PointGuard

Don Watson, player: DW: Hey, Coach, can I have a moment of your time? BV: Sure Don, come on into my office. What’s up? DW: Well it’s this way. I accepted redshirting this year because I felt that it would allow me to remain a freshman for eligibility while giving me an opportunity to become a starter next year. But seeing how Joe and Delawn improved this year and how you began to depend upon them at the 3, it looks like I will not get much playing time this coming season. I know that college ball will be my last hurrah in basketball, so I want to start and get as much playing time as possible. I just don’t think that’s going to happen here, Coach. So, I want permission to transfer. BV: This is a real surprise, Don. I would like to have you back next year and no one’s been locked in as a starter next year. You got to know our system this year and you might get more playing time than you expect. And you know, if you transfer, you will have to sit out a year. DW: Yeah, maybe, but I’m from Western Washington. My folks and other family members and friends live in or near Renton. I’d like to transfer to the University of Puget Sound. Since it’s located in Tacoma, my family can come to the games. Also it’s Division III, so I can avoid having to sit out, play next year, and because of the difference in level of play, I think I will start for them right away and for my entire 4 years of eligibility. BV: Again Don, I’d really like you to stick with us. But if this is really something you’ve set your mind to, I won’t stand in your way. I tend to agree with you that you will get a lot of time on the court for the Loggers. But I’d suggest you think this over for a few days, maybe talk it over with the assistant coaches and Swede. I think they all will have some valuable input for you. You have my permission to talk with the people at Puget Sound also. DW: OK, Coach. I appreciate you agreeing to allow me to do this. I will talk with those guys and let you know quickly, since I know you will need to fill my scholarship and there’s not much time left to do that. TWO DAYS LATER: DW: Coach, it’s been good being here and getting to know you and the guys here, but I really want to start right away. So I’ve made my decision to transfer to the University of Puget Sound.

NCAA Tournament—Round 1 Oklahoma-71, North Dakota-57 [Anthony Roland-22 pts]

NCAA Tournament Selection Show: #1 Seeds: Missouri, Michigan, North Carolina, UCLA. North Dakota is the #12 seed in the Boise Regional and will play #5 seed Oklahoma.

Jack Cooper, Barber: EWU basketball was a main topic of discussion this year in my shop. Early in the season, many of my customers were doubting the wisdom of hiring an inexperienced coach, then some got down on him after all the bad media publicity. But their attitudes changed with the team began winning regularly and moving up in the Big Sky standings. Coach V and many of his players are also my customers, so that has helped my business by drawing in other people as well. And I was really surprised and happy when Coach V invited me to the team BBQ party a few weeks before the end of the season. The guy is a prince of a fellow. Not only that, he has a great looking haircut.

Meaghan Kriley, Spokane Spokesman-Review Columnist: Eastern Washington University’s basketball team just completed a down, then up season. After going 2-9 in pre-conference play and then splitting their first 6 games in the Big Sky, they went on to win their last 8 of 10 in the Big Sky and finish in 2nd place in the conference. Since the Eagles had been picked to finish near the bottom in the conference, the rarefied air near the top of the conference was an unexpected surprise for most everyone that follows Big Sky basketball. The Eagles then went on to win their first two games in the conference tournament which put them into the championship game. The Cinderella Eagles came up against the tolling of midnight as they lost to North Dakota. While their 15-15 record created excitement for Eagles fans (who had become used to lackluster seasons), it wasn’t good enough to get into the NIT or CBI tournament and their season ended. Catching up with Coach Bret Vandergard after the Eagles final game, he expressed appreciation for how his players had developed and optimism for the upcoming year. “All of our players will be returning next year. Their experience and improvement this year definitely gives us a leg up next year,” said Vandergard. In response to what he felt were the strengths of his team, Vandergard went on to say, “We have six interior players who I can bring into games and get good solid play offensively, on the boards, and defensively. We got some good shooting from our perimeter players. Now we just have to get them to become more aggressive on the offensive end of the court. While we may not have the natural talent of some players on other teams, we certainly have the heart.” When asked what he felt were weaknesses, Vandergard offered, “Turnovers were a big problem for us this season, so that’s an area we need to work on next year. And since many of our players were inexperienced, we got called for some careless fouls, but I think the guys will cut down on those mistakes next year. Overall our defense was not as strong as what I would like, but we had some good games defensively, so I know the guys can play it. They just need to focus more on it.” Since the team finished in 2nd place in the Big Sky, does Vandergard anticipate a championship next year? He replied, “There are too many uncertainties and unknowns to know how we will do. Other teams have also developed this year and could challenge for supremacy. But I’m happy with the players we have and look forward to working with them next year.”

Top 10 Nationally--Final Media Poll

Eastern Washington Eagles Player Stats for 2013-2014 Season __________________

Big Sky Conference Championship KSPK,Radio Play-by-Play: Game #30, Mar. 6, 2014: Eastern Washington Eagles (15-14, 11-5) vs North Dakota Fightin’ Sioux (22-8, 13-3) This is your Eastern Washington Eagles radio station, KSPK, bringing you the Big Sky Championship game. North Dakota’s Fightin’ Sioux take on YOUR Eastern Washington University Eagles! This is Brad Thomas along with Skip Nyland and we’ll be bringing you every minute of exciting basketball action. The Eagles have definitely surprised lots of people this year, Skip. And they beat this same team 72-50, playing on the Fightin’ Sioux’s home court. What do you think are the keys for the Eagles tonight, Skip? Well, Brad, the Eagles play best when they play tight D. And if they can get the same sort of inside play they had last night, they’ll be tough to beat. Hopefully they can get some outside shooting to go along with the play of their big men. The big problem for the Eagles all season has been turnovers. They need to control the ball. North Dakota didn’t win 21 games this season by being patsies. SG Doug Coulibaly can catch fire, so the Eagles need to contain him. And you know that North Dakota isn’t coming into this game over-confident and will want some revenge for the way the Eagles beat them in their previous game. OK, Skip, it’s time for the tip off. The tip goes to North Dakota. Nurse brings it past center court and passes to Bohm at the foul line. Palmer is right on Bohm as the Eagles start out with man-to-man. Bohm feeds it out to Coulibaly on the left side who puts up a 3. It’s off the rim. Tipped out of bounds by North Dakota. Eagles ball… …Oh man, the refs call Tim Dove for his 2nd foul. The point guard will go to the bench with 16:10 to play in the first half…bad break for the Eagles who are leading 4-3. Vandergard sends in Taflinger to replace Dove. Coach V is all over the refs…gotta watch out he doesn’t pick up an early T. …Another miss by the Eagles. They’re stone cold from the field, hitting just 1 of their first 11 shots and trailing 12-5. …The refs must have bought new whistles before this game and want to break them in. That’s the 10th team foul against the Eagles and Delawn West becomes the 3rd Eagles’ player with 2 fouls. He heads to the bench to join point guards Dove and Taflinger…and Travis Dawson comes off the bench with 7:56 left in the half. Regis sinks both shots for the Fightin’ Sioux to give them a 23-15 lead. …With 6:13 on the clock, center Joseph Palmer is called for his 2nd foul. Michael Taylor comes in for him. Graham drops in the first, the second shot is good also and the Eagles trail 29-17. …Now it’s Robisch, the 3rd point guard for the Eagles to be charged with 2 fouls. It looks like Coach Vandergard is going to have to bring back in Tim Dove and hope he doesn’t pick up another foul. Regis sinks two more free throws to give North Dakota a 32-19 lead with 4:40 left. Half of North Dakota’s points have come from the line. …Dove passes inside to Taylor. He can’t get free and tosses it back outside to Jackson. Jackson fakes a drive, steps back and fires up a 3 that’s GOOD! And the Eagles cut the deficit to 34-30 with a minute left in the half. …The half ends with Eastern Washington trailing by just 2 points, 34-32. They made a big comeback in the final 4 minutes to make this anybody’s game. The Eagles surprisingly have a 10-5 turnover advantage but they’ve been weak on the boards, being out-rebounded 17-8. Shawn Jackson has 9 points to lead their scoring. …Dove dishes the ball inside near the basket to Joseph, who puts a shot up over Jeppson. It drops in and he’s fouled. He goes to the line and drops in the shot to tie the game at 38-38 with 16 minutes to go. …Bohm’s 6-footer misses but he’s fouled by Palmer. Joseph Palmer will join Tim Dove on the bench with 4 personals apiece. Bohm rattles in both shots to give North Dakota a 50-40 lead with 11:22 remaining. The Eagles need to avoid fouling, and start shooting and rebounding better if they want a chance to win. …The buzzer sounds to end the game. The refs took the Eagles out of the game and then they fell apart in the latter stages, shooting poorly and making numerous turnovers. North Dakota wins the Big Sky Championship by beating the Eagles 74-55. That will end the Eagles season since their only chance to go to a post-season tournament was to win the Big Sky Championship. Final Score: North Dakota (22-8, 13-3)-74, Eastern Washington (15-15, 11-5)-55. Eastern Washington’s leading players: Shawn Jackson-11 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist, 2 steals; PG Tim Dove-8 pts, 1 reb, 1 steal; SF Joe Blackwell-7 pts, 4 reb, 1 steal. Player of the Game: North Dakota’s PG Joe Nurse-14 pts, 8 reb, 3 assists.

Big Sky Conference Tournament-Semi-Finals North Dakota (21-8, 13-3)-79, Idaho State (15-15, 5-11)-68 [Matt Vaughn-24 pts] Corky Branigan, KSPK,Radio Commentator: Game #29, Mar. 5, 2014: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (17-12, 10-6) vs Eastern Washington Eagles (14-14, 11-5) CB: OK, sportsfans, the Eastern Washington Eagles continue to surprise most everyone. After going 2-9 in pre-conference play and looking dead-on-arrival going into Big Sky play, they turned things around, finishing 2nd in the conference. Now they’ve won 2 games in the Big Sky tourny and are playing for the championship tomorrow night against the tough North Dakota Fightin’ Sioux. The phones are open. What do you think about this team? How do you think they are going to do tomorrow night? What do you think caused the turn-around? The first caller is Jay. What’s your thoughts about the Eagles, Jay? Jay: Hey Corkster, good talkin’ with ya. Ya know this team is ON FIRE! And they BEAT DOWN the Fightin’ Sioux when they played them IN North Dakota! The media all over them and their coach and they go out and simply kick butt, man! CB: So what do you think made the difference for them, Jay? Jay: I think it was all the bad press they were getting and Jim Rome’s put down of their coach. Must’ve got them all riled up, Corkster. CB: OK, let’s go to our next caller. Let’s see, it’s Ralph the Mouth from Spokane. Heya, Mouth, whatcha got to say to me tonight? Ralph the Mouth: I’m still not sold on this team. They got no leader. I think the Big Sky just sucks this year and they fell into some wins. And I’m no worshipper of Vandergard either. Too many stories coming out about that guy. Some of ‘em gotta be true, Corky. I think he’s got a lot of skeletons in his closet. I’m picking North Dakota to beat up on the Eagles, 81-58. CB: Wow, Ralph, that’s harsh. Are you saying their win against the Fightin’ Sioux was a fluke? Ralph the Mouth: Nah, but sometimes you get lucky…or the other team just has an off night. But I don’t see EWU being able to do it again. No way! CB: Well, everyone has an opinion I guess. Thanks Ralph, always good talking with you. Let’s see what others have to say, though. We have Piranha on the line. Talk to us, Piranha. Piranha: Uh, am I one the radio now? CB: Yes, man…go ahead. Piranha: Oh, OK, how you doing Corky? CB: Great man, what do you think of the Eagles? Piranha: Uhh, welllll, I don’t agree with the previous caller. I think Coach Vandergard has done a phenomenal job with this team. Nobody thought there were any good at the beginning of the year. It took Coach V the entire pre-conference season to get them straightened out and playing as a team. He’s got a bunch of no-names who he’s got playing together as a close-knit unit. Hell, they don’t win 10 out of the last 12 games with a group everybody said had no talent unless the Coach and his staff create some magic. I’d like to see them win tomorrow night and go to the Big Dance, but even if they don’t, you have to give Vandergard and this team a lot of credit for pulling it all together. CB: Yeah, Piranha, I sorta think that way too. JB’s waiting to put in his two cents. Hey there, JB, thanks for calling in. JB: I’m a first time caller, Corky. Didn’t think I ever would call into a radio station. But the way the Eagles played tonight really got me hyped up. They tore up Northern Arizona from the initial jump and just kept extending their lead. Damn, they had 44 of their 77 points in the paint. Palmer and Davis were just phenomenal tonight, combining for 43 points. And another big man, Odie Joseph, added 12. And not only that they just completely bludgeoned the Lumberjacks on the board…32 rebounds to 16…that’s unheard of! Palmer and Davis, I just can’t say enough about those two…they dropped in 16 of their 22 shots! And 11 of 14 from the line…not bad for big men. North Dakota had to be watching that and trying to figure out how they were going to stop those two. CB: Yeah, JB, this was one of the Eagles better games, alright. Hey, we have to pay some bills now, but thanks for the calls, guys.

Big Sky Conference Tournament-Day 2 North Dakota (20-8, 13-3)-77, Idaho (16-13, 6-10)-52 [Doug Coulibaly-20 pts] Northern Arizona (16-12, 10-6)-71, Southern Utah (16-14, 8-8)-59 [shannon Isenhour-15 pts] Idaho State (14-15, 5-11)-64, Northern Colorado (13-15, 9-7)-55 [Odie Garrett-24 pts] Spokane Spokesman-Review sports page story: Game #28, Mar. 4, 2014: Portland State Vikings (14-15, 7-9) vs Eastern Washington Eagles (13-14, 11-5) Eastern Washington’s Eagles applied a stout defense in their opening Big Sky Conference tournament game. Portland State could only convert 29% of their shots and 21% of their 3-point attempts. Eastern Washington hit 53% of their field goal attempts and out-rebounded the Vikings 32-28. The refs tagged Portland State with 24 fouls and the Eagles converted 30 of 37 free throw attempts. Eastern Washington jumped out on top and never trailed in this game. They held a 37-26 halftime advantage. Midway through the second half, they expanded their lead to 21 points, before coasting to a 63-50 victory. Joseph Palmer led the Eagles with a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds) and Shawn Jackson added 11 points. Brian Boone was high point man for the Vikings with 15 points. The Eagles’ win sets up a semi-final game against Northern Arizona tomorrow night. Final Score: Eastern Washington (14-14, 11-5)—63, Portland State (14-16, 7-9)—50. Eastern Washington’s leading players: C Joseph Palmer-14 pts, 11 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; SG Shawn Jackson-11 pts, 1 reb, 2 assists; PF Cory Davis-8 pts, 1 reb, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block; SF Joe Blackwell-7 pts, 5 reb, 1 assist. Player of the Game: C Joseph Palmer-14 pts, 11 reb, 1 steal, 1 block.

Big Sky Conference Tournament-Day 1 Idaho State (13-15, 5-11)-63, Weber State (10-17, 8-8)-61 [Matt Vaughn-21 pts] Southern Utah (15-14, 8-8)-67, Montana State (12-16, 6-10)-56 [Terry Minahan-9 pts, 3 reb, 2 assists, 4 steals, 1 block] Portland State (13-15, 7-9)-60, Sacramento State (10-18, 6-10)-50 [Austin Dunn-6 pts, 4 reb, 4 assists, 6 steals, 1 block] Idaho (15-13, 6-10)-57, Montana (12-16, 7-9)-54 [Damon Adams-12 pts, 9 reb]

Cue Marty Robbins, "I told Mary about her..." (Copied from posting by Wayne23 in the Wolverine Studios Forum)

Christine Rozniak, City Council member and realtor: CR: I just KNEW you could do it, Bret! If anyone could turn things around for Eastern Washington University basketball, I just KNEW it would be YOU! BV: (Chuckling) Thanks, Christine, but these things always are team efforts. My assistant coaches have been great and the players have responded well, and to be honest, we got a few good breaks also. CR: Well now that you’re between conference play and the conference tournament, you’ve got some free time and more time for ME. Let’s go out tonight and party. BV: Christine, our only chance of going beyond the conference tournament is to win the whole darned thing. That means focusing on how to defeat each team we face. So, in reality, even though we have a couple days off, my staff and I are going to be busier than usual preparing. CR: Oh, come on Bret. I’ve been patient, but you need to let go once in a while. And, Bret darling, I know just HOW to help you unwind.

Big Sky Conference Final Standings:

Larry Montgomery, 2nd asst coach: Game #27, Feb. 24, 2014: Eastern Washington Eagles (13-13, 11-4) at Weber State Wildcats (9-17, 7-8) Weber State beat us on our own court 80-77 earlier this year, so we have a grudge to settle. We got off to a good start, shooting well. By the end of the half we had opened a 42-34 lead. The 2nd half was another story. Weber State cracked our defense and dropped in most of their shots. We turned the ball over too much. Our lead evaporated and the Wildcats moved ahead in the latter part of the half and held on to knock us off. Coach V was pretty upset after the game about how we gave up 46 points in the 2nd half. I think upcoming practices will again focus on defense again. Final Score: Weber State (10-17, 8-8)—82, Eastern Washington (13-14, 11-5, 2nd place)—77. Leading players for Eastern Washington: PG Tim Dove-13 pts, 1 reb, 3 assists; SG Shawn Jackson-11 pts, 2 reb; PF Cory Davis-10 pts, 1 reb, 3 steals, 1 block; PF Odie Joseph-10 pts, 4 reb, 1 assist, 2 steals; SF Delawn West-8 pts, 5 reb, 1 assist. Player of the Game: Weber State’s PG Ed Jones-12 pts, 2 reb, 6 assists, 1 steal.

Tim Dove, player: Dayum! This is one fine BBQ. Big rib eye steaks. And Coach V got somebody to bring over several big TV screens and video game players and games, so we could take on each other. I’m the video game king. Great music and sound system also. I’m surprised we got no complaints from the neighbors or the cops didn’t show up. Taffy (Robbie Taflinger) got down with some big time dance moves. A couple guys tried to compete with him, but he was hands down the b-boy and hip hop star. We all got Coach V to show us some of his “moves”. Well, HE called them moves. We called them stumbles. The guy can coach, but shouldn’t be allowed within a mile of a dance floor. Everyone got a big laugh out of it.

Delawn West, player Game #26, Feb. 17, 2014: Northern Colorado Bears (12-13, 8-6) at Eastern Washington Eagles (12-13, 10-4) We lost to these guys 81-62 when we played them on their court. Coach been on us all week about how we forgot to play defense against them. He and Coach Geb’s worked us long and hard on defense. Coach challenged us to hold them under 55 tonight. Said if we did, he’d host a big BBQ over at his place. Again I began the game on the bench. We got off to a good start and the Bears didn’t score for 2-1/2 minutes. By then we were up 6-0. Coach was on Shawn (Jackson) trying to get him to be more aggressive on our end of the court, but Shawn just seemed to only want to dish the ball off to others. So I got in at the 2 early in the half. Hit my first shot when I cut around a screen by Joe Blackwell and drove to the baseline where I was able to get off a 10 footer. The rest of the team was clicking and we built a 29-15 lead. Reese Court was rockin’ as we continue to get more and more fans to our games. I spent a little time at the 3 when Joe went to the bench for a breather. We were able to clamp down on Terrence Morris, their center who burnt us last game…he only got one shot, a miss. Jerry McKenzie, their high point man most of this season, also got the treatment...2 shots, one of which went in, so just 2 points for him. Half ended with us up 35-25. Coach gave us all some strokes to begin with in the locker room, but then got on us again, saying we gotta stay on ‘em if we wanted that BBQ. Stay on ‘em we did. Our offense sputtered some in the 2nd half, but our D kept the Bears from closing on us. I came off the bench again in the 2nd half, playing mostly at the 3. My shot wasn’t on tonight…only got 7 points, but none of the guys I was guarding got off many shots or scored much and I got to play 23 minutes. We not only won, but we met the BBQ challenge also. Nobody on their team even got into double figures. Final Score: Eastern Washington (13-13, 11-4, 2nd place)—61, Northern Colorado (12-14, 8-7)—50. Leading players on Eastern Washington: SF Joe Blackwell-13 pts, 8 reb, 2 steals; PF Cory Davis-10 pts, 3 reb, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block; C Joseph Palmer-10 pts, 1 reb, 1 steal, 1 block. Player of the Game: SF Joe Blackwell-13 pts, 8 reb, 2 steals.

Torbern “Swede” Olaffson, Athletic Director: I took Bret Vandergard out to lunch today. I told him how impressed I was on the turn-around of his team. He’s quieted many of his early detractors. The crowds at our home games are larger and louder. Bret said that since the team doesn’t have one star, the players feel that any one of them can lead the team on any given night. No one is hogging the ball, and the team has developed a one-for-all and all-for-one attitude that has led to more cohesive play. Most of our discussion, though, was about the future. It will be interesting to watch these players and see who develops farthest in the next few years.

Michael Jackson, Player’s parent: Game #25, Feb. 15, 2014: Eastern Washington Eagles (11-13, 9-4) at Idaho Vandals (14-10, 6-7) We took a big family rooting section to watch Shawn and the Eagles play across the state border in Idaho. Even though he’s starting regularly, Coach Vandergard still isn’t playing Shawn enough nor is he working plays that free Shawn up for enough shots. But Shawn is happy and I can see that Shawn will be starring on this team in the future. The Eagles came out blazing and jumped out to an early lead. But the Vandals quickly recovered and took a 38-35 halftime lead. Shawn shot well and led Eagle’s scoring with 8 points. Each team went on runs that carried them ahead in the 2nd half. But regulation play ended with the score tied at 67-67. OT: Shawn popped in a 3 on the Eagles first possession of the OT. Midway through the OT, he hit a 12 foot jumper to give EWU a 6 point lead. That was enough to keep the Vandals at bay. The Eagles won their 7th of their last 8 games and stayed in sole possession of 2nd place in the Big Sky Conference. Final Score: Eastern Washington (12-13, 10-4, 2nd place)—79, Idaho (14-11, 6-8)—74 (OT). Leading players for Eastern Washington: SG Shawn Jackson-15 pts, 1 reb, 3 assists, 1 steal; C Joseph Palmer-13 pts, 7 reb, 1 assist, 1 block. Player of the Game: SG Shawn Jackson-15 pts, 1 reb, 3 assists, 1 steal.

Clement Morgan, University President: Game #24, Feb. 10, 2014: Sacramento State Hornets (9-14, 5-7) at Eastern Washington Eagles (10-13, 8-4) I seldom go to sporting events, but with all the publicity surrounding the men’s basketball program, I decided I should check it out. Our team went scoreless for the first 3-1/4 minutes in the game, but only trailed 5-0. We scored 8 points in the next 1-1/4 minutes to take an 8-7 lead. We maintained a small lead throughout most of the 1st half but couldn’t pull away. At the break we led 37-34. Cory Davis scored 11 points to lead us offensively. We pulled away early in the 2nd half, then continued to expand our lead to achieve an easy victory. After the game, Swede Tollafson, our AD, approached me and saying, “This team started the season so slowly. But now they seem to have gelled and are playing better basketball most every game.” I replied, “Yes it appear so. Let’s hope this gets people talking about basketball rather than all those accusations that have been floating around.” Final Score: Eastern Washington (11-13, 9-4, 2nd place)—85, Sacramento State (9-15, 5-8)—67. Leading Eastern Washington players: PF Cory Davis-18 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist, 1 steal; SF Joe Blackwell-16 pts, 4 reb, 3 assists, 1 steal; PG Tim Dove-10 pts, 3 reb, 5 assists,3 steals; SF Delawn West-12 pts, 1 reb, 1 assist, 2 steals; PF/C Odie Joseph-9 pts, 1 reb, 2 assists, 1 steal. Player of the Game: SF Joe Blackwell-16 pts, 4 reb, 3 assists, 1 steal.

Spokane Spokesman-Review article: Game #23, Feb. 7, 2014: Eastern Washington Eagles (9-13, 7-4) at North Dakota Fightin’ Sioux (16-6, 10-1) Eagles post big upset North Dakota’s Fightin’ Sioux have been taking Big Sky teams apart since Eastern Washington beat them 83-70 in Cheney in the conference opener. Led by SG Doug Coulibaly (13.6 ppg0, they came into Tuesday night’s game with 10 straight victories and are. A major snow storm almost kept the Eagles from getting to Grand Forks, North Dakota. Coach Vandergard reported, “There were absolutely no Eagles’ fans in the stands tonight.” North Dakota opened and maintained a small lead throughout much of the first half, but EWU pulled close to finish the half trailing by just 2 points at 29-27. Coach V must have fired his team up during the intermission, because the Eagles stormed back onto the court in the 2nd half with high energy. That energy translated into a devastating defense that silenced the pro-North Dakota crowd. The Fightin’ Sioux shot just 33% for entire game. North Dakota’s Doug Coulibaly only hit 4 of 17 shots. Meanwhile, the Eagles caught fire offensively and spurted ahead, pulling steadily away for a big upset victory. Joseph Palmer again scored well, tossing in 19 points. But Delawn West, who is turning into a great 6th man, played strong offensively and defensively at both SF and SG positions and was the difference in this game. Coach Vandergard said after the game, “Delawn really stepped up and led us in the 2nd half.” The win moved Eastern Washington into sole possession of 2nd place in the Big Sky Conference, as Northern Arizona suffered a resounding loss to Northern Colorado. Final Score: Eastern Washington (10-13, 8-4), 2nd place)—72, North Dakota (16-7, 10-2)—50. Leading Eastern Washington players: C Joseph Palmer-19 pts, 6 reb, 1 assist, 1 steal; SF Delawn West-19 pts, 4 reb, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block; PF Cory Davis-7 pts, 6 reb, 1 assist, 1 steal. Player of the Game: SF Delawn West-19 pts, 4 reb, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.

Bud Springfield, Eagles’ Wings Fan Club President and owner of Springfield Ford dealer: Game #22, Feb. 3, 2014: Portland State Vikings (10-11, 5-5) at Eastern Washington Eagles (8-13, 6-4) Turnovers again plagued the Eagles in the first half and Portland State carved out a 29-25 lead at the half. The Eagles applied a tight defense in the 2nd half. Meanwhile EWU shot better than in the first half and got to the line frequently. That allowed the Eagles to overtake the Vikings and open an 11 point lead. Portland State trimmed the lead but was unable to overtake the Eagles. While not an impressive win, a win is a win and it kept the Eagles in a 2nd place tie with Northern Arizona. Both are 3 games behind the league-leading North Dakota Fightin’ Sioux. Final Score: Eastern Washington (9-13, 7-4, 2nd place tie)—57, Portland State (10-12, 5-6)—51. Leading Eastern Washington players: SG Shawn Jackson-13 pts, 2 reb, 2 assists, 1 steal; SF Delawn West-11 pts, 4 reb, 2 assists; C Joseph Palmer-9 pts, 4 reb, 1 steal, 1 block; PG Tim Dove-7 pts, 3 reb, 4 assists. Player of the Game: SG Shawn Jackson-13 pts, 2 reb, 2 assists, 1 steal. SF Joe Blackwell injured his wrist and will be day-to-day.

Kevin Gebbers, 3rd Asst Coach: Game #21, Jan. 31, 2014: Eastern Washington Eagles (8-12, 6-3) at Montana State Bobcats (9-11, 3-6) With Joe Blackwell still hampered by his pulled calf muscle, Delawn West will start at the 3 position for us tonight. West deserves the start anyway based on his play the last few games. After building an 8 point lead midway through the first half, our shooting went cold and our turnovers led to Bobcats points. Montana State captured a small lead, but we played well in final minutes of the half to take a 25-23 lead to the locker room. Tim Dove’s 8 points led our scoring. The game stayed close throughout the 2nd half, but each time we made an effort to assert dominance, a foul or turnover would stymie the attempt. The Bobcats maintained a slim lead throughout the latter stages of the game and we were just unable to overcome the deficit. The difference in the game was that Montana State went to the line more and scored 9 points more than did we at the free throw line. The joys of playing on the road. Final Score: Montana State (10-11, 4-6)—63, Eastern Washington (8-13, 6-4, 2nd place tie)—59. Leading Eastern Washington players: C Joseph Palmer-15 pts, 2 reb; PF Cory Davis-10 pts, 4 reb, 1 assist; PG Tim Dove-10 pts, 3 reb, 2 assists, 1 steal; PG Robbie Taflinger-8 pts, 1 reb. Player of the Game: Montana State’s PG Charles Hickerson-15 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist, 3 steals.

Excerpts of the radio play-by-play by KSPK: Game #20, Jan. 27, 2014: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (10-9, 5-3) at Eastern Washington Eagles (7-12, 5-3) Tonight the Eagles host the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in a battle for sole 2nd place in the Big Sky Conference. Northern Arizona is led by PG Shannon Isenhour who is averaging 10.7 ppg. The Lumberjacks will miss their top scorer this year, center Brian Adams, and his 12.4 ppg. Adams tore his ACL a couple weeks ago and will be out the rest of the year…. …Play resumes after the time out. After trailing by 5 points, the Eagles have clawed their way to trail 19-17 with 11:53 left in the first half. Tim Dove brings the ball up court. He passes to Jackson on the wing who fakes a shot and passes back to Dove. Dove drives the right side of the key and flips the ball to Joseph Palmer just to the left of the basket. Palmer puts up a shot that bounces off the rim and drops through and he’s fouled by Wallace! Palmer sinks his free throw to give the Eagles their first lead at 20-19. …Blackwell’s long 3 point attempt rims out but Michael Taylor pulls down the board. He flips it out to Delawn West in the corner who lofts up a shot. It’s good! A big 3 for West who now has 7 points and the Eagles lead 39-36 with 1:45 to play in the half. …Southern Utah brings the ball up court with 15 seconds to play before the intermission. Isenhour surveys the defense. Louis screens out Jackson, as Isenhour passes the ball to Mark Crocker. Crocker is free for a 25 footer. The ball rims out. Crocker has missed all four of his 3-point attempts. Palmer out-wrestles Engstrom for the rebound and the buzzer sounds with Eastern Washington leading 43-37. …The Eagles continue to hound the Lumberjacks preventing them from getting up uncontested shots here in the 2nd half. The Thunderbirds’ Wallace passes the ball outside to Shannon Isenhour who drives on Tim Dove. Isenhour pulls up, but his shot is blocked by Dove. West grabs the ball and quickly passes it out to Jackson who drives along the right baseline and into the forecourt. He swings the ball around to Dove who skip passes to Michael Taylor. Taylor turns and crosses the key, then pivots and puts up a shot over Harrington. Taylor’s shot bounces off the front rim, up against the backboard and settles through the hoop to give Eastern Washington their biggest lead of the game at 70-49. …The horn sounds and the Eagles have their fourth straight victory and now stand alone in 2nd place. Final Score: Eastern Washington (8-12, 6-3, 2nd place)—76, Northern Arizona (10-10, 5-4)—57. Eastern Washington’s Leading Players: C Joseph Palmer-20 pts, 5 reb; C Michael Taylor-12 pts, 7 reb, 2 assists, 1 steal; SF Delawn West-12 pts, 6 reb, 3 assists, 3 steals; PG Robbie Taflinger-10 pts, 1 reb, 1 assist; SF Joe Blackwell-8 pts, 2 reb, 1 assist, 1 steal. Player of the Game: C Joseph Palmer-20 pts, 5 reb. SF Joe Blackwell pulled a calf muscle in the 2nd half. He will be day-to-day and his play in the next game is likely to be limited.

Article in Easterner Online (student newspaper): Game #19, Jan. 24, 2014: Eastern Washington Eagles (6-12, 4-3) at Southern Utah Thunderbirds (9-10, 3-4) The Eagles win streak reached 3 including 2 straight wins on the road. With a 5-3 record in the Big Sky they are now tied for 2nd place with Northern Arizona behind only North Dakota (7-1). Jumping out on top to a 12 point lead early in the 1st half, the Eagles held on to lead by a 38-29 score at the break. Southern Utah repeatedly made runs in the 2nd half. While getting close they never were able to take the lead as the Eagles played determinedly. Odie Joseph, starting at PF in place of injured Cory Davis, scored 14 points and hauled down 6 rebounds to lead EWU. Joseph Palmer scored 15 and Delawn West, Terence Hillier and Michael Taylor came off the bench to score 9, 8 and 7 points respectively. When asked about the keys to this win, Coach Bret Vandergard stated, “It was really good to see our bench players step up to carry us. That along with good rebounding throughout our lineup kept the Thunderbirds from being able to come back.” The Eagles again shot well (56%) and completely dominated the boards (29-13). Matt Walker scored 19 points for Southern Utah. The refs called a total of 58 fouls against both teams. Final Score: Eastern Washington (7-12, 5-3, 2nd place tied)—79, Southern Utah (9-11, 3-5)—72. Leading Eastern Washington players: Odie Joseph-14 pts, 6 reb; C Joseph Palmer-15 pts, 3 reb, 1 steal; SF Delawn West-9 pts, 2 reb, 2 assists, 3 steals; PF Terence Hillier-8 pts, 2 reb, 2 assists, 1 steal; C Michael Taylor-7 pts, 6 reb, 1 steal. Player of the Game: C Joseph Palmer-15 pts, 3 reb, 1 steal.