Idaho snaps EWU’s eight-game winning streak as both teams turn to Big Sky tourney: ‘We’ll get it back’
As the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team retreated to its locker room on Monday, the other results around the Big Sky Conference made it easier for the Eagles to digest their 85-81 home loss to Idaho in the regular season finale.
Even if the Eagles had finished a comeback against the Vandals at Reese Court in Cheney, they still would have ended up as the No. 3 seed in next week’s Big Sky Tournament.
Through that lens, then, the Eagles were grateful that their shortcomings on this night spelled only the end of their eight-game winning streak – not the end of their season.
“I think we exposed our soft underbelly. Coach (Dan Monson) likes to use that term,” EWU senior guard Jojo Anderson said. “I honestly think this is great for us. I’m kind of a cup-half-full kind of guy, like it’s going to be good for us in the end.”
A lot went well for the Eagles. Senior guard Isaiah Moses scored 28 points, junior Alton Hamilton IV added 20, and Anderson added 15.
But they were outrebounded 30-28, and the Vandals grabbed 15 offensive rebounds – tied for the most by any of Eastern’s previous opponents – that led to 25 second-chance points. That was the doom of the Eagles, especially down the stretch.
“We didn’t have the edge we’ve had in these other eight games,” Monson said. “We outrebounded them at their place significantly (+12 in January), and I think this was a great game for us, because if we go in and have guys who think it’s going to be easy in Boise, we’re going to be out of there in a day.”
“I think this got their attention,” Monson said. “We’ll get it back.”
Eastern (13-18, 11-7 Big Sky) led early, 9-3, but then Idaho got on a roll and led most of the game. The Vandals (17-14, 9-9) shot better from 3-point range (14 of 29) than they did from 2 (16 of 34), and they had 11 shots blocked by the Eagles, for whom the total was a season-high.
But because of all those offensive rebounds, the Vandals attempted 13 more shots than the Eagles (they were 27 of 50 from the field), and Eastern’s 21-for-29 night at the free-throw line couldn’t compensate.
Still, the Eagles stormed back in the second half. Trailing by as many as 11 points, EWU retook a 63-62 lead when Moses made a pair of free throws with 5 minutes, 51 seconds remaining.
But after that, Idaho made four more 3-pointers, including two that came on second chances. That was enough to regain the lead and keep the Eagles at bay.
Moses had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but he missed an off-balance 3 in the corner, and the Vandals closed it out at the free-throw line.
Idaho will be the No. 7 seed in the Big Sky Tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise and will play No. 8 seed Sacramento State at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Eastern, the No. 3 seed, won’t play until 7 p.m. Monday against No. 6 seed Weber State (16-15, 10-8).
Portland State, which had lost two straight, closed out the regular season with a victory over Weber State to give the Vikings (19-10, 13-5) the Big Sky regular season title and the No. 1 seed in Boise. Montana State (18-13, 12-6) will be the No. 2 seed, awaiting the Idaho/Sacramento State winner.
Monday’s game was the last one at Reese Court for Moses, one of the seven seniors honored by the Eagles beforehand.
“I am very thankful I got here,” said Moses, who transferred to Eastern before this season. “It’s been a long ride for me. I am so blessed to be able to end it in a spot where there is so much love and so much support.”