Isu Bounces Back As Eagles Hit Skids

They sprinted from the gate like Olympic champions.

The Eastern Washington Eagles seemed long gone, too, except for one major detail - Saturday night’s Big Sky Conference basketball game against Idaho State was a marathon, not 100 meters.

Eastern’s early 13-point lead was cut to four by halftime and history shortly thereafter, Idaho State leaving the Eagles behind, 84-65 at Reese Court.

The Eagles are 0-2 in the conference, 3-9 overall. The defending Big Sky regular-season champion Bengals are 2-0 and 11-9, having suffered through a similar start in Friday night’s win at Idaho.

For Eastern, it was the 23rd straight Sky loss, of which several have been lose-from-ahead efforts.

“We started off nice in half our league games last year,” said a disgusted Josh Lewis, who led the early charge with five first-half dunks, then didn’t score again.

“I mean, it’s to the point where we go in at halftime and it’s like, we know what we have to do the second half; we don’t go in there thinking the game’s won,” Lewis added. “But there’s a big difference between knowing what you have to do and going out and doing it.”

It was the difference between winning and losing Saturday night. With Donnell Morgan and Jim Potter up front, the Bengals knew they eventually had to go inside.

And they did. Again and again and again, until Morgan had 29 points, Potter 28.

“We’re a championship team, and I think we showed it tonight,” declared the 6-foot-6 Morgan, who made 13 of 20 field goals and led everyone with three steals. “We have a good 1-2 punch. The league knows it, so it’s up to us to capitalize.”

It was up to Eastern to stop them, and the Eagles - like most of the Big Sky - couldn’t do it. Lewis would foul out with 3:13 to play, and frontcourt teammates Melvin Lewis and Kevin Groves finished with four fouls apiece.

“They’re really, really good,” Eastern guard Curtis Porter said of Morgan and Potter. “Our inside players just couldn’t guard them. No. 32 (Morgan), he’s something special.”

Freshman guard Kahn Cotton added 10 points for the Bengals, who trailed 7-1, 21-12 and 29-16 as Lewis performed his personal air show. Eastern’s 6-6 junior dunked twice over Bengals guard Lorenzo Watkins in the game’s first 4 minutes, then threw one down in transition for a 13-6 lead.

Another Lewis slam - this one a two-handed reverse from the left side on an alley-oop from Brett Thompson - stretched it to 21-12 with 8:40 left in the half. Backup forward Ed Richardson stripped Morgan 2 minutes later, finding Lewis for yet another jam - this one a three-point play as Potter fouled Lewis in midair.

The Eastern lead was 29-16. It was also about to shrink.

Morgan scored 10 points and Cotton five in a Bengals run that cut it to 39-35 by halftime.

After making just six of its first 21 shots, Idaho State rallied by making 7 of 8 in the half’s final 6 minutes. Conversely, Eastern was 3 of 8 during the same 6 minutes - after an 11-for-19 start.

EWU point guard Carl Crider was effective early, getting 10 points and seven assists by halftime. But Cotton, Watkins and guard Shabaka Lands held Crider to one point and one assist in the second half.

Potter and Watkins opened the second half with consecutive 3-pointers as Idaho State began the second half with a 21-7 burst for a 51-46 lead with 14:38 to play.

“They were down at Idaho last night,” Josh Lewis lamented. “We knew that. They’ve got two tough guys who come out and want to kick your (rear) when they’re down. That’s what they did.”

Idaho St. 84, E. Washington 65

IDAHO STATE (11-2)

Morgan 13-20 3-4 29, Potter 10-17, 7-13 28, Green 0-0 0-0 0, Lands 0-3 0-0 0, Watkins 2-9 0-1 5, Cotton 3-3 3-4 10, Lee 0-1 0-0 0, Harwell 0-1 0-0 0, Preston 1-2 2-2 4, Daniels 2-2 4-5 8, Maxwell 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-58 19-29 84.

EASTERN WASHINGTON (3-9)

Groves 0-4 4-6 4, J.Lewis 5-8 1-1 11, M.Lewis 2-2 2-6 6, Crider 3-6 3-4 11, Porter 5-9 1-2 11, Rideout 3-13 0-0 7, Richardson 0-1 2-2 2, Dean 4-5 0-0 8, Thompson 1-2 3-4 5, Stinnett 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-51 16-25 65.

Halftime-E. Washington 39, Idaho St. 35. 3-Point goals- Idaho St. 3-9 (Potter 1-1, Lands 0-1, Watkins 1-5, Cotton 1-1, Lee 0-1), E. Washington 3-7 (J. Lewis 0-1, Crider 2-2, Rideout 1-4). Fouled out-J. Lewis. Rebounds-Idaho St. 38 (Potter 15), E. Washington 27 (M. Lewis 7). Assists-Idaho St. 21 (Lands 5, Daniels 5), E. Washington 17 (Crider 8). Total fouls-Idaho St. 21, E. Washington 24. A-1,312.