GREELEY, Colo. – Eastern Washington dropped a hard-fought 74–71 decision to Northern Colorado in a tightly contested, back-and-forth battle. Alton Hamilton IV led the Eagles with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Tyler Powell matched him on the glass with eight boards of his own. Isaiah Moses, Kiree Huie, and Johnny Radford also finished in double figures to round out a balanced scoring effort.
Eastern held advantages in shooting efficiency, knocking down 46.6 percent from the field compared to Northern Colorado's 40 percent and connecting on 44.4 percent from three-point range while the Bears shot just 25.5 percent from beyond the arc. The teams were even on the boards at 35 apiece, but Northern Colorado controlled the turnover margin, forcing 12 Eagle miscues while committing just four.
The first half featured physical play and frequent lead changes, with neither team able to build sustained separation. Eastern established an early presence in the paint behind Huie and Hamilton IV, while Powell and Cole Scherer provided perimeter scoring to keep the offense balanced. Northern Colorado countered with strong rebounding and timely shooting, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities to stay narrowly in front. Despite several late pushes, Eastern went into the break trailing just 32–31.
The second half followed a similar script, as the game remained a one-possession contest for much of the final 20 minutes. Hamilton IV's finishing around the rim and Powell's timely three-point shooting helped Eastern gain momentum, while Radford sparked the offense off the bench with multiple three-pointers during key stretches. Moses steadied the Eagles late, attacking the paint and converting at the free-throw line as Eastern continued to chip away.
Down the stretch, Northern Colorado leaned on Nyeri's scoring and Wisne's rebounding to answer each Eagle run. Eastern pulled within one possession multiple times in the final minute, but the Bears sealed the win at the line to hold on for the 74–71 victory.
Up Next
The Eagles continue their road trip on Jan. 31, traveling to Greeley, Colo., to face Northern Colorado at 1 p.m. (PT).
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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