Put-up or shut-up time for Eastern Washington
The task ahead of the Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team is simple: Win two games and move on to the Big Sky Conference Tournament.
That, however, is easier said than done.
The Eagles close the regular season with the Montana trip, playing in Missoula tonight and Bozeman on Saturday.
“All you have to do is go back and scroll through the records to find out how often that trip is not swept,” Eagles coach Mike Burns said. “But we’ve got to treat both of these games as though they’re loser-out playoff games because they very much have the potential to be that. We’re going to have to bring a focus and energy level that reflects the importance of the games.”
Eastern swept the Grizzlies and Bobcats on the road last year, but obviously those Eagles, a team that won the conference title by four games on the way to the NCAA Tournament, are far different from this team that is 5-7 in Big Sky play and 8-17 overall.
EWU also swept in 2002 in the midst of a four-year rnu as a conference runner-up setting up last year’s breakthrough, but prior to that it was 1990.
Eastern has had more recent success in Missoula, beating the Griz four straight, the last two by a total of 29 points. Bozeman is another matter. EWU won in 2000, 2002 and 2004 by a total of 10 points.
The Eagles do have some wiggle room. They are a game ahead of Northern Arizona for the sixth and final spot in the tourney. However, the two remaining games for the Lumberjacks (11-15, 4-8) are at home, Saturday against Sacramento State and Monday against Montana.
The strange schedule that disrupts traditional scoreboard watching is a result of NAU playing an ESPN Bracket Buster last Saturday in Tulsa, Okla., forcing the Grizzly game to be moved.
“That’s really unfortunate for those that are competing against NAU for a potential playoff spot,” Burns said. “Montana is going to be forced to play two games and then fly to Flagstaff, which is probably the toughest travel in our league and play a third game in five days.
“I know we have the issue of the Bracket Buster … it is what it is, but it is unfortunate that somebody’s playoff fate could be determined by a game that is played on a day and a fashion that is unfamiliar to all of those participating.”
Overall there are 128 different ways the tourney pairings can shake down. It is possible for Eastern to finish as high as third with a sweep and host a first-round game on March 5.
Portland State has a first-round bye secured and will probably host the final four. Montana State, Weber State and Sacramento State are in, and Idaho State is out after a 77-35 drubbing in Cheney last weekend.
Eastern would not be in this position if recent games against Montana and Weber State at home, and at Portland State hadn’t slipped away in the closing minutes.
“It is very hard to let go, but you have to let go because there’s nothing you can do about what happened in the past except try to learn from it and prevent it from occurring again,” Burns said. “I think we’ve taken a step in that direction. We have to have that same approach this weekend. We have a great opportunity … we have to give an effort that reflects that. I think our guys will. There are a lot of positives that came out of Saturday night and we carry those on the road this weekend.”