Turnovers Cost Eagles in 92–65 Loss at Central Arkansas
CONWAY, Ark. – Eastern Washington fell 92–65 on the road at Central Arkansas, as a slow start and turnover issues proved too much to overcome. The Bears opened the game with a 14–0 run, applying pressure that caught the Eagles off guard.
Straton Rogers finally put EWU on the board, and a three from
Johnny Radford helped settle the offense, but UCA continued to push the pace and knock down perimeter shots. Eastern closed the half on a 6–0 run, yet still trailed 45–27. Radford led the Eagles early with nine points and three triples.
Associate head coach
Ryan Lundgren noted that the early pressure was something the Eagles weren't expecting. "Sometimes it's hard to tell how aggressive a team is on film versus seeing them live," Lundgren said. "They wanted it more than us, and it showed from start to finish." Turnovers became the defining margin, as UCA turned them into 38 points. "We were playing on our heels on both sides of the ball," Lundgren added. "We just were not aggressive enough tonight at all."
While the Eagles improved offensively in the second half, finishing with 12 made threes, Central Arkansas stayed in rhythm, shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. Lundgren acknowledged the defensive struggles: "That's a team shooting under 25 percent from three coming in, and we let them make 15. They were comfortable and in a flow from the beginning."
Isaiah Moses led Eastern Washington with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while Radford finished with 14 points and four threes. Rogers contributed seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and EWU's bench added 32 points. But the Bears' efficiency and points off turnovers kept the contest out of reach.
Looking ahead, Lundgren emphasized the urgency to improve before facing North Texas. "If you thought that pressure tonight was good, wait until Tuesday," he said. "We've all got to look in the mirror—players and coaches—and do what we need to do to get better."
Up Next
Eastern Washington will stay on the road as they take on North Texas on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m., PST.
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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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