Jim Allen

In perhaps the most high-profile football signing in Eastern Washington history, the Eagles landed one of the top high school running backs in the nation Wednesday.

The “Our House” T-shirts were a very, very, very fine idea. The timing? Not so much.

Will Cherry and Mathias Ward scored 13 points apiece to lead Montana to its 12th consecutive victory, 65-46 over Eastern Washington on Saturday night.

The Eastern Washington basketball team had every reason to panic Thursday night. The Eagles simply didn’t have time.

The Eastern Washington basketball team made it look easy Monday night, breaking Portland State’s press to finish off the game. The operative word is “finish” – a mantra for the Eagles and especially for senior point guard Kevin Winford.

The Eastern Washington basketball team made it look easy Monday night, breaking Portland State’s press to finish off the game.

Fifteen minutes after the game ended, Parker Kelly still had the hot hand. Kelly’s palms were red after a big shooting night that helped Eastern Washington to a crucial 76-65 win Monday night over Portland State at Reese Court.

Monday's 76-65 victory over Portland State couldn't have come at a better time for the Eastern Washington Eagles (5-15 overall and 3-7 in the Sky), who in one night moved from the cellar to within a game of seventh place and a spot in the Big Sky Conference postseason tournament. In the process, the Eagles ended a four-game losing streak in front of a vocal crowd of 1,214. Opportunity returns to Reese Court on Thursday against third-place Montana State and Saturday against league leader Montana.

It’s just a game, the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team was suddenly reminded Wednesday night. “It could have been much worse,” Eagles coach Jim Hayford said of an auto accident in Grand Forks, N.D., that injured senior starting guards Jeffrey Forbes and Kevin Winford.

It’s just a game, the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team was suddenly reminded Wednesday night.

Brandon Kaufman took his game to a higher level last season. Now he hopes to do the same in the NFL. After a record-breaking junior season, the Eastern Washington University wide receiver will forgo his senior year and make himself available for the NFL draft in April.

Winter or summer, Jeffrey Forbes loves to drive the lane. A 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo sits in the family garage back in Federal Way, Wash. It needs a little TLC, but so do the young players on the Eastern Washington basketball team. For now, they come first.

Brandon Kaufman took his game to a higher level last season. Now he hopes to do the same in the NFL.

In the end, family came first for Justin Crosgile. Crosgile, the leading scorer on the Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team, cited a “need to be closer to home” for his surprise decision to leave the squad earlier this week.

In the end, family came first for Justin Crosgile. Crosgile, the leading scorer on the Eastern Washington University basketball team, cited a “need to be closer to home” for his surprise decision to leave the squad earlier this week.

The stuff of legend? Not exactly, but Thomas Reuter’s game-saving play Saturday afternoon will do just fine for now.

So much for easing into conference play. Eastern Washington did just that early in both halves Thursday night and it cost the Eagles dearly in a 74-53 loss in their Big Sky Conference men’s basketball opener against Weber State.

So much for easing into conference play. Eastern Washington did just that early in both halves Thursday night and it cost the Eagles dearly in a 74-53 loss in their Big Sky Conference men’s basketball opener against Weber State. Perennial power Weber State probably wasn’t the best measuring stick for Jim Hayford’s young team: All five Wildcat starters are upperclassmen and their bench is one of the deepest in the conference. That left a slim margin for error which nearly evaporated early as Weber State scored the first 11 points in front of 610 fans at Reese Court. It happened again early in the second half. Still leading by those same 11 points at intermission, Weber State (5-3) outscored the Eagles 21-5 in the next eight minutes to put the game away early.

Turning the page shouldn’t be this hard – not when the book is the thrill-a-minute story of Eastern Washington football. But coach Beau Baldwin and his staff struggled this week to move on the next chapter; they were still tying up 16 loose ends that fairly tugged at the heartstrings.