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Eastern Washington University Basketball

Shooting woes doom Eastern Washington in NIT loss to Oklahoma State

From staff reports

From staff reports

STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Eastern Washington had one of its worst shooting games of the season while Oklahoma State had one of its best, and the Cowboys eliminated the Eagles from the National Invitation Tournament with a 71-60 victory Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

The Eagles made 22 of 57 shots (38.6%), their fourth-worst percentage of the season. Big Sky Conference MVP Steele Venters scored just two points, a season low, making 1 of 10 shots and 0 of 8 3-pointers against an OSU defense that ranks No. 1 in the Big 12 in opponent field-goal percentage (39.7%).

“Offensively, we didn’t make shots,” EWU coach David Riley said in a postgame radio interview. “Oklahoma State had a lot to do with that. They’re one of the best defensive teams in the country. … (But) to win a game like this, you’ve got to make some shots.”

The Cowboys, meanwhile, made 48% of their shots overall and 11 of 24 3-pointers, their third-best percentage (46%) from that range this season. Junior Bryce Thompson scored 22 points – his second-best total of the year – and made 6 of 11 3s.

“We wanted to make them beat us on the outside,” Riley said, “and that’s exactly what they did.”

Eastern Washington led 18-17 midway through the first half and trailed 30-28 with 2 minutes left before halftime. But OSU ended the half on a 9-2 run on a trio of 3s by Thompson, Caleb Asberry and Quion Williams, and the Cowboys led 39-30 at half.

They scored the first six points after halftime, and while the Eagles used a 7-0 run to draw back within eight points, 45-37 – and then later got within six, 52-46 – they never again led or got within a possession of the Cowboys.

Eastern Washington guard Angelo Allegri reacts during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sunday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  (Courtesy of EWU Athletics)
Eastern Washington guard Angelo Allegri reacts during a game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sunday in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Courtesy of EWU Athletics)

In his final college game, senior Angelo Allegri led the Eagles with 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He also had five rebounds and three of the Eagles’ 10 steals, their second-highest total of the season.

Sophomore Dane Erikstrup sparked the Eagles off the bench with 14 points, making 6 of 12 shots (including 2 of 5 3-pointers). Sophomore Cedric Coward had a team-high nine rebounds.

The Eagles were outrebounded 38-31 by a Cowboys team that led the Big 12 in rebounding margin this season. Eastern still managed to score 24 points in the paint, but sophomore post Ethan Price had trouble finding space inside and was held scoreless (0-for-5 shooting) for the first time this season.

Tyreek Smith, OSU’s 6-foot-9 junior post, had 11 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double in as many games following a 13-point, 12-rebound effort in the Cowboys’ NIT opener against Youngstown State. With this victory, OSU (20-15) advanced to the NIT quarterfinals.

After winning a game in the NIT for the first time ever, Eastern ends the season with a 23-11 overall record, having won a regular-season Big Sky championship and more than 20 games for the fifth time in program history.

“The talk in the locker room after the game was very, very brief about this game in particular. We played a good team and lost,” Riley said. “But what these guys have done throughout this season, I can’t tell them enough.”