Eastern Washington holds off Montana; Eagles start 6-0 in Big Sky Conference play for first time

It wasn’t the sort of up-and-down basketball game on which Eastern Washington has built its winning streak, but the Eagles’ victory over the Montana Grizzlies on Monday night demonstrated that they can win another way: with toughness.

Unable to score much inside all game, Eastern got key baskets late and held Montana scoreless in the final two minutes of a 64-57 college basketball victory at Reese Court in Cheney, the Eagles’ second win over the Grizzlies so far this season.

“When we went into halftime, that was all we preached: toughness, toughness, toughness, because that’s what (Montana’s) coach preached,” EWU sophomore Cedric Coward said. “We’ve got to out-physical teams and be tougher than everybody we play so (that) that’s just in our identity. It changed in the second half.”

Coward was instrumental in securing Eastern’s victory, which pushed it to 6-0 in Big Sky play for the first time. First, Coward blocked a driving shot by Montana forward Josh Bannan with 1:33 to go to preserve what was then a two-point Eagles’ lead.

Tyreese Davis missed a layup on Eastern’s next possession, but Coward was there to put it back for 2 with 1:07 left to make the score 61-57.

The next time down, Bannan attacked the basket again, and again Coward blocked his shot.

“We’ve been preaching all week that he’s their main guy,” Coward said of Bannan, who scored 17 points. “I knew what he wanted to do, what his go-to moves were because of all the scouting and preparation we did for this game.

“Nobody’s intimidating. He laces up his shoes just like I do. We went out there and I low-key used my instincts, but also used what I’ve been preparing for.”

After Coward’s block, Angelo Allegri secured the loose ball, got fouled and made two free throws. On Montana’s next possession Coward stole a pass to tidy up the victory.

Coward finished with eight points on 3-of-3 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and added two steals and three blocks.

The Eagles (12-7, 6-0) trailed most of the first half, slowed and stymied offensively by the Grizzlies (9-10, 3-4). Eastern shot 34.6% in the first half – well off its season average of 47.7% – and trailed at halftime, 28-27, for the first time since the last time they played Montana on Dec. 29, five games ago.

“Montana had a great gameplan,” EWU coach David Riley said. “They really broke our rhythm and forced us to get stagnant early in the game.”

While Steele Venters, the Eagles’ leading scorer, eventually got to double figures and finished with 11 points, his shooting wasn’t the major catalyst for Eastern’s comeback. Rather, it was the 3-point shooting of sophomores Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup – each of whom is 6-foot-10 – that did so.

About six minutes into the second half and with the shot clock winding down, Price tied the game at 32 with a 3 from the corner. Soon after, Erikstrup broke a 36-36 tie with a 3 from the top. Montana never led again.

Price finished with a team-high 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, and Erikstrup had eight points, including a 2-of-3 night from long range.

Eastern’s lead was never greater than eight, and Bannan’s 3-point play with 2:07 to go tied the game at 57. But those would be the Grizzlies’ last points.

Montana outscored Eastern 28-18 in the paint but got zero points from its bench. Grizzlies junior Dischon Thomas led all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

The Eagles shot almost exactly their season average in the second half and finished 40.8% from the field overall. They also made 15 of 18 free-throw attempts.

Now on an eight-game winning streak overall, Eastern will play at Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona this week before returning home at the end of the month to play Idaho State and Weber State.

“Our guys were so frustrated early in the season about not getting off to the start that we wanted to, but we all understood that at the end of the day, we’re a team that gets better,” Riley said. “… It’s great to get to the 6-0 start (in Big Sky play), but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”