Win and wait
Now comes the waiting – and waiting and waiting.
Eastern Washington took care of business Saturday night, closing out the regular season with an 80-72 men’s basketball win over Sacramento State before 3,089 fans at Reese Court.
But to make the Big Sky Conference tournament, the Eagles need some help in the next three days. They need Idaho State to lose twice.
“It’s really frustrating,” EWU senior forward Paul Butorac said after his 17-point, eight-rebound night. “It sucks when you have to rely on other people to get something. We always talk about controlling what we can control. Now we have to wait to see if we get in.”
The waiting sounds like it could be over as far as what the future holds for the best player in EWU history.
Though Rodney Stuckey said after the game he would talk to his family, an online report Friday said that Stuckey is headed for the NBA.
“I’ll probably declare for the draft and not sign with an agent to see how things fall,” Stuckey reportedly told Bill Trocchi of Sports Illustrated. “That’s the best way to do it.”
When asked about the comment after the game, Stuckey, who had 18 points, said he didn’t say that.
“I’m going to sit down with my family and see the situation,” he said. “But right now, I’m coming back.”
If Stuckey leaves and the Eagles (15-14 overall, 8-8 Big Sky) do not back into the conference tournament for the 10th straight year, the waiting might continue as conversation turns to the future of third-year head coach Mike Burns, who has two years left on his contract.
“Whether or not my job is secure is something that I can’t control,” said Burns, who is 38-49 at EWU, 22-22 in the Big Sky. “We’re 8-8 in a very tough league. This is the toughest the Big Sky has been since I’ve been here, and we’ve had three home games that we lost here under difficult, almost bizarre circumstances. The only thing I can control is to try and get the team ready to play and get the team ready to win and we did that this week.”
As for the possibility of losing Stuckey with two years of eligibility left, Burns said, “With the kind of attention he is receiving, if he has the opportunity to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft he has to seize it. Those opportunities don’t come along very often.
“If Rodney has a chance at being drafted in the first round, I think it’s something he has to pursue.”
Burns will give his players two days off and see what happens. Montana State (8-6 Big Sky), which swept EWU this season, plays Northern Arizona at home today and goes to Idaho State (7-7) Tuesday. ISU plays Montana on Monday.
Eastern’s third consecutive win, its longest string of success this season, wasn’t pretty.
Rest is justified after the physical battle with the Hornets (9-14, 4-11).
There were 54 fouls – 30 on Sacramento State – and 61 free throws, with EWU making 27 of 38. Both teams had 18 turnovers.
“You have to take your hat off to Sacramento State for their performance,” Burns said. “On one hand they didn’t have a lot to play for, but they played hard and made it a very, very difficult game for us to win. I’m proud of the effort our guys put forth”
Senior Neal Zumwalt, in his only start this season, banged down back-to-back 3-pointers in an 8-0 surge that gave the Eagles an 11-point lead. But the Hornets came back with eight points, including consecutive 3-pointers, and the battle was on.
The Eagles kept surging, the Hornets kept coming back. Sacramento State took a 66-65 lead with 6:06 to play, but Thursday night’s hero, Marc Hinton, nailed a 3-pointer from the left wing 17 seconds later to put EWU ahead for good.
Eastern Washington 80, Sacramento St. 72
Sacramento State (9-19, 4-11)—Roberts 1-5 3-4 5, Bausley 0-4 1-4 1, Hargrave 2-5 1-2 6, Ro.Adams 4-7 3-5 11, Groce 8-14 0-0 19, Harrison 1-2 1-2 3, Young 0-1 0-0 0, Alamo 2-7 4-4 8, Leath 6-13 0-0 16, Williams 1-4 0-0 2, Davis 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 25-62 14-23 72.
Eastern Washington (15-14, 8-8)—Risper 2-5 0-2 4, Butorac 8-11 1-1 17, Stuckey 4-13 10-14 18, Humphrey 0-1 1-2 1, Zumwalt 2-4 2-2 8, Hinton 3-6 2-3 9, Krayem 0-1 0-0 0, Penoncello 0-3 5-6 5, Williams 1-3 2-2 4, Taylor 0-3 1-2 1, Moore 5-8 3-4 13. Totals 25-58 27-38 80.
Halftime—Eastern Washington 39, Sacramento State 36. 3-point goals—Sacramento State 8-21 (Leath 4-8, Groce 3-7, Hargrave 1-4, Bausley 0-2), Eastern Washington 3-12 (Zumwalt 2-4, Hinton 1-2, Taylor 0-1, Penoncello 0-2, Stuckey 0-3). Fouled out—Alamo, Roberts. Rebounds—Sacramento State 36 (Alamo 6), Eastern Washington 47 (Risper 11). Assists—Sacramento State 12 (Hargrave 4), Eastern Washington 16 (Stuckey 4). Total fouls—Sacramento State 30, Eastern Washington 24. A—3,089.