CHENEY, Wash. – Eastern Washington (8-16, 4-7) completed the season sweep over Sacramento State (6-17, 2-8) with a dramatic buzzer-beater by
Mason Williams to secure an 83-80 win for the Eagles.
"I'm excited for our guys to get a win like that," said head coach
Dan Monson. "I told them in practice there is five phases of winning, and one of them is learning how to handle winning, and to prepare and practice for winning."
Williams led the Eagles in scoring with 29 points and also dished out six assists while committing only one turnover.
Andrew Cook contributed 17 points, while
Emmett Marquardt added 12. On the defensive end,
Vice Zanki led the team with three steals, and both
Tyler Powell and Cook grabbed four rebounds apiece.
"
Mason Williams carried us and made a great play at the end of the game. We had a great game in the paint, they couldn't stop us off the bounce."
As a team, the Eagles shot 54.7% from the field and 38.1% from beyond the arc. Eastern also won the turnover battle, forcing the Hornets into 13 turnovers while committing just eight.
First Half:
Cook gave the Eagles an early lead with a contested layup off a nice assist from Williams. After both teams exchanged free throws, Powell came up with a steal, leading to Williams hitting a three-pointer to give Eastern a 7-2 advantage. Sacramento State quickly caught fire and took their first lead of the game at 10-9.
Vice Zanki ended a 9-2 run by the Hornets with a three-pointer, pulling the Eagles back within four. Marquardt joined the three-point barrage, hitting EWU's third of the game. Back-to-back layups from Williams and Cook brought Eastern within two. After some excellent passing around the arc,
Nic McClain was left open for a triple, giving Eastern a 32-31 lead with 4:52 remaining in the half.
At the final media timeout, the score was tied at 35-35 with 3:34 left. Sacramento State hit a three-pointer to regain the lead, but
Sebastian Hartmann responded by sinking both of his free throws, tying the game again at 39-39.
Second Half:
The Eagles started the second half strong with an 8-1 run. Williams, Marquardt, and Cook each scored layups within 48 seconds, putting Eastern ahead. Sacramento State answered with a 7-0 run of their own, but Cook sank two free throws to give Eastern a one-point lead. The Hornets then hit a three-pointer to pull ahead 56-54.
Marquardt knocked down a three-pointer after a beautiful assist from Williams, restoring the lead for Eastern, and Cook added two more free throws. With 10 minutes left in the game, Williams hit a layup to push the Eagles' lead to 63-56. Zanki followed up with a steal and a thunderous dunk to make it 67-59.
Sacramento State battled back, cutting the deficit to just two points. Hartmann drained a crucial three-pointer, but the Hornets quickly answered with a three of their own to stay within two. Sacramento State then tied the game at 74-74 with 2:23 remaining, prompting Eastern to call a timeout. The game became a back-and-forth affair, with Sacramento hitting free throws to tie it again at 80-80 with 32 seconds left.
With the game on the line, Williams drained a step-back three-pointer with two seconds remaining, securing an 83-80 victory for the Eagles.
Up Next:
The Eagles will face off against Portland State on Saturday, February 8 at 2 p.m., followed by a matchup against Idaho in a doubleheader on Saturday, February 15, at approximately 4 p.m. after the women's game.
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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