EWU, UI get matchups for BracketBusters

Men’s College basketball: Eastern Washington knows a lot about the Bearkats from the football field, just not much yet about their men’s basketball team.

The Eagles will host Sam Houston State on Saturday, Feb. 23, as pairings were announced Monday for the ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters series of college basketball games.

The game has been tentatively scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Reese Court in Cheney. Eastern will play a return game against Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, probably in the 2014-15 season.

Eastern hosted the Bearkats last Dec. 15 in the semifinals of the NCAA …

Men’s College basketball: Eastern Washington knows a lot about the Bearkats from the football field, just not much yet about their men’s basketball team.

The Eagles will host Sam Houston State on Saturday, Feb. 23, as pairings were announced Monday for the ESPN Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters series of college basketball games.

The game has been tentatively scheduled for 1:05 p.m. at Reese Court in Cheney. Eastern will play a return game against Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, probably in the 2014-15 season.

Eastern hosted the Bearkats last Dec. 15 in the semifinals of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, won by SHSU 45-42. The football teams will play each other in the regular season this fall, on Sept. 28, in Huntsville, and in 2014 in Cheney.

• Idaho will play Idaho State in a BracketBuster game at 1 p.m. on Feb. 23 in Pocatello, Idaho.

Cougs dismiss WR Loftus after arrest

College football: Drew Loftus, a walk-on receiver at Washington State who was arrested early Friday morning for allegedly attempting to steal two bottles of Tequila from a grocery store, has been dismissed from the team for violating policy.

According to Pullman police, Loftus attempted to leave Dissmore’s IGA in Pullman with two bottles of tequila shoved into the waistband of his sweatpants. When he was confronted by a store employee, Loftus placed the bottles back on a shelf, then ran out the door and into the parking lot, where he was arrested on misdemeanor counts of theft, minor in possession of alcohol and minor intoxicated in public.

Loftus, 19, is a Kennewick native. He caught one pass for 37 yards last season in two games as a redshirt freshman.

Loftus’ dismissal is in line with coach Mike Leach’s strict zero-tolerance policy toward three cardinal rules – no stealing, no drug use, and no abuse of women.

Christian Caple