NCAA basketball

MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho, which had practically made an art form of losing leads late during the nonconference season, justified coach Alex Pribble’s steady assertion the Vandals were close to learning how to finish games on Thursday.

From staff reports

For a relatively inexperienced Eastern Washington team, a senior-heavy Montana squad was hardly an ideal opponent for its Big Sky men’s basketball opener on Thursday.

Michael Ajayi believes his offensive production will come. Until then, the senior wing is focused on doing all the little things in a big way for the 19th-ranked Gonzaga basketball team.

By the end of the first half filled with missed shots, Portland scoring first was just a vague memory. That’s because the Pilots’ second basket came more than 7 minutes and 30 seconds later. Their next points came on two free throws after 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Gonzaga wasn’t exactly lighting it up at 34.3% from the field in the opening half, but it hardly mattered because of Portland’s penchant for dry spells and turnovers.

Eastern Washington will begin the Big Sky men’s basketball season on Thursday as an enigma, for a number of reasons.

In two consequential results, the Bruins edged Gonzaga and the Aggies held off San Diego State.

Jenn and LeeAnne Wirth have always been famous in Spokane as the identical twins who played Division I basketball at Gonzaga University.

Portland’s Austin Rapp leads Portland in, well, just about every statistical category. That’s unusual, but even more so considering Rapp is 19 years old, a true freshman and stands 6-foot-10 and 230 pounds.

It’s a new calendar year as college basketball nears the midpoint of the season, but Gonzaga wouldn’t mind turning back the clock. Not way back, but perhaps to how the Zags burst out of the starting gate in November winning their first five and rising to No. 3 in the AP poll. Or even late November when Gonzaga was 7-1 and perhaps a possession from being unbeaten.

Remember the year 1992 around here? The year of Pearl Jam and Nirvana, and grunge becoming a thing. When “Singles” was a movie about Seattle and you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing “Baby Got Back” from another Seattle artist, one Sir Mix-A-Lot. And it was the year of upheaval among the coaches of the pro sports teams in Seattle.

MALIBU, Calif. – Gonzaga’s offense sputtered both before and after Khalif Battle’s flagrant 2 foul led to an ejection late in the first half of Saturday’s 65-62 loss to UCLA.

MALIBU, Calif. – With only a handful of visits remaining to various gyms in the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga can expect the target on its back to grow over the next 24 months as longtime league rivals realize their chances to topple the Bulldogs are probably numbered.

All season, after wins and losses alike, David Riley has pushed Nate Calmese on defense. As Washington State’s starting point guard, Calmese already provides consistent offense, driving into the lane and keeping defenses on their toes with a sufficient 3-pointer.

At the beginning of the most recent offseason, when Eastern Washington’s men’s basketball roster and coaching staff were in flux, Emmett Marquardt wasn’t even dreaming of games like the one he had Monday night at Reese Court in Cheney.

Lisa Fortier isn’t looking for perfection.

From staff reports

Another blue blood, another close loss.

MALIBU, Calif. – With a handful of visits left to various gyms in the West Coast Conference, Gonzaga can only expect the target on its back to grow over the next 24 months, as longtime league rivals realize chances to finally topple the Bulldogs are probably numbered.