CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington closed out its exhibition schedule with an 81-65 victory over Western Washington on Tuesday night at Reese Court. The Eagles controlled the game from the opening minutes, leading for more than 39 minutes and building an advantage as large as 21 points.
Alton Hamilton IV led Eastern with 26 points and nine rebounds, finishing 20-of-22 from the free-throw line.
Jamil Miller added 14 points and seven rebounds, while
Emmett Marquardt finished with 12 points and six boards. Eastern held a 38-28 advantage on the glass and forced 20 Western Washington turnovers.
Eastern came out aggressive, opening the game with an 8-0 run.
Andrew Cook scored the Eagles' first field goal before Hamilton IV followed with a second-chance basket and a pair of free throws. The Eagles continued to build their advantage throughout the opening half, using their work inside and at the free-throw line to take control.
Eastern created separation late in the half. Miller scored inside before
Isak Homelius connected from beyond the arc and
Lance Horntvedt Jr. added a basket to extend the lead to 50-32. Hamilton IV later pushed the advantage to 57-36 before Western Washington scored the final five points of the half. Eastern carried a 57-41 lead into the locker room after shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and going 25-of-28 at the free-throw line.
Western Washington made its push early in the second half, trimming the Eagles' lead to four at 61-57. Eastern responded with consecutive baskets from
Cole Scherer to create separation again.
The Eagles maintained control down the stretch.
Jalen Griffith connected on a jumper before Miller,
Zach Trezvant and Marquardt helped Eastern rebuild a double-digit advantage. Hamilton IV continued to capitalize at the free-throw line in the closing minutes as the Eagles secured the 81-65 win.
Eastern finished 43-of-48 from the free-throw line while holding Western Washington to 38.2 percent shooting. The Eagles scored 30 points in the paint, generated 23 points off turnovers and recorded 10 steals.
Up Next
The Eagles kick off their 2026-27 season on the road against Stanford in Stanford, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 2 at 7:00 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.
FOLLOW THE EAGLES
SOCIAL: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated.
