MEN’S BASKETBALL
Eastern’s Bliznyuk is Big Sky Player of the Week
After a 30-point effort in one game and a near triple-double in another, Eastern Washington University men’s basketball player Bogdan Bliznyuk has been selected as the Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Ready Nutrition Player of the Week announced Dec. 19.
It’s the first time this season and third time in his career the native of Lutsk, Ukraine, has been honored. He is a 2014 graduate of Todd Beamer High School and was the league’s Freshman of the Year in 2014-15 and a second-team All-District 6 and All-Big Sky selection a year ago.
In two games — including an overtime loss at Wyoming and a 28-point NCAA Division I home win, the Big Sky Player of the Year candidate averaged 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He made 50 percent of his shots overall (15-of-30) and from the 3-point arc (4-of-8), and also made 12-of-15 free throws for 80 percent.
“Bogdan has been the personification of what we want our EWU program to look like,” Eastern head coach Shantay Legans said. “He is the perfect student-athlete and deserves all the accolades he is getting. He shows that hard work and determination pays off.”
In his most recent game – an 86-58 win over CSUN – Bliznyuk nearly had the second triple-double of his career. He finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Matadors never led.
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FOOTBALL
Pair of Eagles on All-American team for underclassman
A pair of Eastern Washington University players from the 2017 football team have been selected as NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-Americans in their respective classes by Hero Sports.
True freshman Anfernee Gurley was picked as a first team freshman All-America selection after a stellar first season on special teams and defense for the Eagles. Running back Antoine Custer Jr. earned honorable mention on the Hero Sports Sophomore All-America squad.
Gurley closed his first season as an Eagle by earning third team All-Big Sky Conference honors as a special teams standout. He is from Everett, Wash., and graduated from Archbishop Murphy High School in 2017.
Gurley, who just over a year ago was leading his high school team to the state 2A championship, closed his debut season with 37 tackles, three passes broken up and two forced fumbles. He was a force on special teams and played as a backup defensive back.
Custer was a second team All-Big Sky selection, is from Berkeley, Calif., and a 2016 graduate of football powerhouse De La Salle High School.
Custer had 177 yards rushing and three touchdowns in his last game of the season versus Portland State, and finished 42nd in FCS and fifth in the Big Sky with an average of 70.5 yards per game (776 total). His 10 rushing touchdowns ranked him 20th in FCS and third in the league.
He helped Eastern rank sixth in FCS in total offense (476.7) in the 2017 season, and was also seventh in FCS in passing (320.5 per game), 20th in scoring (34.5) and 10th in third down conversions (46.1 percent).
Eastern finished the season 7-4 overall and in a tie for third in the Big Sky Conference with a 6-2 record.
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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Women’s basketball topped by Saint Mary’s
The Eastern Washington women’s basketball team dropped the second contest of the Traveler’s Invitational to Saint Mary’s on Dec. 18 in West Lafayette, Ind..
The Gaels, who are ranked at No. 16 in the latest Mid Major Poll and come in at 54 in the NCAA RPI, shot 45 percent compared to the Eagles’ 33 percent, taking the contest 76-56.
“Saint Mary’s is a really good basketball team. I thought we gave a great effort today and we did things better offensively, but we still didn’t show the consistency we need to win against a quality team like they are,” head coach Wendy Schuller said.
Delaney Hodgins led the team with 21 points, followed by Symone Starks who had 12.
Eastern, 4-8, and which fell to host Purdue in the opener, 65-40, wrapped up nonconference Dec. 20 meeting the University of Tennessee-Martin in the final game of the tournament.
Big Sky Conference play begins at Reese Court on Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. against Northern Colorado.
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FOOTBALL
Hunter moves to B.C. Lions
The Edmonton Eskimos announced that scout and former Eastern Washington University assistant coach Torey Hunter has accepted the position of director of player personnel and player development with the B.C. Lions.
A graduate of Washington State and a draft selection of the Houston Oilers, Hunter played defensive back with both the Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes before moving into the college coaching ranks in 2002. He also served on coaching staffs at Western Washington, Idaho State, Central Washington and Idaho.
Hunter joined the Eskimos in 2014.
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