CHENEY, Wash. – Eastern Washington pulled away from Sacramento State for a 75–67 win behind a strong defensive performance and balanced scoring attack.
Kiree Huie led the Eagles with 16 points, while
Tyler Powell added 14,
Isaiah Moses chipped in 13, and
Alton Hamilton IV finished with 11. Moses also paced the team with four assists, and Powell and
Straton Rogers shared team-high rebounding honors with seven apiece.
For the fifth time in seven Big Sky games, Eastern held its opponent under 70 points, continuing a steady defensive climb. "Our defense is really improving," said Associate Head Coach
Ryan Lundgren. "We talked about it at nauseam all fall, November and December, and part of that is the tough non-conference schedule we play. We've steadily improved, and tonight I thought we put both sides of the ball together pretty well."
Eastern shot 46 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range, outpacing Sacramento State's 43 percent shooting and 29 percent from beyond the arc. The Eagles also controlled the glass 31–25 and forced 12 turnovers, frequently converting stops into scoring opportunities. Ball movement was a key factor, as EWU finished with 16 assists on 26 made baskets. "Anytime you can have 16 assists, that's indicative of sharing the ball," Lundgren said. "The bigs really played well, skipping it back out, reposting, and not letting the defense get set."
The Eagles set the tone early and carried a 38–33 lead into halftime. Powell and Hamilton provided finishes around the rim, while Moses orchestrated the offense and allowed the game to come to him. "Isaiah played a really good game," Lundgren said. "He only had two turnovers in 36, 37 minutes, and early on he got his teammates in a flow instead of forcing shots. They were really keying in on him, and he took what the defense gave him."
Eastern opened the second half with a strong run to push the lead to double digits, sparked by a
Johnny Radford three and relentless work on the offensive glass. Sacramento State answered with physical play and trips to the free-throw line, but the Eagles consistently responded with timely buckets. Huie anchored the interior, while Moses and Powell delivered key shots to maintain control.
Powell's all-around effort stood out, as he finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, multiple assists, steals, and a block. "I thought this was probably Tyler's best game since he's been here,"
Lundgren said. "Outside of the statistics, the energy and passion he played with on both ends was really evident. With losing guys early in the year, it's huge to have another perimeter guy step up as we get into the heart of league play."
Down the stretch, Eastern Washington showed composure, controlling tempo and closing the game at the free-throw line. The Eagles never relinquished control late, securing the eight-point road victory and continuing to build confidence as conference play intensifies.
Up Next
The Eagles will hit the road for a four-game road stint. They will head to Flagstaff to take on Northern Arizona on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 5 p.m. PST, then head to Greely, Colo., to face off against Northern Colorado on Jan. 31 at 1 p.m., PST.
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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