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

Mike Sando

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Sports

Eastern Snaps Out Of Its Sickly Slump Dogged By Losing Streak, Flu, Ewu Knocks Off Carroll 72-64

Dragged down by a seven-game losing streak more than a flu outbreak that hit the team last week, the Eastern Washington men's basketball team became healthy all at once Saturday night. Adam Dean and Mike Sims were most instrumental in finding the cure, combining for 40 points at Reese Court as EWU rewarded new coach Steve Aggers with his first victory as a Division I head coach, a 72-64 decision over an outclassed Carroll College team that never let the Eagles rest. "We've just had a lot of flu, a lot of illness," said Aggers, relieved after suffering through an 0-7 start.

Sports

UW Stops Hard-Working Eagles

Kevin Groves, left, helps put EWU in position to pull off an improbable upset over Washington before the Huskies turn it on late. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review
Sports

Ewu Could Detour Montana Eagles’ Victory Would Postpone Playoff-Clinching For Grizzlies

Montana can clinch the Big Sky Conference's berth to the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs with a victory over Eastern Washington today at Woodward Stadium. Should the Grizzlies lose, they'll need to end the regular season with a win at Montana State. Either way, Montana is planning on playing in the postseason, preferably at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. The university submitted bids on Friday to host games in all three playoff rounds, forking over $150,000 in refundable deposits.
Sports

Ewu Falls In Exhibition

College basketball Eastern Washington's first basketball exhibition of the season, an 82-71 loss Thursday night to a team from Australia, reinforced what new EWU coach Steve Aggers already knew. "We just have a lot of work to do," said Aggers, who took over in July, after the firing of John Wade. Where to start?
Sports

Eastern Center Lewis Suspended

Center Melvin Lewis has been suspended from the Eastern Washington basketball team while the university and NCAA separately investigate the validity of credits Lewis earned in junior college. Lewis, who transferred from College of the Sequoias in California before last season, continues to practice with the team. He will not play in any games until EWU or the NCAA is assured of his eligibility.
Sports

Staying Out Of Arms’ Way It Won’t Be A Battle Of Passing Games With Inexperienced Qbs

The winner of today's Big Sky Conference football game between Eastern Washington and Montana State will likely be the team with the least destructive backup quarterback. If EWU's Harry Leons tops out at, say, three interceptions and MSU clipboard-holder Todd Buchanan throws five, for instance, the Eagles would figure to have a decent shot at their first Big Sky win of the season. It's come to this because both teams lost their regular quarterbacks to season-ending injuries in home defeats last week. EWU starter Brian Sherick tore up a knee in a 30-16 setback against Northern Arizona, while MSU's Jeff Tuss broke a wrist in a 14-7 loss to Weber State.
Sports

Lewis, Nau Have Their Way With Eastern Top Nfl Prospect Shreds Ewu With 343 Yards And A Td Pass

Jeff Lewis of Northern Arizona will be the best quarterback available in next year's National Football League draft. That's what Mel Kiper, the widely quoted NFL talent scout, told a national radio audience on Saturday. Lewis did little to diminish his standing with the experts over the next few hours, completing 30 of 41 passes for 343 yards and a touchdown as NAU beat Eastern Washington 30-16 on a muddy Woodward Stadium field. The win moved NAU (3-1 Big Sky, 6-2 overall) into a first-place conference tie. EWU (0-4, 2-5) lost its fifth straight.
Sports

Ailing Eagles On Life Support Ewu Seeks To End Losing Streak Against No. 21 Northern Arizona

As if a four-game losing streak and a string of career-threatening, psyche-damaging injuries weren't enough, the Eastern Washington football team now must face a superior, suddenly healthy opponent that also figures to be downright ornery. It's hardly what the Eagles envisioned when they scheduled Northern Arizona for today's 1:05 homecoming game at Woodward Stadium. The maladies continue to accumulate for EWU, which slipped to 0-3 in the Big Sky Conference and 2-4 overall after last Saturday's 37-10 free fall at Idaho.
Sports

Blocked Punts Flatten Osu

Blocked punts by Brandon Moore, right, and Phillip Glover have a big hand in Washington State's 40-14 victory over Oregon State. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review
Sports

All On The Line For Leons Eastern’s New Quarterback Faces Tough Idaho State Team

Eastern Washington quarterback Harry Leons makes his first college start tonight. Whether he finishes the Eagles' Big Sky Conference football game against Idaho State depends largely on two people - EWU head coach Mike Kramer and offensive lineman Aaron Barfield. "I'll let him take all the snaps Saturday night, unless he struggles," said Kramer, who suspended starter Brian Sherick and backup Scott Bond for missing curfew after last weekend's loss at Weber State. "But I anticipate no drop-off at quarterback. We're lucky to have Harry."
Sports

Sluggish Ewu Offense Can’t Connect In 14-6 Defeat

Eastern Washington's punishment, a 14-6 home loss to Portland State on Saturday, fit the crimes perpetrated by the Eagles' offense for most of the football game's previous 59-plus minutes. EWU wasted a solid defensive effort with one of its worst offensive displays, a display that included no gains longer than 18 yards and ended with a fumbled snap on second-and-goal from the Portland State 4-yard-line with 26 seconds remaining. Sophomore quarterback Brian Sherick suffered through his first bad outing in three starts, completing just 10 of his first 25 passes, and received little help from his offensive teammates until EWU defensive tackle Chris Scott provided a spark by making the defensive play of the game.
Sports

Ewu Foe Not Off To Jumpin’ Start But Portland State Will Try To Bounce Back Against Eagles

As part of a promotion to sell season tickets for the 1995 football season, Portland State coach Tim Walsh agreed to bungee-jump from the Portland Civic Stadium rooftop. Unfortunately for Walsh and the Vikings, the nosedive has been symbolic, and PSU enters today's non-conference game at Eastern Washington attempting to snap back from a 1-2 start. In their previous two games, the Vikings have committed an astounding 15 turnovers. Last Saturday's nine-giveaway nightmare, featuring four lost fumbles and three Kyle Allen interceptions, left Walsh at the end of his rope.
Sports

Eastern Faces Sad Sac State School’s Financial Battle Has Taken Its Toll On Field

To say Sacramento State doesn't have a football program isn't entirely fair. The Hornet field a football team, thanks to self-inflicted student-fee increases mandated last spring by campus referendum. It's just that those student-fee increases did not allow for publication of a football program, making Sac State a program without a program. More damaging, however, was the absence of a recruiting budget and spring practices, which undoubtedly were factors in the Hornets' 62-7 loss at Northern Arizona last Saturday.
Sports

Ewu Ready To Face Heat? Season Opener For Eagles Promises To Test Conditioning

Months of conditioning, two weeks of practices, a couple of scrimmages and enough hours in the film room to make Siskel eject Ebert could not have prepared Eastern Washington for what it will face in tonight's season-opening football game. The schedule says EWU plays Southwest Texas State, a team that, like the Eagles, is attempting to rebound from a 4-7 season. What the schedule leaves out, and what concerns second-year EWU coach Mike Kramer, is the 90-degree heat and suffocating humidity anticipated for the 4:07 p.m. PDT kickoff in sweltering San Marcos, Texas. Those conditions were impossible to recreate during the two-a-day practices that concluded last week in Cheney. And there just isn't enough room to practice 40-yard out patterns in the sauna at the health club.