Eastern men knock off San Francisco, reach best start in 38 years
Miljkovic guides four players in double figures
SAN FRANCISCO – Ognjen Miljkovic led four players in double figures with 20 points and Eastern Washington (8-1), off to its best start in 38 years, knocked off San Francisco 81-76 on Thursday in nonconference men’s basketball at War Memorial Gymnasium.
Tyler Harvey added 19 points, and Parker Kelly and Venky Jois had 15 apiece for the Eagles.
EWU is off to its best start since 1977, when it began its 25-4 NAIA season by winning 15 of its first 16. The previous best start for EWU in NCAA Division I play had been 5-1 in 1985-86, when the Eagles finished 20-8.
“I told our team that the thing I loved the most about this game was that we didn’t play that well, but we found a way to win,” EWU head coach Jim Hayford said. “That is something good teams do. I’m glad we won, but we didn’t play as well as we could have.”
Jois’ three-point play with 2 minutes, 56 seconds left gave Eastern a 70-67 lead. Kelly’s 3-pointer extended the lead to six, and the Eagles made 8 of 10 free throws down the stretch to ice it.
Jois, coming off back-to-back 38 point games, finished with 11 rebounds.
Eastern Washington led 40-30 at the half behind Harvey’s 12 points, including the 1,000th point of his career.
The Eagles hit 8 of 11 beyond the arc before intermission and finished 12 of 25.
San Francisco (5-4) roared back after the break, tying it at 57 with 9:07 left on Tim Derksen’s layup. The Dons’ Kruize Pinkins’ had career-high 30 points.
Eastern won its fifth consecutive game despite being outrebounded 43-28 and shooting 42 percent from the floor while the Dons shot 48 percent.
The Eagles shot 19 of 26 from the line.
San Francisco (5-4)—Christiansen 4-7 0-0 8, Glover 3-8 0-2 6, Pinkins 8-14 13-22 30, Tollefsen 5-8 1-2 13, Derksen 5-10 2-4 14, Hilliard 0-3 0-0 0, Adams 1-5 0-0 3, Hoffmann 0-0 0-0 0, Watson 1-1 0-0 2, Robertson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 16-30 76.
Halftime—E. Washington 40-30. 3-Point Goals—E. Washington 12-25 (Miljkovic 4-7, Harvey 4-10, Kelly 3-4, Von Hofe 1-1, Brandon 0-1, Reid 0-1, Washington 0-1), San Francisco 6-20 (Tollefsen 2-2, Derksen 2-4, Pinkins 1-4, Adams 1-5, Glover 0-2, Hilliard 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—E. Washington 28 (Jois 11), San Francisco 43 (Pinkins 14). Assists—E. Washington 8 (Harvey 4), San Francisco 15 (Glover 5). Total Fouls—E. Washington 22, San Francisco 22.
EWU 81, San Francisco 76
Eastern Washington (8-1)—Miljkovic 6-11 4-6 20, Harvey 5-16 5-6 19, Kelly 4-5 4-6 15, Brandon 0-7 1-2 1, Jois 6-11 3-4 15, Hill 0-0 0-0 0, Washington 0-2 2-2 2, Reid 1-2 0-0 2, Bliznyuk 1-2 0-0 2, Moon 0-0 0-0 0, Von Hofe 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 25-59 19-26 81.San Francisco (5-4)—Christiansen 4-7 0-0 8, Glover 3-8 0-2 6, Pinkins 8-14 13-22 30, Tollefsen 5-8 1-2 13, Derksen 5-10 2-4 14, Hilliard 0-3 0-0 0, Adams 1-5 0-0 3, Hoffmann 0-0 0-0 0, Watson 1-1 0-0 2, Robertson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 16-30 76.
Halftime—E. Washington 40-30. 3-Point Goals—E. Washington 12-25 (Miljkovic 4-7, Harvey 4-10, Kelly 3-4, Von Hofe 1-1, Brandon 0-1, Reid 0-1, Washington 0-1), San Francisco 6-20 (Tollefsen 2-2, Derksen 2-4, Pinkins 1-4, Adams 1-5, Glover 0-2, Hilliard 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—E. Washington 28 (Jois 11), San Francisco 43 (Pinkins 14). Assists—E. Washington 8 (Harvey 4), San Francisco 15 (Glover 5). Total Fouls—E. Washington 22, San Francisco 22.