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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Big Sky champion Eagles headed to Portland for NCAA tournament

Members of the EWU basketball team, from left, Felix Von Hofe, head coach Jim Hayford, Ognjen Miljkovic, Venky Jois, Bear Henderson,Tyler Harvey and Frederik Jorg, celebrate at Reese Court in Cheney as their first-round NCAA matchup against Georgetown is announced during Sunday’s selection show. (Kathy Plonka)

Sharlie Corcoran, of Spokane, is from Griz country and works at Gonzaga University. But on Thursday she intends to be in Portland to cheer on her Eagles of Eastern Washington when the Big Sky champs play Georgetown University in the NCAA tournament.

“Their season was amazing,” Corcoran said Sunday at Reese Court in Cheney, minutes after the team and several hundred fans learned of the No. 13 seed in EWU’s first invitation to the Big Dance since 2004. “For us to get a 13 is huge.”

She was a student at Eastern the last time the men’s basketball team advanced to the tournament, and this time Corcoran wasted no time making plans to be at the Moda Center in Portland for Thursday’s 7 p.m. tipoff with the No. 4 seed Hoyas.

Travel will be just as easy for Gonzaga, a No. 2 seed playing its opening game Friday night in Seattle against North Dakota State, a No. 15 seed.

There was no doubting the suspense and enthusiasm of Selection Sunday at Reese Court after the Eagles secured their bid with Saturday’s late-game rally to defeat Montana 69-65 and claim the Big Sky Conference tournament championship.

“It’s been an historical season,” Athletic Director Bill Chaves told the crowd. “The most wins in regular season history, conference history, regular-season championship, capped off with this thing last night – just tremendous. We couldn’t be prouder of these guys, and they did it with dignity and class all the way through.”

Head coach Jim Hayford credited the character and confidence of his players for the special season, and he invited fans down to the floor to meet them and snap pictures in the minutes before the show began.

“We don’t have superstars,” Hayford said. “These are just cool kids.”

Tom Leonard, Class of ’74, took pictures of the Big Sky trophy and game net on display at midcourt.

“They’ve got a darn good team. This is extremely exciting,” Leonard said. “They can really step up.”

He was at all the home games this season – 13 wins and two losses – and has seen the stands grow fuller.

“As the team gets better the fans get better,” Leonard said.

He also plans to be in Portland for the Georgetown matchup and is optimistic the Eagles will play there Saturday as well. Leonard traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, in 2004 and saw the No. 15 seed Eagles fall to No. 2 seed Oklahoma State.

“Once you go to that thing, you’ve got to go back,” he said.

Leonard had a travel agent on standby to book airfare, if necessary. Most fans will make the 350-mile drive, with mild and sunny weather in the forecast later this week.

Vic Wallace Sr. paused inside the main entrance to Reese Court before Sunday’s live bracket broadcast and exchanged hugs and handshakes with a stream of other longtime fans.

“I love these young men,” said Wallace, 80, who was the university’s police chief from 1974 to 1995. “This is a great feeling.”

He and his daughter Chrissy are familiar figures at EWU games and practices, and Wallace is an Eagle Athletic Association member.

He admitted he almost gave up on his beloved Eagles when they fell 11 points behind the Grizzlies with about 6 minutes left to play Saturday.

“I already learned not to give up on the football team here,” he said with a chuckle.