FLAGSTAFF, AZ — The Eastern Washington Eagles struggled to shoot from beyond the arc, trailing by seven points with three minutes remaining, and lost 71-78 against Northern Arizona on Thursday night in Flagstaff, Arizona. Ta. The Lumberjacks (13-15, 6-8 Big Sky) finished the game with a 14-0 record and suffered their third conference loss of the season to EWU (17-10, 10-3 Big Sky). .
We talked about how we can't win if we don't score,” said the head coach. david riley Said. “They scored a lot and we didn't. It's that simple. We have to find a way to get stops.”
It was a close game throughout, with a total of 18 lead changes and 12 ties. NAU led by one point at the half (35-34) and made just four threes between the two clubs in the first 20 minutes. The Lumberjacks scored 12 second-chance points in the first half, while Eastern had zero.
“Second-chance points killed us.”
The game was tied at five points in the second half (39, 56, 59, 60, 61), and neither team led by more than six points until EWU made consecutive 3-pointers. jake caiman and ethan price That gave the Eags a seven-point advantage with 3:05 left.
Just when it looked like Eastern had taken control, they lost scoring position again and NAU scored the final 14 points of the game. Trent McLaughlin, who has been on a roll lately, has scored 20 points or more in five of his last nine games and converted an and-1 to make it 71-66. Oakland Fort, who hit the winning buzzer-beater against EWU in last season's Big Sky Tournament, hit a deep three with two minutes left to give NAU a 72-71 lead.
EWU turned the ball over four times in the final three minutes and finished with 14 points.
“We looked a little hesitant, second-guessing passes and had some stupid turnovers,” Riley continued. “Offensively we have to be a little more confident, but again the defensive issue is something we have to strengthen.”
NAU's last regular season win over EWU was in March 2017. The Eagles had won 14 of the last 15 head-to-head meetings entering Thursday.
“We have to stay focused on what's important. The important thing is defense. The important thing is to be ready for Boise.”
NAU big man Carson Basham led all players with 21 points (9-for-13 shooting) and 14 rebounds, adding six blocks and two assists. Fort finished with his 19 points and McLaughlin with his 14 points. casey jones 17 and.
Eastern shot just 7-of-24 (29.2%) from beyond the 3-point arc and 12-of-19 from the free throw line.
EWU will get a healthy test of its defense when it heads to Greeley, Colo., on Saturday to face player of the year candidate St. Thomas and the No. 2 Northern Colorado Bears, who are one game behind the Eagles in the standings. become. 10-4 in conference play. Tipoff is scheduled for 6pm MT / 5pm PT.
Eastern's next home game is Thursday, February 29th against Montana, followed by its final home game of the regular season on Saturday, March 2nd against Montana State. Tickets for these games and all EWU Athletics events are available below. goeags.com/tickets or contact the EWU Athletics Ticket Office at 509-359-6059.
About Eastern Washington University Athletics
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, to provide learning opportunities for the most athletic students and to enrich student and community life. Masu. Eastern University is in Division 1 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with similar enrollment and academic goals.
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