Big Sky contenders clash when Eastern Washington travels to Weber State
Riding a five-game winning streak, the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team has a chance to distance itself from a Big Sky rival on Thursday night in Ogden, Utah.
Weber State, the preseason favorite to win the conference, is 2-2 in conference play, 1½ games behind first-place Eastern Washington (9-7, 3-0).
“If we can go get this win, it’d be the best win of the season (so far),” EWU head coach David Riley said.
Aside from the Eagles, Montana State (8-9, 3-1) and Northern Colorado (9-7, 2-1) are the only other Big Sky teams with winning conference records, about one-fifth of the way through conference play.
Eastern has won six of its past seven against Weber State, including a sweep of their matchups last season when the Eagles won the regular-season Big Sky championship but lost in the postseason tournament.
After winning its first two conference games by a combined 52 points over Montana and Montana State, Weber State lost both games last week, by two points to Sacramento State and by three to Portland State. Those are teams Eastern beat by 20-plus points earlier this season.
But the Wildcats boast an experienced roster that isn’t much different from the team that gave Eastern two good games a year ago.
“They’ve got a really veteran group and a lot of guys who can win games for them,” Riley said. “They’ve won in a variety of ways.”
Junior Dillon Jones, the Big Sky Player of the Week five times this season, ranks second in the conference in scoring (19.3 points per game), first in rebounding (9.8) and second in assists (4.9).
But the Wildcats also have the best scoring defense (62.8 points per game) in the conference, the second-lowest opponent field-goal percentage (43.3%, behind Eastern’s 42.7%) and the best turnover margin (plus-2.88).
Weber State (11-6 overall) also beat No. 23 Saint Mary’s 61-57 on Nov. 12 and defeated Yale 75-65 in overtime six days later.
Eastern will counter with arguably the deepest roster in the Big Sky. Six Eagles players are averaging at least 9.9 points per game, and two true freshmen – Mason Williams and Sebastian Hartmann – have made significant scoring and defensive contributions.
Williams made 3 of 4 3-pointers and scored 11 points off the bench in Eastern’s 79-58 win at Idaho on Saturday.
“The shot-making is what stands out to everybody,” Riley said about Williams. “I’ve always known he would score. But he’s taken what (point guard) Ellis (Magnuson) has done.
“He’s pressuring the ball and learning offensively. With our system, you really have to be a student of the game.”
Another important aspect of Eastern’s game this year has been its 3-point shooting. After losing Steele Venters and Angelo Allegri – arguably the two best shooters on the West Coast last year, Riley said – the Eagles have managed to improve their overall 3-point percentage, from 35.8% to 38.1% this season. That’s 25th best in the nation.
The fact that so many Eagles players are capable of hitting 3-pointers – seven have made at least nine 3s this season – makes the Eagles harder to defend, Riley said.
“I think it makes us really hard to scout,” Riley said. “That’s just the overall firepower (we have).”
Eastern will play at Idaho State (6-11, 1-3) at 5 p.m. Saturday before returning home next week to play Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona (7-10, 0-3).