BOISE, Idaho – Eastern Washington advanced in the Big Sky Tournament with an 84–79 win over Weber State, powered by a career night from
Alton Hamilton IV. The Junior forward scored a career-high 25 points, including 18 in the first half, to lead four Eagles in double figures.
Isaiah Moses finished with 22 points and eight assists and
Johnny Radford added 12 points as Eastern shot over 50 percent from the field and controlled the glass 32-28.
The Eagles used a strong closing stretch of the first half to build a 46–32 halftime lead. Hamilton carried the offense early, scoring repeatedly inside and converting second-chance opportunities while the Eagles found their rhythm offensively.
"Alton Hamilton was outstanding. 25 points, 18 of them in the first half, and he really kind of kept you afloat early in the game, when it was a struggle for most of the other guys," Associate Head Coach
Ryan Lundgren said. "He was rebounding well and scoring inside, putting foul pressure on them. He's just been rock solid for us all year, and he definitely was tonight."
Eastern extended the lead late in the half behind key baskets from
Emmett Marquardt,
Johnny Radford, and
Isaiah Moses, sending the Eagles into the locker room with a 14-point advantage.
Weber State opened the second half with urgency, cutting the deficit with a quick run fueled by turnovers and transition opportunities. "Saine was able to get some penetration on us, and I thought they really got the foul count in their favor early, and that put pressure on us," Lundgren said. "Obviously, Kiree never got into a rhythm with his fouls."
Despite the push, Eastern continued to respond. Moses steadied the Eagles with a stepback three and later added key baskets in the lane, while Radford knocked down a second-chance three and Marquardt scored inside to keep the Eagles in front.
"Even Isaiah, as good as he was in the second half, he really was never in a flow until late in that game," Lundgren said. "For us to win that way, it's the postseason. You have to win some games ugly, some of them pretty, and you've got to find different ways to do it." Eastern stretched the lead back to double digits midway through the half when Moses hit a pull-up jumper, JoJo Anderson finished a transition layup, and
Straton Rogers added a basket inside to make it 68–56 with under nine minutes to play.
But Weber State continued to battle back, eventually trimming the lead to two with just over five minutes remaining. "For their last breath, and when you have to knock a team out that way, a 14-point lead in those type of games doesn't feel nearly as big, especially when they're as good as Weber is," Lundgren said.
Eastern answered in the closing minutes. Hamilton converted two free throws before Moses knocked down a clutch pull-up jumper. Radford followed with a second-chance basket, and Hamilton buried a critical three-pointer with 1:50 remaining to extend the lead to 77–72.
Moses sealed the win in the final minute, attacking the rim for a three-point play and converting free throws down the stretch. Eastern also executed key areas of emphasis defensively, limiting Weber State's transition opportunities and controlling the offensive glass.
"We talked relentlessly about transition defense and keeping them off the glass, and we did those two things," Lundgren said. "When you keep them off the glass and limit them to one, they're a beatable team, but a very good team as well."
The Eagles also received strong contributions throughout the lineup, finishing with 34 bench points. "It's huge having guys like
Straton Rogers and
Johnny Radford who have been in these big moments," Lundgren said. "They didn't get rattled by the moment and made big plays. Elijah had one of his best games of the year as well, so we got contributions up and down the lineup."
With the win, Eastern Washington advances to face Idaho in the semifinal round. "They're playing as good as anybody right now," Lundgren said. "It'll feel like a road game, but it should be a great basketball game between two really good teams fighting for a berth."
Up Next
Eastern will face
Idaho in the semifinal round tomorrow, Tuesday, March 10, at
8:30 p.m. PT / 9:30 p.m. MT. The Eagles are looking for their first win over the Vandals this season after dropping both regular-season matchups, including the final 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.
