Big Sky Honors Eagles’ Lewis
Eastern Washington University’s first Big Sky Conference men’s basketball win in 30 games and 45 games on the road has earned junior center Melvin Lewis a share of the league’s Player of the Week honor.
Lewis, a 6-foot-8, 290-pound native of Chicago, had 22 points and 16 rebounds as the Eagles scored their first Big Sky victory in two years, 72-66 at Boise State.
In that game, he connected on 10 of 15 shots from the floor. For the week, Lewis was 18 of 26 for 69.2 percent from the field, scoring 38 points and grabbing 21 rebounds.
In the last five games, he has averaged 18 points and 10.6 rebounds a game while hitting 63.5 percent of his shots.
He shares the honor with Weber State junior forward Jimmy DeGraffenried, who scored 33 points in road wins at Montana and Montana State, netting an 8-footer with 27 seconds left to beat Montana.
It was two steps forward and one step back for the Whitworth men’s basketball team.
The Pirates, who recorded two victories last weekend to run their record to 18-7, slipped a spot in the NAIA Division II poll.
The Pirates, who had risen to a season-high fifth a week ago, dropped back to No. 6 this week, replaced by Northwest Nazarene, which climbed two places from 7th.
Gonzaga senior guard Ivy Safranski is the West Coast Conference women’s Player of the Week for her role in leading a Bulldogs sweep last weekend.
In two games, Safranski scored 48 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 10 assists and had four steals. She shot 16 of 28 from the field (60.7 percent), including 7 of 13 from 3-point range, and was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Safranski, who scored 26 points against Pepperdine and 22 with seven assists against Loyola Marymount, has 1,644 career points, second on the GU career list and fifth in the WCC.
The Washington State women received 14 points, good for 39th place, in the USA Today-CNN coaches poll.
The University of Washington (19-5) is 13th in that poll and 10th in The Associated Press media poll.
Hockey
Jason Podollan received an early birthday present from the Western Hockey League on Monday.
Podollan, who turns 19 on Saturday, was named the WHL Player of the Week for leading the Spokane Chiefs to three one-goal victories last week.
Podollan, the first Chief to win the weekly honor this season, had four goals and as many assists as he ran his season goal total to a team-high 36 and his career total to 101. His totals included assists on two goal-winning goals.
Football
The University of Idaho continues to search for one more opponent for the 1995 season.
The Vandals’ non-conference schedule will feature games at Oregon State on Sept. 2, at Northern Iowa on No. 11, and a home game tentatively set with Sonoma State on Sept. 16. Athletic director Pete Liske said an agreement has been reached with Sonoma, but the Rohnert Park, Calif., school has yet to return a contract.
Oregon State competes in NCAA Division I-A, Northern Iowa is in Division I-AA and Sonoma State is in Division II.
The Vandals are searching for an opponent for Sept. 9 or 23.
Liske said Idaho will visit Wyoming of the Western Athletic Conference in the 1996 season and Auburn of the Southeastern Conference in the 1997 season.
Idaho banquet
Former Dallas Cowboys vice president Gil Brandt will be the featured speaker at the 33rd annual Idaho Sports Banquet March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Convention Center.
The Idaho Hall of Fame will announce five new inductees and awards to top teams and individuals will be presented.
Bob Maker, president of the Idaho Hall of Fame, will retire after the March banquet. He has served as banquet chairman for 33 years.
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