Eagles rally again to win Big Sky championship

Exam week came a few days early for the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team and they aced all three of their huge tests.

While other students - including the Eagle basketball players - were engaged in "finals" for winter quarter classes earlier this week, Eastern found different ways to win three games in the Big Sky Conference tournament and earn their passing grade.

The reward: Eastern's first NCAA Tournament berth in 11 years following wins over Idaho, 91-83 March 12, Sacramento State by the same 91-83 score the following night, and capped with a 69-65 win over host Montana Saturday, March 14 on their home court at rocking Dahlberg Arena.

The win over the Grizzlies, Eastern's fifth straight on the road, rewarded the Eagles (25-8) a No. 13 seed and a first-round contest tonight, March 19, at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. versus Georgetown University (22-10) of Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. The Hoyas are the No. 4 seed in the South Region and the winner faces either Utah or Stephen F. Austin Saturday, March 21.

In a season where success was defined by Eastern's ability to make huge comebacks of 18 points each against Idaho and Weber State in conference play, wins that ultimately delivered them a share of the Big Sky title, their rally in Missoula was from a mere 11 points.

But it came in just the final six minutes of the game where Eastern stunned most of the crowd of 7,026 and outscored Montana 21-6 in that seemingly brief stretch.

That final Eagle rally came after Montana broke a 42-all tie with their own 17-4 run - the first 13 of his 18 total points coming from Grizzlies' senior Brett Weisner - that put Montana ahead 59-48 with 6 minutes, 15 seconds remaining.

"We were down 11 and looked dead in the water," EWU head coach Jim Hayford said. "We called timeout, but we've been there before. I said, 'let's do this – let's play to win. Let's put the pressure on them and start playing not to lose.'"

Then, buoyed in part by a reported impassioned speech during that break by Venky Jois, Eastern went to work.

Tourney MVP Tyler Harvey scored eight of his team-high 18 points. His 3-point shot with 43 seconds to play made it a two-possession game. Drew Brandon (16 points) added six more, including the basket with 1:33 left that gave EWU the lead for good. His two free throws with six seconds to play sealed the win.

Jois only had eight points but four of those came in this stretch. It was Felix Von Hofe's 3-pointer with 2:10 to play that gave the Eagles their first lead in over 11 minutes.

The Big Sky Conference's Freshman of the Year, Bogdan Bliznyuk, was the third Eagle in double figures with 13 points. Montana's Martin Breunig led all scorers in the game with 23 points.

Eastern entered the game among the NCAA Division I leaders in 3-point baskets at 40 percent, scoring an average of 10 per game. They were just 4 of 18 for 22.2 percent, but made up for it by making 20 of 36 2-pointers.

Saturday's test was just the final of a tedious series of pass at all costs exams.

It began last Thursday, March 12 with the win over Idaho in which the Eagles' Tyler Harvey scored a career-high, Big Sky Tournament and Dahlberg Arena record-tying 42 points. And it continued the following night as Felix Von Hofe came off the bench to score his career-high 23 points in the victory against No. 3 seed, Sacramento State.

Idaho

Harvey tied the Big Sky Conference Tournament record with his 42 points. Ognjen Miljkovic had 13 points while Jois added his fifth-straight double-double (10 points, 14 rebounds). Connor Hill had 23 to lead Idaho.

"He had an amazing performance - we have a very special player in Tyler Harvey," Hayford said of the leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball.

Trailing 73-70 with 5:18 to play in the game, Eastern held the Vandals without a field goal for the next 4:19 leading to a 15-2 Eagle run that gave them an 85-75 lead they never relinquished.

Sacramento State

After Harvey torched Idaho the day before, the Hornets held him to just nine points. But Eastern had other weapons.

Sophomore bench player Von Hofe finished 8 of 10 from the field and 7 of 8 from the 3-point range for 23. Jois added 19 and Bliznyuk finished with 16. Parker Kelly chipped in 11 points and in the process went over the 1,000-point mark in his career.

With the game tied at four early, Eastern went on an 11-0 run. In one stretch the Eagles made 16-of-17 shots from the field, including seven of its last eight in the first half and their first nine of the second half.

"Felix was unbelievable," Hayford said. "I'm not surprised - he's a world-class shooter."

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.