SACRAMENTO, Calif – Eastern Washington came out flying and never relinquished control, rolling past Sacramento State 102–94 after building a 57–39 halftime cushion.
Isaiah Moses paced the Eagles with 26 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds while going 6-for-7 from three.
Tyler Powell,
Straton Rogers,
Kiree Huie, and
Cole Scherer also reached double figures, with Scherer setting a new career high behind a pair of triples. Huie led the team with eight rebounds, followed by Moses (seven) and Rogers (six).
Eastern shot 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep (14-of-28) compared to Sacramento State's 29 percent and five made threes. The Eagles struggled at the line (59 percent) but controlled the glass with 37 rebounds. Associate head coach
Ryan Lundgren noted the challenge despite the offensive output, saying, "This has been the most miserable game ever, and we won it. But yeah, we just could not defend, and we could never put them away."
Powell ignited the opening minutes with back-to-back threes, and Eastern's defense quickly turned into offense as steals and blocks fueled a fast-break avalanche.
Alton Hamilton IV and Huie finished at the rim during a massive early surge, while Scherer and Moses added perimeter punch as the lead ballooned to 25–4 midway through the half. The Hornets clawed back behind second-chance opportunities and free throws, but Moses answered every push with timely triples, and Eastern closed the period with a final burst capped by
Jojo Anderson's layup in the closing seconds to take an 18-point lead into the break. Lundgren credited that early surge as decisive: "Quick start won you this ballgame, right? You guys were out 28–4 in this one. Yeah, we've been off to some quick starts lately in a lot of games, and we've got to continue that."
Sacramento State made its best run out of halftime, trimming the margin to 57–47 during a brief Eastern turnover stretch, but the Eagles steadied themselves at the line and on the glass. Huie converted free throws and putbacks, Rogers scored in transition, and Moses buried another three to keep the Hornets at arm's length. Each time Sacramento State threatened, cutting it to 76–66 and later 80–70, Eastern responded with second-chance threes from Scherer and Moses and a Powell fast-break triple off a steal to restore separation.
The Hornets pushed late with baskets in the final minute, but Eastern's free throws and rim finishes from Anderson and Moses sealed the wire-to-wire win. Lundgren emphasized the defensive focus moving forward: "We've just got to be able to defend the drive better. They just put their head down and got to the rim on us and put foul pressure on us. And we've got to clean that up, especially with Portland State coming on Saturday."
Moses spearheaded the closing stretch, scoring off putbacks, knocking down late threes, and repeatedly punishing Sacramento State for overhelping and live-ball mistakes, while Powell's early barrage set the tone and stretched the defense throughout. Rogers provided key finishing in transition and around the rim, and Huie's rebounding presence helped Eastern withstand the Hornets' second-chance push. In all, the Eagles paired explosive shooting with opportunistic defense, built an early cushion, answered every rally, and executed down the stretch to secure the road victory.
Up Next
The Eagles head to Portland, Ore., to face the Vikings on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. in their final road game of the regular season.
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.
