EAGLE MEN’S BASKETBALL Sunday, March 21, 2021 Contact: Dave Cook (509-359-6334, 280-2502 cell, [email protected]) Internet: HTTP://WWW.GOEAGS.COM or HTTP://WWW.EWU.EDU Twitter: @ewumbb, @ewuathletics, #GoEags, #LetItFly, #BigSkyMBB, @CoachLegans Facebook: EWU Athletics • Instagram: ewuathletics Season Ends 16-8 and With EWU’s Third NCAA Berth After season impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020-21 EWU Eastern wins 13 of its last 15 games and leads 12th- SCHEDULE & RESULTS ranked Kansas for more than 20 minutes (16-8 Overall, 12-3 Big Sky Conf.) Young and hungry is a great way for a collegiate basketball team to attack the off- Date Opponent Result season. N 28 at Washington State^ L, 68-71 The Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team closed the 2020-21 N 30 Montana Tech Canceled season with a 16-8 record, a Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship and a third D 5 at Arizona^ L, 67-70 trip for the school to the NCAA Tournament. There, Eastern led more than it trailed before D 7 at Oregon^ (postponed from 11/25) L, 52-69 the 14th-seeded Eagles ended its season with a 93-84 loss to Kansas, a No. 3 seed and D 9 at UNLV Canceled ranked 12th nationally entering the tourney. D 11 The College of Idaho W, 80-56 Of the 14 players Eastern took to Indianapolis, Ind., for the NCAA Tournament, all D 15 at Saint Mary’s L, 75-80 were underclassmen except for two seniors. Of the seven players who played at least 16 minutes, there were three sophomores, two juniors and two seniors who could D 18 at Northern Arizona* Canceled theoretically return based on the NCAA decision that the pandemic year does not count D 19 at Northern Arizona* W, 80-64 against a student-athlete’s eligibility. D 31 Portland State*~ Canceled “We’ll come back stronger, come back smarter and come back hungrier,” said J 2 Portland State* Canceled Eastern head coach Shantay Legans, who concluded his third season at the helm. “We J 7 at Weber State* Canceled have the ingredients, but we just have to come back and do it better.” J 9 at Weber State* Canceled Eastern finished the Big Sky Conference season 12-3 and as the league runner-up, J 14 Southern Utah*~ W, 75-63 and the Eagles closed the year winning 13 of their last 15 games. Eastern had won J 16 Southern Utah* L, 94-99 nine-straight games before falling to Idaho State 68-63 on March 3. But the Eagles rolled J 21 at Northern Colorado* L, 76-78 through the Big Sky Conference Tournament with a trio of victories, leading for a total of J 23 at Northern Colorado* W, 82-76 108:19 out of 120 minutes (trailed for 8:25 and tied for 3:16). EWU led by as many as 12, 38 and 20 in the three wins, respectively. J 31 Sacramento State* W, 68-60 “We have to be proud of everybody in our program – everybody came up big all year F 1 Sacramento State* W, 94-79 and gave us opportunities to play and had us ready all year along,” said Legans. “You F 4 at Idaho* W, 89-74 have to be happy for the entire program. We have a young team and will have back F 6 Idaho*~ W, 90-84 players with experience. I’m excited about the future of our program and where it’s going.” F 11 at Montana State*~ W, 93-77 In EWU’s finale, junior Tanner Groves poured in a career-high 35 points for Eastern, F 13 at Montana State* W, 85-69 while his younger brother Jacob Groves had career highs with 23 points and nine F 18 Montana*~ W, 90-76 rebounds. Eastern led by 10 twice in the second half, but a game-deciding 25-7 stretch F 20 at Montana*~ W, 90-76 turned a six-point advantage into a 12-point deficit with five minutes to play. M 3 Idaho State*~ L, 63-68 The Eagles led for 20:47 compared to 18:07 for the Jayhawks, who were ranked 12th M 5 Idaho State* W, 75-72 nationally in the Associated Press top 25 poll entering the game. Kansas led the final M 11 #Northern Arizona W, 66-60 8:46. M 12 #Montana W, 78-50 “I don’t believe in moral victories, but today was one of those times where I told the M 13 #$Montana State W, 65-55 team this was a moral victory for them,” said Legans. “They played amazing, great and hard, and played toe-to-toe with one of the best programs in the county. America was M 20 +&No. 3 Seed Kansas L, 84-93 able to see that, and we saw our team go out and compete against some of the best All Times Pacific. *Big Sky Conference Game. #Big Sky players in the country. You have to be proud of our guys, and I was today.” Tournament at the Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho The Groves Bros combined for 58 points on 19-of-29 shooting a week after both were (champions). +NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind. named to the All-Tournament team at the Big Sky Conference Tournament. They led (EWU #14 Seed). &Televised on TBS. ^Televised by Pac- EWU to the title and into EWU’s third NCAA Tournament, but EWU’s quest for the first 12 Network. ~Televised regionally by SWX. $Televised victory by a No. 14 seed since 2016 and an attempt to end a 13-game losing streak in the by ESPNU. tourney by the Big Sky came up short. EWU Men’s Basketball - Page 2 Eastern out-shot Kansas 50 percent to 48 percent, and equaled Quick Postseason Notes the Jayhawks on the boards 33-33. The difference in the game was offensive rebounds (10 for Kansas, five for Eastern) and turnovers * Eastern nearly pulled off the upset of Kansas in the NCAA Tournament on (13 for Eastern, six for Kansas). The result were advantages for KU March 20, 2021, and later that night Abilene Christian took care of a bit of history of 13-2 in second-chance points and 12-7 in points off turnovers. for fellow No. 14 seeds. Until it beat Texas, the last win for a #14 seed came “I wish we could have pulled this one out – we had in 2016 when Stephen F. Austin (SFA) won 70-56 over West Virginia. Through the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, #14 seeds are now 18-106 in the opportunities,” said Legans, who played in the tournament twice and NCAA Tournament 1st round (1985+), and are 22-122 versus #3 seeds. The Big was an assistant in 2015 when EWU last appeared. “We missed Sky Conference has had two No. 14 seeds win – in 1999, Weber State 76-74 on some things, and Kansas made plays when we didn’t. That part over North Carolina and in 1995, Weber State 79-72 over Michigan State 72. hurts, but I couldn’t be more proud of our university and this team. * Current Members of the Big Sky Conference are now a collective 17-59 They played amazing.” in the tournament, and the last Big Sky Conference win as on March 16, 2006, Eastern was making its third NCAA Tournament appearance, when #12 Montana won 87-79 over #5 Nevada (now 14 losses in row). The record for schools that were in the Big Sky at the time they played in the NCAA and is now 0-3 in opening round games. They arrived in Tournament is 11-55. This is the ninth time the Big Sky has been a #14 seed, Indianapolis on March 14 fresh off of winning the title at the Big and there have been eight opening-round wins in league history dating back to Sky Conference Championship, then watched the selection show 1969. as a team. Eastern then spent a day undergoing two rounds of * Prior to its NCAA Tournament game, the last venture to Indiana for EWU Covid-19 testing and quarantining in their hotel. Finally, EWU was was a triumphant one. A heart-stopping 88-86 victory at Big Ten Conference able to begin a week of practices at the Indiana Convention Center member Indiana on Nov. 24, 2014, will go down as one of the greatest victories on Monday, March 15, in preparation of their match-up with one of in school history after the Eagles snapped the nation’s third-longest non- conference home court winning streak at 43 in front of 11,636 Hoosier fans at college basketball’s most successful programs. Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. It was the first-ever win for the Eagles in 14 tries against a Big Ten Conference opponent and was the first Big Sky win on a No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Exp. Hometown / Previous Schools 1 Austin Fadal G 6-4 175 So. 1L* San Ramon, Calif. / Monte Vista HS ’17 / Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.) 2 %Steele Venters G/F 6-7 175 Fr. HS* Ellensburg, Wash. / Ellensburg HS ‘19 4 Isaiah Amato G 6-5 175 Fr. HS Portland, Ore. / Central Catholic HS ‘20 5 Casson Rouse G 6-2 180 So. 1L* Lacey, Wash. / Timberline HS ‘18 10 ^Jacob Davison G 6-4 175 Sr. 3L* Long Beach, Calif. / Cantwell-Sacred Heart HS ‘16 11 +^Jack Perry G 6-2 175 Sr. 3L Melbourne, Australia / Camberwell Grammar School ’16 15 Tyler Robertson G/F 6-6 200 So.