CHENEY, Wash. – Eastern Washington fell 68–64 to Montana State in a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final possessions.
Isaiah Moses led all scorers with 24 points, while
Kiree Huie added 15. The Eagles won the turnover battle, forcing 17 Bobcat giveaways while committing just 10 of their own.
EWU carried a slim 23–19 advantage into halftime after what Associate Head Coach
Ryan Lundgren called "probably the best defensive half the Eagles have had this year."
"We really guarded," Lundgren said. "We got them to 19 in the first half. For 20 minutes, we played great defense."
Eastern weathered an uneven offensive start, missing several early layups, but stayed within striking distance through strong rebounding and defensive activity. Moses got the Eagles on the board with a turnaround jumper in the paint, and JoJo Anderson ignited momentum midway through the half with a fast-break jumper off a steal to pull EWU within one.
Pressure defense became a catalyst as the half wore on.
Tyler Powell knocked down a three following a takeaway to give EWU its first lead at 9–8, and the advantage changed hands several times as both teams struggled to find rhythm in the half court. Huie made his presence felt around the rim, converting two free throws before throwing down a fast-break dunk off another steal to push the Eagles ahead 17–14.
Eastern extended the lead to as many as seven late in the half behind
Johnny Radford's driving layup and a pair of fast-break free throws from Moses. Although Montana State closed the half with a late three, EWU maintained the edge at the break by controlling the turnover margin and generating transition offense.
Montana State entered the game averaging just 10 turnovers per contest, but Eastern forced 11 in the first half alone.
"Even in the second half, I don't think the defense was bad," Lundgren said. "They come in averaging only 10 turnovers a game and we got them for 17."
The Eagles opened the second half aggressively, with Huie finishing a second-chance dunk and
Elijah Thomas adding a layup as EWU continued to attack the offensive glass.
JoJo Anderson created extra possessions, and
Emmett Marquardt connected from beyond the arc as the teams traded baskets through a tightly contested middle stretch.
Montana State, however, found an offensive rhythm after halftime, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and timely perimeter shooting. Despite the surge, Eastern continued to battle. Moses repeatedly attacked the lane and got to the free-throw line, while Huie fought for position inside as EWU briefly reclaimed the lead and kept the game within one possession for much of the half.
Down the stretch, the Eagles made one final push. Moses sparked a late rally with a three-pointer and a pair of driving baskets in the final minute to cut the deficit to two, and
Alton Hamilton IV added a second-chance bucket in the closing seconds. Ultimately, Montana State sealed the game at the free-throw line. Offensively, Eastern struggled to match its defensive intensity.
"We put a lot of pressure on our defense tonight," Lundgren said. "Our offense was probably as bad as it's been. We just couldn't put two halves together."
Rebounding also played a role, as Montana State finished with a six-rebound advantage despite Eastern's late efforts on the glass.
"We offensive rebounded well, but part of that was we missed a lot of shots," Lundgren noted. "They did a good job taking away our bigs. Kiree had 15, but he really had to work for them."
"There's no easy ones," Lundgren said. "Flush it, learn from it, and get ready to go on Saturday.
Up Next
Eastern will take on the Griz on Saturday, at 2 p.m.
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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