Eagles Get Shake-Up For Rematch Starting Lineup To Look Different When Vikings Come To Town

Nothing is etched in stone, but Eastern Washington basketball coach Steve Aggers is considering some lineup changes for Thursday night’s return matchup against Portland State.

In a Big Sky Conference scheduling rarity, the Eagles and Vikings play back-to-back games. PSU won 76-69 in Portland last Saturday, but will probably face a different-look Eagles team in the 7:05 Reese Court rematch.

Eastern (7-12, 4-5 Big Sky) has lost four of its last five games and Aggers seems intent on “shaking things up.”

Aggers said he plans on returning Alex Carcamo to his role of reserve after prematurely rushing the junior transfer into the starting lineup two weeks ago. And he might also take guard Shannon Taylor, his only senior, out of the starting lineup as well.

Taylor was the Big Sky’s best sixth man last year. As a starter this winter, he has averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game but his production has been inconsistent.

“Shannon has been pressing a little bit,” Aggers explained. “He was really comfortable a year ago as our sixth man, so we may let him kind of do that again.”

The decision to bring Carcamo off the bench is also about comfort. The 6-foot-7 forward did not become eligible until mid-December and played in just seven games before being thrust into the role of starter.

“I probably made a coaching error putting Alex in the starting lineup so quickly,” Aggers admitted. “He’s only played in six or seven games and doesn’t know the system, and that’s not fair to him.

“He’ll be more comfortable and relaxed coming off the bench after he’s had a chance to see what’s happening on the floor.”

Carcamo is averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.

“We just need to shake things up,” said Aggers, whose Eagles are trying to make back-to-back Big Sky tournament appearances for the first time. “We’re not panicking, but we’re certainly disappointed in where we’re at right now.

“We got hot around this same time last year, and if we can do it again, we’ll be OK.”

WCC honors Frahm

Gonzaga’s Richie Frahm, after averaging 15.6 points per game and shooting 52 percent from 3-point range during the Bulldogs’ 9-0 January run, has been named the West Coast Conference player of the month.

Frahm, a 6-foot-5 junior guard, made 24 of 46 3-pointers in January and increased his rebounding average to 4.6 per game, the second-highest on the team.

GU has now produced the WCC’s January player of the month four years in a row. Paul Rogers captured the honor in 1996 and Bakari Hendrix won it the past two seasons.

Losing streak Sac-ked

It’s difficult getting an accurate read on just how heavily Cal State Sacramento’s near-record losing streak was weighing on the Hornets.

Players have varying opinions on the matter, which was resolved last Wednesday when Sac State ended its 34-game skid with a 60-57 win over Montana. The Hornets were just three losses shy of the Division I record of 37, set by The Citadel (1953-55).

“The streak hadn’t been on my mind,” the Hornets’ Anthony Flood said afterward.

But teammate Sean Houston had a different take on the streak.

“There were times I was going crazy,” he said. “We were trying to stay positive about it, but it was getting tough.”

Coach Tom Abatemarco said the pressure was real.

“I felt the pressure and the kids were facing a lot of undue pressure from the media,” he said. “This has been a struggle.”

The win over Montana also snapped a 29-game Big Sky Conference skid, that fell one short of matching the league’s longest of 30, set by Eastern Washington from 1993-95.

3-point heaven

Teams in both West Coast and Big Sky conferences are taking to the 3-point shot in a big way this season.

According to NCAA statistics released this week, St. Mary’s ranked No. 2 nationally in 3-pointers made per game with an average of 9.2.

Eastern Washington is third (9.1), Portland State sixth (8.7), Gonzaga seventh (8.5), Northern Arizona 11th (8.4) and Loyola Marymount 16th (8.3).

Tough crowd

Portland State’s Jason Hartman must be wondering what it takes to impress Big Sky Conference honchos who select the league’s player of the week.

The Vikings’ senior center averaged 31.5 points per game last week, but was aced out of player-of-the-week honors by Weber State’s Harold Arceneaux, who scored 39 and 35 in back-to-back wins over EWU and Hartman’s PSU team.

Area men’s leaders SCORING Player, school FG-FGA FT-FTA 3pt Avg. Johnny Goodman, NIC 133-299 29-40 71 19.3 Jon Chatfield, CCS 120-240 51-72 50 17.9 Jan-Michael Thomas, WSU 89-193 61-70 72 16.4 Richie Frahm, GU 117-262 45-60 63 15.5 Shannon Taylor, EWU 93-250 40-55 65 15.3 Gordon Scott, UI 84-214 54-67 47 14.9 Jason Keep, NIC 119-186 42-103 0 14.7 Greg Jones, Whwth 86-162 68-92 18 14.3 Chris Crosby, WSU 95-232 56-66 38 14.2 Avery Curry, UI 84-250 48-78 32 13.8 Kojo Mensah-Bonsu, WSU 93-208 85-138 0 13.6 Tyler Jordan, Whwth 80-155 46-57 36 13.4 James Kiger, CCS 105-231 33-44 14 12.8 Chris Allen, CCS 81-168 55-73 25 12.8 Nick Bemis, CCS 51-130 17-28 41 12.1

REBOUNDING Casey Calvary, GU, 7.9 (165); Goodman, NIC, 7.5 (142); Keep, NIC, 7.5 (142); Battee, NIC, 6.5 (124); Mensah-Bonsu, WSU, 6.3 (127).

ASSISTS Chris Allen, CCS, 5.6 (111); Santangelo, GU, 5.1 (111); Deon Williams, EWU, 4.8 (92); Curry, UI, 4.6 (83); Battee, NIC, 4.3 (79).

STEALS Jordan, Whwth, 2.2 (40); Mensah-Bonsu, WSU, 1.8 (36); Mike Bush, WSU, 1.8 (35); Goodman, NIC, 1.8 (35); Allen, CCS, 1.8 (36); Julian Nakanishi, Whwth, 1.8 (32); Curry, UI, 1.8 (32).

SCHEDULE Thursday: Arizona State at WSU, 7 p.m.; Gonzaga at San Diego, 7 p.m.; Portland State at EWU, 7:05 p.m.; Dixie at NIC, 7:30 p.m.; Iona at Idaho, 9 p.m. Friday: Whitworth at George Fox, 8 p.m. Saturday: Arizona at WSU, 3 p.m.; Idaho at North Texas, 5:35 p.m.; Gonzaga at St. Mary’s, 7:30 p.m.; Snow at NIC, 7:30 p.m.; Blue Mountain vs. CCS at SCC, 8 p.m.; Whitworth at Pacific, 8 p.m. Monday: Idaho at New Mexico State, 6:05 p.m.