyman splashed in 14, all in the second half.
The Eags are a combined 26-4 against Big Sky opponents over the last two seasons, including a 13-1 record at Reese Court.
Thursday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ while Saturday's contest against Weber State will be simulcast on ESPN+ and regional television via SWX.
Women's Basketball (19-5, 9-2 Big Sky) — at Idaho State (Thursday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time), at Weber State (Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m.) - Watch on ESPN+
Following four games at home, Eastern travels for two games this week. The Eagles play Idaho State on Thursday night and Weber State on Saturday afternoon. EWU is currently on a three-game winning streak after going 3-1 during its homestand.
With only one game on the schedule last week, Eastern handled business against Idaho in a 62-52 win. During the third quarter, the Eagles separated from the Vandals after holding them to 16.7 percent shooting. Three players scored in double figures, led by 14 points from
Aaliyah Alexander.
Jaleesa Lawrence scored 13 and
Jamie Loera added 11. Lawrence also led the team with seven rebounds.
Eastern's defense is key, allowing opponents to 56.3 points per game, the top mark in the Big Sky. Opponents are shooting 36.6 against the Eagles, also the best figure in the conference. In the paint, EWU boasts the top rebounding number, with 38.9 combined rebounds per game and they are third with a plus-3.9 rebounding margin. The team also carries the top scoring margin at plus-14.2.
Alexander's production has been consistent this season and she holds the second highest scoring average in the Big Sky with 15.8 points per game. The Federal Way, Wash. native is third in field goal percentage (45.3%) and second in free throw percentage (85.1%). With 4.6 rebounds per game, Alexander is 24th on the conference leaderboard.
Running all over the court, Loera is the all-around production machine for Eastern. She leads the Big Sky with 2.3 steals per game and is second with 5.4 assists per game. Loera's 12.6 points per game is second on the team and tied for eighth in the conference. The Moses Lake, Wash. native averages 5.8 rebounds per game to lead the team and rank 11th in the Big Sky.
Women's Tennis — at Montana (Friday, Feb. 16 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time), vs. Utah State (Saturday, Feb. 17 at 9 a.m.)
The Eagles are headed to Missoula this weekend for two matches. Eastern starts with a non-counter matchup against Montana on Friday morning, followed by a non-conference tilt against Utah on Saturday morning.
This past week, Eastern hosted Seattle U in its home opener, narrowly missing against the Redhawks in a 4-3 loss. The Eagles won the doubles point, but dropped four of the six singles matches.
EWU drove up to Spokane this past Sunday (Feb. 11) to play New Mexico. The Lobos topped Eastern, 4-1. Isabella Foshee won a two-set match in dominatie fashion (6-1, 6-2) to get the point for the Eagles.
Women's Golf — at Zupas Trailblazer Invitational (Feb. 12-13, All Day)
Eastern Washington continues its tournament play in St. George, Utah on Monday and Tuesday at the Zupas Trailblazer Invitational. Eastern will play 18 holes today and tomorrow to conclude its first competition of the 2024 spring season. The Eagles are currently ninth with a score of 336. Gabriella Ilardi is tied for 29th on the individual leaderboard after shooting an 80 (+8) through the first 18 holes. Brooke Mahler is tied for 34th with 82 (+10) in the opening round.
Season tickets for EWU men's and women's basketball are now available and start as low as $100! Tickets for basketball and all EWU Athletics events are available at goeags.com/tickets or via the EWU Athletics Ticket Office at 509-359-6059.
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.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
