Eastern Washington game notes
1/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The monkey is off its back, but the target is once again on its chest.
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team, coming off its first road victory during a grueling non-conference schedule, opens Big Sky Conference play this week when 3-9 Montana visits Reese Court Thursday (Jan. 8) in Cheney, Wash. Picked to finish second in the Big Sky this season, the 4-9 Eagles host Montana State two nights later on Jan. 10 as both games begin at 7:05 p.m. Pacific time.
Eastern is 3-0 at home this season and 1-9 on the road after defeating Santa Clara 65-54 on Jan. 3. The trip to Santa Clara was the last of seven-straight weekends Eastern spent playing on the road as the Eagles played 10 of 13 non-conference games on the road.
In his previous three seasons as Eastern's head coach, Ray Giacoletti has guided Eastern to a 22-26 pre-conference record. The Eagles were 8-6 last year, 6-8 in the 2001-02 season and 5-5 in his first year at the helm. But in the 1999-2000 season -- EWU's final season under former head coach Steve Aggers -- the Eagles were just 3-7 before sharing the Big Sky Conference regular season title with Montana as they both finished 12-4 in conference play.
The Eagles enter Big Sky play this season picked to finish in a position agonizingly too familiar to them. Although Eastern has a league-best 30-14 record in the past three seasons, Eastern has failed each year in its bid to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. However, success seems to breed success as EWU expects to once again contend for the conference regular season and tournament titles this season.
The Eagles were 18-13 a year ago and earned their first-ever berth in the National Invitation Tournament where EWU lost to Wyoming in the first round. Eastern has fallen one victory short of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons with losses in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference Tournament each year.
Montana is 3-9 this season with a current nine-game losing streak. The Grizzlies are coming off an 88-67 loss to Gonzaga last Sunday (Jan. 4), just four days after the Eagles lost to the Bulldogs 70-49. Montana State is 7-5 heading into games Jan. 5 versus Colorado State and Jan. 8 at Portland State.
Eagle Head Coach Ray Giacoletti on Ending Pre-Season With Win:
"It makes it that much more special that it was a road win. We got the monkey off our back with a road win, and we'll try to learn from it. Now we'll try to get re-focused for Thursday with our Big Sky Conference schedule starting."
Giacoletti on Start of Big Sky Play:
"I think we're ready. We've gone through the most grueling non-conference schedule the past four years since we've been here. And we've faced adversity for the first time in four years. You try to deal with it the best you can and try to find positives in it. The record is going be back to 0-0 once we start the Big Sky season. That's how we need to look at it and approach it."
Home Versus Road:
In four victories, Eastern has averaged just 13.0 turnovers per game while out-rebounding opponents by 6.0 per game. Eastern has won by an average of 14.5 points per game, while holding opponents to an average of 59.5 points per game.
But on the road, the Eagles are a much different team -- although the quality of competition has a lot to do with it. Eastern has averaged 18.0 turnovers per game, and has been out-rebounded by 8.2 boards per game, including an average of 13.4 offensive rebounds per game by its opponents. In addition, the Eagles are allowing 74.6 points per game.
Eastern is now 1-8 when it has more turnovers than its opponent, and 1-8 when it is out-rebounded. In all nine of the team's losses this season the Eagles have given up at least 10 offensive rebounds. In three of its four wins, Eastern has allowed no more than six offensive boards.
Axton Continues to Be Hottest Eagle:
Eagle junior Marc Axton has averaged 15.2 points in the last five games to up his season average to 11.6. He made 29-of-46 (63 percent) from the field in those games, sinking 10-of-17 three-pointers and 8-of-14 free throws. He also added 11 assists, 18 rebounds and three blocked shots. He has led Eastern in scoring in three of the last four games with a current streak of seven-straight games scoring in double figures.
A first team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2002-03 and the Big Sky Freshman of the Year the year before that, Axton had a season-high 19 points at San Diego State on Dec. 20. He scored 16 of Eastern's first 22 points in the second half as Eastern trailed by just two with 11 1/2 minutes remaining. However, the Eagles scored just three points in the next 7 1/2 minutes and the Aztecs cruised to the win. He scored 10 of Eastern's first 12 points against Idaho on Dec. 28, finishing with a team-high 15. He had a team-high 10 versus Gonzaga, then had 15 on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in Eastern's road win at Santa Clara.
Axton has averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his 74-game career thus far. His 84 career three-pointers made already ranks eighth in school history, and his 234 attempts is 12th.
Snow Breaks Out of Slump as He Continues to Climb Lists:
Senior Alvin Snow continues to climb several career statistical lists as he makes his mark in the Eagle record book. He had one of the most explosive games of his career against Santa Clara on Jan. 3 to break out of a five-game slump.
Snow scored a season-high 28 points, including 22 in an impressive first-half performance by his team, as the Eagles defeated Santa Clara on the road 65-54. Snow, who had scored just 36 points combined in his previous five games after averaging 17.6 in his first seven, made 9-of-11 shots in the first half and at one time he scored 19-straight Eagle points as Eastern took a 38-25 lead at intermission. He finished the game one point shy of his career high of 29 set last February versus Northern Arizona. Although he had seven of EWU's 17 turnovers, he made 11-of-16 shots from the field and both of his free throws. He didn't attempt a three-pointer in the second half after his 4-of-6 performance in the first half. In the second half, he had steals on three-straight Santa Clara possessions to put the finishing touches on a 6-0 Eagle run as EWU led by no fewer than 11 in the second half. Eastern's biggest lead of the game came on a steal and fastbreak layin by Snow with 12 minutes to play that gave the Eagles a 19-point advantage at 52-33.
Snow, who scored just two points on 1-of-9 shooting the last time the two teams met on Dec. 15 in a 75-65 Eagle win, had lost his starting position with shaky play in the last month. In his last five games since earning All-Tournament honors at the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge on Dec. 5-6, Snow had averaged just 7.2 points per game on frosty 29.1 percent shooting from the field, including just 4-of-25 (16.0 percent) three-point attempts.
Snow scored Eastern's first 11 points of the game against Denver on Nov. 26, and finished with 17 to go over the 1,000-point mark in his Eagle career. He is just the 13th player in school history to go over that mark in his career, and the first since 1991 as he has a current total of 1,141 to rank ninth in school history. He needs 14 more points to surpass the 1,154 points David Peed had from 1988-90 that currently ranks eighth.
The 2000 graduate of Seattle's Franklin High School has played in 101 games (78 as a starter) to rank eighth in school history. He has 16 steals thus far this season, giving him 179 in his career to rank 46 behind the school record of 225 set by Ronn McMahon from 1988-90 and rank 11th in Big Sky Conference history. He also ranks among Eastern's career leaders in field goals made (sixth with 439), field goal attempts (sixth with 905), three-pointers made (ninth with 84) and three-pointers attempted (10th with 241). In his career, he has averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Snow could become the first player in EWU history and 17th in Big Sky Conference history (40 years) to earn first team All-Big Sky Conference honors three-straight seasons. He was the league's inaugural Defensive Player of the Year in the 2001-02 season, and has earned spots on four all-tournament teams. He has also earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors three times.
"Alvin was the first guy four years ago to buy into what we were doing here," said Giacoletti. "He has been a mainstay here, and is kind of the heart and soul of our team. It was a very nice milestone for him to surpass the 1,000-point mark."
Giacoletti on Snow:
"The most important thing is for him to be consistent throughout his senior year. If he does that then I think he'll get some opportunities to continue playing. He needs to stay focused on his senior season and do all the little things because I think that's what makes him special. His versatility and all the things he contributes is what separates him from other players."
Barnard Already Has 33 Treys:
It's been two years since senior Josh Barnard played a collegiate basketball game, but you would have a hard time telling that based on his shooting percentages in Eastern's 13 games.
Barnard, who played the 2001-02 season at the University of Washington after spending two seasons at Tacoma, Wash., Community College, has averaged 10.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds in his first 13 games as an Eagle. He has made 51.1 percent of his field goal attempts, including 33-of-61 three-point attempts for an even better 54.1 percent to rank second in the Big Sky Conference. He also has made 80 percent of his free throws (16-of-20) and has 20 steals.
The 1999 graduate of Bethel High School in Graham, Wash., had a 10-point performance in Eastern's win over Santa Clara on Dec. 15 in which he made a pair of key three-point shots in the second half. He scored a season-high 23 points at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 13 on 7-of-9 shooting from three-point range. He had 18 points against his former team in Eastern's 104-91 loss to Washington on Nov. 29, and one game earlier scored 19 points in Eastern's 77-73 victory over Denver.
The Extra Pass Counts as Five Eagles Have At Least 30 Assists:
Five Eagles have at least 32 assists this season, led by the 39 of junior forward Marc Axton. Point guards Brendon Merritt and Danny Pariseau have 38 and 36, respectively, forward Josh Barnard has 33 and guard Alvin Snow has 32. All five players rank in the top 16 in the conference in assists thus far, and no other Eagle has more than seven this season.
The Eagles had assists on 14 of 15 field goals in the first half and 21-of-26 overall in their 65-54 win at Santa Clara on Jan. 3. Merritt dished out a career-high six assists, Axton had five and Pariseau contributed four as Eastern finished with a season-high of 21. "We really made the extra pass tonight," Ray Giacoletti said after the game. "Guys really shared it, and it's fun to play that kind of basketball when you try to find and make that extra pass to the open man."
Regaining Losses in Shooting Percentage:
Before the Idaho game on Dec. 28, Eastern was leading the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage (.470). But after making just 42 percent against the Vandals and a season-low 29.3 percent against Gonzaga three nights later, the Eagles slipped to 45.0 percent for the season. However, the percentage is back up to 45.5 percent after making 26-of-49 attempts against Santa Clara on Jan. 3 for a season-high 53 percent for the third time this year.
California Home Away From Home:
The Eagles are becoming quite familiar with the State of California this season. Eastern made its first of four trips to the State of California this season when the Eagles played at Cal State Fullerton of the Big West Conference on Dec. 13, then played at San Diego State the following week on Dec. 20 and at Santa Clara on Jan. 3. The final trip to California will be Jan. 17 at Sacramento State. In all, Eastern will play California schools six times, including home-and-home with Santa Clara and Sac State. In addition, the Eagles will play teams from 10 different conferences this season before beginning their Big Sky Conference schedule in January.
Weekend Warriors:
The Eagles had a pre-season road schedule that saw them play seven-straight weekends on the road. The stretch started Nov. 21-22 at the Sooner Invitational, and concluded Jan. 3 when the Eagles played at Santa Clara. Eastern opens Big Sky Conference play at home against Montana on Jan. 8 after playing just three of its first 13 games of the season at home.
Giacoletti on Weekends on the Road:
"I feel bad for our guys, because the first five weekends of our season before Christmas were on the road. In preparation for finals (the week of Dec. 6) that made it even tougher. It's a difficult week, and it probably didn't help matters by being on the road four weekends prior to that. That's why the character of our players is so high, because of the things they have to endure -- especially during the non-conference portion of our season. They have to go on the road, play tough competition and finish the first quarter academically. I'm proud of the way they've been able to handle that."
"It's just the way it worked out. To go back to Iowa was planned because I wanted our team to experience Midwest basketball Big Ten style. That was the fifth Big Ten team we've played in the last four years (also Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana). The Oklahoma tournament was an opportunity to play a team that had just been to the Final Four and Elite Eight in the last two years. We played against some physical, tough teams. If we can compete against those types of teams, it certainly helps us once we get to conference play."
Eagles Have Second-Half Leads in Four of Nine Losses:
Through 13 games this season, Eastern has three home victories, one road breakthrough and some near-misses to show for it. In four of their nine losses, the Eagles have had a second half lead only to have their opponents pull away for a win. In four other setbacks, the Eagles were within six points or less in the second half before losing.
Idaho used runs of 7-0 and 6-0 in the second half to pull ahead, then held off a late Eagle rally to win 64-60. A week earlier versus San Diego State, EWU trailed by just two before getting buried by a 17-3 run by San Diego State in a 79-66 loss. Previously, the Eagles had a nine-point lead early in the second half against Cal State Fullerton before losing to the Titans by seven.
Eastern nearly knocked off Illinois-Chicago, Washington and Oklahoma, but faded in the final minutes of all of those games. Versus Illinois-Chicago, Eastern led 36-34 with 14:45 to play before falling by 15. Against the Huskies, a team Eastern defeated 62-58 a year earlier, Eastern led 76-73 with 9:06 left before losing 104-91. That game featured 22 lead changes and 17 ties -- including 21 lead changes and 16 ties in a 21-minute span from the 9:30 mark of the first half to the 8:10 mark in the second half.
In the Sooner Invitational in Norman, Okla., on Nov. 21-22, Eastern led the 14th-ranked Sooners by seven with seven minutes to play, but fell 69-59. The next night, Eastern scored just 15 second half points and lost 71-51 to South Carolina State. Both opponents in Norman appeared in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Including Oral Roberts, the four teams combined had a record of 83-41 a year ago, including Oklahoma's 27-7 mark and appearance in the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Tournament. Excluding Eastern, the other three teams in the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge on Dec. 5-6 entered with a 12-2 record collectively, and the four teams in the tourney had a combined 73-50 record in the 2002-03 season with three National Invitation Tournament berths.
Gonzaga -- also a NCAA Tournament participant a year ago -- is the only opponent thus far to significantly out-play the Eagles in the first half. Eastern trailed 41-21 at halftime, with its previous largest deficit at intermission being 12 at Iowa.
Eagle Wins:
Two of Eastern's pre-season victories came against Santa Clara including a 65-54 road victory on Jan. 3 and a 75-65 home triumph over the Broncos on Dec. 15. Both victories snapped three-game losing streaks for the Eagles. Eastern enjoyed nearly identical halftime advantages in the two games -- 39-27 at home and 38-25 on the road.
In the second meeting with the Broncos, Alvin Snow scored 28 points -- including 22 in the first half -- as he made 11-of-16 shots from the field and added three steals. At one point in the first half he scored 19-straight Eagle points as the Eagles led by as many as 16 in the first half and 19 in the second half. Marc Axton added 15 points and five assists.
In the first meeting, four players scored in double figures as EWU snapped SCU's six-game winning streak. The Eagles used a 13-0 run in the first half to surge ahead and snap their three-game losing streak. Senior Brendon Merritt led the Eagles with 18 points, and junior Marc Axton added 17. True freshman Matt Nelson added 14 points and eight rebounds, and senior Josh Barnard chipped in 10 points with a pair of crucial three-pointers in the second half.
In their win over Northwest College on Dec. 2, the Eagles jumped out to a 33-6 lead as they held their opponent to four points in a nearly 10-minute stretch. Senior Alvin Snow had a season-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, and added seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot in just 22 minutes of action.
Eastern's other victory over a NCAA Division I opponent was a 77-73 victory over the University of Denver on Nov. 26 that avenged a 69-48 thumping in Denver a year earlier which was EWU's only loss during an eight-game stretch from Nov. 16 to Dec. 18. Snow and senior Josh Barnard combined for 36 points in the win, including 17 by Snow as he eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his Eagle career.
Fast Starts in Wins:
In Eastern's four victories -- three of them at home -- the Eagles have gotten off to fast starts. Eastern has outscored opponents in the first half by an average of 14.8 points per game, or an average score of 40-25. The Eagles led at halftime at Santa Clara 38-25, at home against the Broncos 39-27, Northwest College 43-24 and Denver 40-25.
More About the Eagles:
The Eagles were 18-13 a year ago and earned their first-ever berth in the National Invitation Tournament where EWU lost to Wyoming in the first round. Eastern has fallen one victory short of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons with losses in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference Tournament each year.
Eastern returns three starters from that team, including first team All-Big Sky Conference selections Alvin Snow and Marc Axton. Honorable mention All-Big Sky selection Brendon Merritt returns, and the Eagles have the services of University of Washington transfer Josh Barnard.
Snow leads Eastern in scoring (14.4 per game), and also leads the Eagles in steals (1.2) while ranking second in rebounds (4.2) and fifth in assists (2.5). Axton is second in scoring (11.6), third in rebounding (4.0) and first in assists (3.0). Barnard is third in scoring with a 10.8 average, and has made 33-of-61 three-point attempts to rank first in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.541) and third in three-pointers made per game (2.54).
Senior Brendon Merritt has added 7.8 points and 2.9 assists. Although Merritt has started every game, he played the first eight with a heavily bandaged hand to protect a broken bone in his right hand near his pinkie finger. He had a career-high six assists versus Santa Clara on Jan. 3 after having a season-high 18-point performance against the Broncos on Dec. 15. Sophomore Danny Pariseau has added valuable minutes at point guard, averaging 4.5 points and 2.8 assists per game.
True freshman Matt Nelson (52.5 percent, 32-of-61) and redshirt freshman Paul Butorac (50.8 percent, 30-of-59) are among the team's leading shooters thus far, with Nelson now starting at center. The 6-8 Nelson is averaging 6.5 points and a team-leading 4.5 rebounds per game, and Butorac is averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Giacoletti on Butorac and Nelson:
"They have been thrown to the wolves and it doesn't seem to faze them. What I'm most pleased about is their consistency of play night-in and night-out with those guys. They both listen and go out and do what we ask of them. They both have bright futures here at Eastern Washington."
Giacoletti on Inside Game:
"We have to have an inside presence -- it's just crucial. We try to set things up where we go inside first, but you got to have somebody that can score for you. (Getting the ball inside) kind of sets the tone, instead of settling for jumpers."
SERIES HISTORY
EWU-UM Series History (Since 1983-84):
Eastern is just 13-27 against the Grizzlies since 1983-84, but has won nine of the last 12 meetings including regular season sweeps the last three seasons. However, the Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing streak to the Eagles when they upset EWU 70-66 in the 2002 Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game.
Included in the series history was an 81-75 victory in Missoula to end the 1998-99 season that clinched the sixth and final berth in the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the Eagles. That victory snapped Eastern's eight-game losing streak in Missoula, and a home win in 1998 snapped a 10-game losing streak overall in the series. Since 1983-84, Eastern is 6-14 in Missoula, 7-12 in Cheney and 0-1 on neutral courts versus the Grizzlies. Montana leads the series overall 42-36.
A 77-75 Eagle home loss at the end of the 2000-2001 regular season gave Montana a share of the Big Sky Conference men's basketball title in front of 5,426 fans at Reese Court in Cheney. The Eagles had taken a 12-point lead with 8:06 to play in the second half, but went the next 6:21 without scoring. During Montana's 17-0 run, the Eagles missed 10-straight field goal attempts while the Grizzlies made 6-of-7 shots. The loss was Eastern's first in eight conference home games. Montana made 4-of-6 free throws in the last 23 seconds to clinch the win and hold off Eastern's comeback attempt that included a trio of three-pointers in the last 1:45.
Last Year in Cheney - Eastern Washington 87, Montana 72: Eastern scored the first nine points of the second half and survived a three-point barrage for the second-straight game to defeat Montana 87-72 in a Big Sky Conference game on Feb. 8, 2003.
Senior forward Chris Hester made 10-of-14 shots from the floor and scored 27 points and had nine rebounds as Eastern completed a two-game home sweep of the Montana schools. In Eastern's previous three conference home games, the Eagles won by an average of 27.0 points per game.
"We needed to work for something," Eagle head coach Ray Giacoletti said. "It came a little too easily two weekends in a row. We haven't won a close game for awhile, so it was good that we had to fight for something Thursday night and we had to fight for something tonight. I think you keep that edge when you fight for something."
Brendon Merritt, who led the Eagles with 26 points in a win two nights earlier against Montana State, had 17 points and three assists against the Grizzlies as Eastern completed a four-game sweep of the Montana schools. Marc Axton added 14 points and career highs of nine rebounds and seven assists, and T.J. Williams chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Eastern had a commanding 40-12 edge in points in the paint, and out-rebounded the Grizzlies 38-29. The Eagles also forced 20 turnovers.
"We're better when we have that edge to us where you want to go out and be the aggressor," Giacoletti said. "Some teams may not have to be that way, but that's the way I think we have to be. We're a little fish in a big game of college basketball. And if we're going to try to elevate this program another step you have to have a little chip on your shoulder and some pop to your step."
The Eagles took the lead for good on a basket by Hester that gave the Eagles a 13-12 lead with 14:57 left in the first half. The Eagles eventually built a 43-33 halftime advantage as Hester and Merritt combined for 23 first-half points.
But three different players scored in a 9-0 run to start the second half as EWU jumped out to a 52-33 advantage. Including the last 1:20 of the first half, Montana went without scoring for nearly four minutes. Montana managed to cut the lead to eight with 6:14 remaining, but Eastern put the game away with a 6-0 run.
"At the start of the game and the start of the second half you have to get things going to the basket," Giacoletti explained. "If you settle for a jump shot it almost sends a message to the other team that you're soft. That's how we wanted to get it started in each half. If you look at the first four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half, that will tell who is going to win most basketball games."
Montana's David Bell and Kevin Criswell combined for 53 points against the Eagles, making 8-of-19 three-point shots. Against MSU, Jason Erickson and Peter Conway combined for 45 points on 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.
Last Year in Missoula - Eastern Washington 72, Montana 62: A new dynamic duo arrived on the scene Jan. 9, 2003, at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont.
Sophomore Marc Axton and true freshman Danny Pariseau combined for 29 points as Eastern Washington opened Big Sky Conference play with a 72-62 men's basketball victory over Montana.
Axton, the previous year's Freshman of the Year in the Big Sky, had 17 points and six rebounds for the Eagles. Pariseau added 12 points, just one away from his season high, and three assists. A 12-0 Eastern scoring run early in the second half paved the way to EWU's second-straight victory and handed Montana its third-straight loss.
"It's great to start the conference season off with a win on the road at Montana," said Eagle head coach Ray Giacoletti, who rose to 12-4 in conference road games with the win. "I'm really proud of these guys. We didn't get off to a very good start, but to be able to get things back together on the same page is a tribute to these guys believing."
Axton made 4-of-8 field goals, including all three of his three-point attempts. He also made 6-of-8 free throws and chipped in six rebounds as Eastern out-rebounded Montana 37-29.
"This is a really good time to find that shooting eye," Giacoletti said of the 6-foot-7 forward from Tacoma, Wash.
Pariseau, a 5-11 guard out of Spokane's Shadle Park High School, had his second-straight 12-point effort. He was averaging just 4.1 points through Eastern's first 13 games of the season.
"Danny was the difference maker tonight in getting us into things," praised Giacoletti. "When they were trapping us all over the place he was able to punch a gap and make a play out of something when there wasn't something there. And he knocked down two huge threes. That was a heckuva a job by a freshman."
Eagle starting center T.J. Williams added eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
The Eagles fell behind early 9-2, but used runs of 8-0 and 10-0 to pull ahead 22-17. Axton's three-pointer with time running out gave EWU a 29-26 lead at halftime. His two baskets to start the second half gave the Eagles the lead for good.
The Eagles made just 10-of-27 shots from the field and had 11 turnovers in the first half. But the Eagles were saved by 5-of-8 three-point shooting and a 21-12 rebounding edge that at one time was a commanding 15-3 advantage.
Pariseau's three-pointer gave the Eagles a 41-30 lead early in the second half, then Axton hit a pair of free throws to give Eastern a 13-point edge. Pariseau's steal and pass to Snow for a layin a couple of minutes later maintained EWU's 13-point lead.
The closest Montana could come the rest of the way was eight as David Bell hit four three-pointers in the final four minutes. The Eagles clinched the win by making 11-of-12 free throws during his barrage, including a string of nine-straight. Eastern finished the game 25-of-33 at the line for 76 percent.
Bell, who did not start after falling sick earlier in the week, finished with 22 points. Freshman Kevin Criswell added 19, but he had just four in the second half. Those two players entered the game averaging nearly 30 points per game between them, and had combined for 81 three-pointers. Montana made just 8-of-28 treys in the game.
"We had to do something to throw them off kilter a little bit, so we changed defenses a little bit in the second half," Giacoletti said. "When you have two shooters like Bell and Criswell in the game, it's nerve-wracking to sit over there and think about going zone and giving them a good open look. It's tough enough to guard them man-to-man."
The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team, coming off its first road victory during a grueling non-conference schedule, opens Big Sky Conference play this week when 3-9 Montana visits Reese Court Thursday (Jan. 8) in Cheney, Wash. Picked to finish second in the Big Sky this season, the 4-9 Eagles host Montana State two nights later on Jan. 10 as both games begin at 7:05 p.m. Pacific time.
Eastern is 3-0 at home this season and 1-9 on the road after defeating Santa Clara 65-54 on Jan. 3. The trip to Santa Clara was the last of seven-straight weekends Eastern spent playing on the road as the Eagles played 10 of 13 non-conference games on the road.
In his previous three seasons as Eastern's head coach, Ray Giacoletti has guided Eastern to a 22-26 pre-conference record. The Eagles were 8-6 last year, 6-8 in the 2001-02 season and 5-5 in his first year at the helm. But in the 1999-2000 season -- EWU's final season under former head coach Steve Aggers -- the Eagles were just 3-7 before sharing the Big Sky Conference regular season title with Montana as they both finished 12-4 in conference play.
The Eagles enter Big Sky play this season picked to finish in a position agonizingly too familiar to them. Although Eastern has a league-best 30-14 record in the past three seasons, Eastern has failed each year in its bid to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. However, success seems to breed success as EWU expects to once again contend for the conference regular season and tournament titles this season.
The Eagles were 18-13 a year ago and earned their first-ever berth in the National Invitation Tournament where EWU lost to Wyoming in the first round. Eastern has fallen one victory short of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons with losses in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference Tournament each year.
Montana is 3-9 this season with a current nine-game losing streak. The Grizzlies are coming off an 88-67 loss to Gonzaga last Sunday (Jan. 4), just four days after the Eagles lost to the Bulldogs 70-49. Montana State is 7-5 heading into games Jan. 5 versus Colorado State and Jan. 8 at Portland State.
Eagle Head Coach Ray Giacoletti on Ending Pre-Season With Win:
"It makes it that much more special that it was a road win. We got the monkey off our back with a road win, and we'll try to learn from it. Now we'll try to get re-focused for Thursday with our Big Sky Conference schedule starting."
Giacoletti on Start of Big Sky Play:
"I think we're ready. We've gone through the most grueling non-conference schedule the past four years since we've been here. And we've faced adversity for the first time in four years. You try to deal with it the best you can and try to find positives in it. The record is going be back to 0-0 once we start the Big Sky season. That's how we need to look at it and approach it."
Home Versus Road:
In four victories, Eastern has averaged just 13.0 turnovers per game while out-rebounding opponents by 6.0 per game. Eastern has won by an average of 14.5 points per game, while holding opponents to an average of 59.5 points per game.
But on the road, the Eagles are a much different team -- although the quality of competition has a lot to do with it. Eastern has averaged 18.0 turnovers per game, and has been out-rebounded by 8.2 boards per game, including an average of 13.4 offensive rebounds per game by its opponents. In addition, the Eagles are allowing 74.6 points per game.
Eastern is now 1-8 when it has more turnovers than its opponent, and 1-8 when it is out-rebounded. In all nine of the team's losses this season the Eagles have given up at least 10 offensive rebounds. In three of its four wins, Eastern has allowed no more than six offensive boards.
Axton Continues to Be Hottest Eagle:
Eagle junior Marc Axton has averaged 15.2 points in the last five games to up his season average to 11.6. He made 29-of-46 (63 percent) from the field in those games, sinking 10-of-17 three-pointers and 8-of-14 free throws. He also added 11 assists, 18 rebounds and three blocked shots. He has led Eastern in scoring in three of the last four games with a current streak of seven-straight games scoring in double figures.
A first team All-Big Sky Conference selection in 2002-03 and the Big Sky Freshman of the Year the year before that, Axton had a season-high 19 points at San Diego State on Dec. 20. He scored 16 of Eastern's first 22 points in the second half as Eastern trailed by just two with 11 1/2 minutes remaining. However, the Eagles scored just three points in the next 7 1/2 minutes and the Aztecs cruised to the win. He scored 10 of Eastern's first 12 points against Idaho on Dec. 28, finishing with a team-high 15. He had a team-high 10 versus Gonzaga, then had 15 on 6-of-8 shooting from the field in Eastern's road win at Santa Clara.
Axton has averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his 74-game career thus far. His 84 career three-pointers made already ranks eighth in school history, and his 234 attempts is 12th.
Snow Breaks Out of Slump as He Continues to Climb Lists:
Senior Alvin Snow continues to climb several career statistical lists as he makes his mark in the Eagle record book. He had one of the most explosive games of his career against Santa Clara on Jan. 3 to break out of a five-game slump.
Snow scored a season-high 28 points, including 22 in an impressive first-half performance by his team, as the Eagles defeated Santa Clara on the road 65-54. Snow, who had scored just 36 points combined in his previous five games after averaging 17.6 in his first seven, made 9-of-11 shots in the first half and at one time he scored 19-straight Eagle points as Eastern took a 38-25 lead at intermission. He finished the game one point shy of his career high of 29 set last February versus Northern Arizona. Although he had seven of EWU's 17 turnovers, he made 11-of-16 shots from the field and both of his free throws. He didn't attempt a three-pointer in the second half after his 4-of-6 performance in the first half. In the second half, he had steals on three-straight Santa Clara possessions to put the finishing touches on a 6-0 Eagle run as EWU led by no fewer than 11 in the second half. Eastern's biggest lead of the game came on a steal and fastbreak layin by Snow with 12 minutes to play that gave the Eagles a 19-point advantage at 52-33.
Snow, who scored just two points on 1-of-9 shooting the last time the two teams met on Dec. 15 in a 75-65 Eagle win, had lost his starting position with shaky play in the last month. In his last five games since earning All-Tournament honors at the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge on Dec. 5-6, Snow had averaged just 7.2 points per game on frosty 29.1 percent shooting from the field, including just 4-of-25 (16.0 percent) three-point attempts.
Snow scored Eastern's first 11 points of the game against Denver on Nov. 26, and finished with 17 to go over the 1,000-point mark in his Eagle career. He is just the 13th player in school history to go over that mark in his career, and the first since 1991 as he has a current total of 1,141 to rank ninth in school history. He needs 14 more points to surpass the 1,154 points David Peed had from 1988-90 that currently ranks eighth.
The 2000 graduate of Seattle's Franklin High School has played in 101 games (78 as a starter) to rank eighth in school history. He has 16 steals thus far this season, giving him 179 in his career to rank 46 behind the school record of 225 set by Ronn McMahon from 1988-90 and rank 11th in Big Sky Conference history. He also ranks among Eastern's career leaders in field goals made (sixth with 439), field goal attempts (sixth with 905), three-pointers made (ninth with 84) and three-pointers attempted (10th with 241). In his career, he has averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Snow could become the first player in EWU history and 17th in Big Sky Conference history (40 years) to earn first team All-Big Sky Conference honors three-straight seasons. He was the league's inaugural Defensive Player of the Year in the 2001-02 season, and has earned spots on four all-tournament teams. He has also earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors three times.
"Alvin was the first guy four years ago to buy into what we were doing here," said Giacoletti. "He has been a mainstay here, and is kind of the heart and soul of our team. It was a very nice milestone for him to surpass the 1,000-point mark."
Giacoletti on Snow:
"The most important thing is for him to be consistent throughout his senior year. If he does that then I think he'll get some opportunities to continue playing. He needs to stay focused on his senior season and do all the little things because I think that's what makes him special. His versatility and all the things he contributes is what separates him from other players."
Barnard Already Has 33 Treys:
It's been two years since senior Josh Barnard played a collegiate basketball game, but you would have a hard time telling that based on his shooting percentages in Eastern's 13 games.
Barnard, who played the 2001-02 season at the University of Washington after spending two seasons at Tacoma, Wash., Community College, has averaged 10.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds in his first 13 games as an Eagle. He has made 51.1 percent of his field goal attempts, including 33-of-61 three-point attempts for an even better 54.1 percent to rank second in the Big Sky Conference. He also has made 80 percent of his free throws (16-of-20) and has 20 steals.
The 1999 graduate of Bethel High School in Graham, Wash., had a 10-point performance in Eastern's win over Santa Clara on Dec. 15 in which he made a pair of key three-point shots in the second half. He scored a season-high 23 points at Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 13 on 7-of-9 shooting from three-point range. He had 18 points against his former team in Eastern's 104-91 loss to Washington on Nov. 29, and one game earlier scored 19 points in Eastern's 77-73 victory over Denver.
The Extra Pass Counts as Five Eagles Have At Least 30 Assists:
Five Eagles have at least 32 assists this season, led by the 39 of junior forward Marc Axton. Point guards Brendon Merritt and Danny Pariseau have 38 and 36, respectively, forward Josh Barnard has 33 and guard Alvin Snow has 32. All five players rank in the top 16 in the conference in assists thus far, and no other Eagle has more than seven this season.
The Eagles had assists on 14 of 15 field goals in the first half and 21-of-26 overall in their 65-54 win at Santa Clara on Jan. 3. Merritt dished out a career-high six assists, Axton had five and Pariseau contributed four as Eastern finished with a season-high of 21. "We really made the extra pass tonight," Ray Giacoletti said after the game. "Guys really shared it, and it's fun to play that kind of basketball when you try to find and make that extra pass to the open man."
Regaining Losses in Shooting Percentage:
Before the Idaho game on Dec. 28, Eastern was leading the Big Sky Conference in field goal percentage (.470). But after making just 42 percent against the Vandals and a season-low 29.3 percent against Gonzaga three nights later, the Eagles slipped to 45.0 percent for the season. However, the percentage is back up to 45.5 percent after making 26-of-49 attempts against Santa Clara on Jan. 3 for a season-high 53 percent for the third time this year.
California Home Away From Home:
The Eagles are becoming quite familiar with the State of California this season. Eastern made its first of four trips to the State of California this season when the Eagles played at Cal State Fullerton of the Big West Conference on Dec. 13, then played at San Diego State the following week on Dec. 20 and at Santa Clara on Jan. 3. The final trip to California will be Jan. 17 at Sacramento State. In all, Eastern will play California schools six times, including home-and-home with Santa Clara and Sac State. In addition, the Eagles will play teams from 10 different conferences this season before beginning their Big Sky Conference schedule in January.
Weekend Warriors:
The Eagles had a pre-season road schedule that saw them play seven-straight weekends on the road. The stretch started Nov. 21-22 at the Sooner Invitational, and concluded Jan. 3 when the Eagles played at Santa Clara. Eastern opens Big Sky Conference play at home against Montana on Jan. 8 after playing just three of its first 13 games of the season at home.
Giacoletti on Weekends on the Road:
"I feel bad for our guys, because the first five weekends of our season before Christmas were on the road. In preparation for finals (the week of Dec. 6) that made it even tougher. It's a difficult week, and it probably didn't help matters by being on the road four weekends prior to that. That's why the character of our players is so high, because of the things they have to endure -- especially during the non-conference portion of our season. They have to go on the road, play tough competition and finish the first quarter academically. I'm proud of the way they've been able to handle that."
"It's just the way it worked out. To go back to Iowa was planned because I wanted our team to experience Midwest basketball Big Ten style. That was the fifth Big Ten team we've played in the last four years (also Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana). The Oklahoma tournament was an opportunity to play a team that had just been to the Final Four and Elite Eight in the last two years. We played against some physical, tough teams. If we can compete against those types of teams, it certainly helps us once we get to conference play."
Eagles Have Second-Half Leads in Four of Nine Losses:
Through 13 games this season, Eastern has three home victories, one road breakthrough and some near-misses to show for it. In four of their nine losses, the Eagles have had a second half lead only to have their opponents pull away for a win. In four other setbacks, the Eagles were within six points or less in the second half before losing.
Idaho used runs of 7-0 and 6-0 in the second half to pull ahead, then held off a late Eagle rally to win 64-60. A week earlier versus San Diego State, EWU trailed by just two before getting buried by a 17-3 run by San Diego State in a 79-66 loss. Previously, the Eagles had a nine-point lead early in the second half against Cal State Fullerton before losing to the Titans by seven.
Eastern nearly knocked off Illinois-Chicago, Washington and Oklahoma, but faded in the final minutes of all of those games. Versus Illinois-Chicago, Eastern led 36-34 with 14:45 to play before falling by 15. Against the Huskies, a team Eastern defeated 62-58 a year earlier, Eastern led 76-73 with 9:06 left before losing 104-91. That game featured 22 lead changes and 17 ties -- including 21 lead changes and 16 ties in a 21-minute span from the 9:30 mark of the first half to the 8:10 mark in the second half.
In the Sooner Invitational in Norman, Okla., on Nov. 21-22, Eastern led the 14th-ranked Sooners by seven with seven minutes to play, but fell 69-59. The next night, Eastern scored just 15 second half points and lost 71-51 to South Carolina State. Both opponents in Norman appeared in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Including Oral Roberts, the four teams combined had a record of 83-41 a year ago, including Oklahoma's 27-7 mark and appearance in the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Tournament. Excluding Eastern, the other three teams in the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge on Dec. 5-6 entered with a 12-2 record collectively, and the four teams in the tourney had a combined 73-50 record in the 2002-03 season with three National Invitation Tournament berths.
Gonzaga -- also a NCAA Tournament participant a year ago -- is the only opponent thus far to significantly out-play the Eagles in the first half. Eastern trailed 41-21 at halftime, with its previous largest deficit at intermission being 12 at Iowa.
Eagle Wins:
Two of Eastern's pre-season victories came against Santa Clara including a 65-54 road victory on Jan. 3 and a 75-65 home triumph over the Broncos on Dec. 15. Both victories snapped three-game losing streaks for the Eagles. Eastern enjoyed nearly identical halftime advantages in the two games -- 39-27 at home and 38-25 on the road.
In the second meeting with the Broncos, Alvin Snow scored 28 points -- including 22 in the first half -- as he made 11-of-16 shots from the field and added three steals. At one point in the first half he scored 19-straight Eagle points as the Eagles led by as many as 16 in the first half and 19 in the second half. Marc Axton added 15 points and five assists.
In the first meeting, four players scored in double figures as EWU snapped SCU's six-game winning streak. The Eagles used a 13-0 run in the first half to surge ahead and snap their three-game losing streak. Senior Brendon Merritt led the Eagles with 18 points, and junior Marc Axton added 17. True freshman Matt Nelson added 14 points and eight rebounds, and senior Josh Barnard chipped in 10 points with a pair of crucial three-pointers in the second half.
In their win over Northwest College on Dec. 2, the Eagles jumped out to a 33-6 lead as they held their opponent to four points in a nearly 10-minute stretch. Senior Alvin Snow had a season-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, and added seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot in just 22 minutes of action.
Eastern's other victory over a NCAA Division I opponent was a 77-73 victory over the University of Denver on Nov. 26 that avenged a 69-48 thumping in Denver a year earlier which was EWU's only loss during an eight-game stretch from Nov. 16 to Dec. 18. Snow and senior Josh Barnard combined for 36 points in the win, including 17 by Snow as he eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his Eagle career.
Fast Starts in Wins:
In Eastern's four victories -- three of them at home -- the Eagles have gotten off to fast starts. Eastern has outscored opponents in the first half by an average of 14.8 points per game, or an average score of 40-25. The Eagles led at halftime at Santa Clara 38-25, at home against the Broncos 39-27, Northwest College 43-24 and Denver 40-25.
More About the Eagles:
The Eagles were 18-13 a year ago and earned their first-ever berth in the National Invitation Tournament where EWU lost to Wyoming in the first round. Eastern has fallen one victory short of the NCAA Tournament in each of the past three seasons with losses in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference Tournament each year.
Eastern returns three starters from that team, including first team All-Big Sky Conference selections Alvin Snow and Marc Axton. Honorable mention All-Big Sky selection Brendon Merritt returns, and the Eagles have the services of University of Washington transfer Josh Barnard.
Snow leads Eastern in scoring (14.4 per game), and also leads the Eagles in steals (1.2) while ranking second in rebounds (4.2) and fifth in assists (2.5). Axton is second in scoring (11.6), third in rebounding (4.0) and first in assists (3.0). Barnard is third in scoring with a 10.8 average, and has made 33-of-61 three-point attempts to rank first in the Big Sky in three-point field goal percentage (.541) and third in three-pointers made per game (2.54).
Senior Brendon Merritt has added 7.8 points and 2.9 assists. Although Merritt has started every game, he played the first eight with a heavily bandaged hand to protect a broken bone in his right hand near his pinkie finger. He had a career-high six assists versus Santa Clara on Jan. 3 after having a season-high 18-point performance against the Broncos on Dec. 15. Sophomore Danny Pariseau has added valuable minutes at point guard, averaging 4.5 points and 2.8 assists per game.
True freshman Matt Nelson (52.5 percent, 32-of-61) and redshirt freshman Paul Butorac (50.8 percent, 30-of-59) are among the team's leading shooters thus far, with Nelson now starting at center. The 6-8 Nelson is averaging 6.5 points and a team-leading 4.5 rebounds per game, and Butorac is averaging 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds.
Giacoletti on Butorac and Nelson:
"They have been thrown to the wolves and it doesn't seem to faze them. What I'm most pleased about is their consistency of play night-in and night-out with those guys. They both listen and go out and do what we ask of them. They both have bright futures here at Eastern Washington."
Giacoletti on Inside Game:
"We have to have an inside presence -- it's just crucial. We try to set things up where we go inside first, but you got to have somebody that can score for you. (Getting the ball inside) kind of sets the tone, instead of settling for jumpers."
SERIES HISTORY
EWU-UM Series History (Since 1983-84):
Eastern is just 13-27 against the Grizzlies since 1983-84, but has won nine of the last 12 meetings including regular season sweeps the last three seasons. However, the Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing streak to the Eagles when they upset EWU 70-66 in the 2002 Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game.
Included in the series history was an 81-75 victory in Missoula to end the 1998-99 season that clinched the sixth and final berth in the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the Eagles. That victory snapped Eastern's eight-game losing streak in Missoula, and a home win in 1998 snapped a 10-game losing streak overall in the series. Since 1983-84, Eastern is 6-14 in Missoula, 7-12 in Cheney and 0-1 on neutral courts versus the Grizzlies. Montana leads the series overall 42-36.
A 77-75 Eagle home loss at the end of the 2000-2001 regular season gave Montana a share of the Big Sky Conference men's basketball title in front of 5,426 fans at Reese Court in Cheney. The Eagles had taken a 12-point lead with 8:06 to play in the second half, but went the next 6:21 without scoring. During Montana's 17-0 run, the Eagles missed 10-straight field goal attempts while the Grizzlies made 6-of-7 shots. The loss was Eastern's first in eight conference home games. Montana made 4-of-6 free throws in the last 23 seconds to clinch the win and hold off Eastern's comeback attempt that included a trio of three-pointers in the last 1:45.
Last Year in Cheney - Eastern Washington 87, Montana 72: Eastern scored the first nine points of the second half and survived a three-point barrage for the second-straight game to defeat Montana 87-72 in a Big Sky Conference game on Feb. 8, 2003.
Senior forward Chris Hester made 10-of-14 shots from the floor and scored 27 points and had nine rebounds as Eastern completed a two-game home sweep of the Montana schools. In Eastern's previous three conference home games, the Eagles won by an average of 27.0 points per game.
"We needed to work for something," Eagle head coach Ray Giacoletti said. "It came a little too easily two weekends in a row. We haven't won a close game for awhile, so it was good that we had to fight for something Thursday night and we had to fight for something tonight. I think you keep that edge when you fight for something."
Brendon Merritt, who led the Eagles with 26 points in a win two nights earlier against Montana State, had 17 points and three assists against the Grizzlies as Eastern completed a four-game sweep of the Montana schools. Marc Axton added 14 points and career highs of nine rebounds and seven assists, and T.J. Williams chipped in 10 points and eight boards. Eastern had a commanding 40-12 edge in points in the paint, and out-rebounded the Grizzlies 38-29. The Eagles also forced 20 turnovers.
"We're better when we have that edge to us where you want to go out and be the aggressor," Giacoletti said. "Some teams may not have to be that way, but that's the way I think we have to be. We're a little fish in a big game of college basketball. And if we're going to try to elevate this program another step you have to have a little chip on your shoulder and some pop to your step."
The Eagles took the lead for good on a basket by Hester that gave the Eagles a 13-12 lead with 14:57 left in the first half. The Eagles eventually built a 43-33 halftime advantage as Hester and Merritt combined for 23 first-half points.
But three different players scored in a 9-0 run to start the second half as EWU jumped out to a 52-33 advantage. Including the last 1:20 of the first half, Montana went without scoring for nearly four minutes. Montana managed to cut the lead to eight with 6:14 remaining, but Eastern put the game away with a 6-0 run.
"At the start of the game and the start of the second half you have to get things going to the basket," Giacoletti explained. "If you settle for a jump shot it almost sends a message to the other team that you're soft. That's how we wanted to get it started in each half. If you look at the first four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half, that will tell who is going to win most basketball games."
Montana's David Bell and Kevin Criswell combined for 53 points against the Eagles, making 8-of-19 three-point shots. Against MSU, Jason Erickson and Peter Conway combined for 45 points on 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.
Last Year in Missoula - Eastern Washington 72, Montana 62: A new dynamic duo arrived on the scene Jan. 9, 2003, at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula, Mont.
Sophomore Marc Axton and true freshman Danny Pariseau combined for 29 points as Eastern Washington opened Big Sky Conference play with a 72-62 men's basketball victory over Montana.
Axton, the previous year's Freshman of the Year in the Big Sky, had 17 points and six rebounds for the Eagles. Pariseau added 12 points, just one away from his season high, and three assists. A 12-0 Eastern scoring run early in the second half paved the way to EWU's second-straight victory and handed Montana its third-straight loss.
"It's great to start the conference season off with a win on the road at Montana," said Eagle head coach Ray Giacoletti, who rose to 12-4 in conference road games with the win. "I'm really proud of these guys. We didn't get off to a very good start, but to be able to get things back together on the same page is a tribute to these guys believing."
Axton made 4-of-8 field goals, including all three of his three-point attempts. He also made 6-of-8 free throws and chipped in six rebounds as Eastern out-rebounded Montana 37-29.
"This is a really good time to find that shooting eye," Giacoletti said of the 6-foot-7 forward from Tacoma, Wash.
Pariseau, a 5-11 guard out of Spokane's Shadle Park High School, had his second-straight 12-point effort. He was averaging just 4.1 points through Eastern's first 13 games of the season.
"Danny was the difference maker tonight in getting us into things," praised Giacoletti. "When they were trapping us all over the place he was able to punch a gap and make a play out of something when there wasn't something there. And he knocked down two huge threes. That was a heckuva a job by a freshman."
Eagle starting center T.J. Williams added eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
The Eagles fell behind early 9-2, but used runs of 8-0 and 10-0 to pull ahead 22-17. Axton's three-pointer with time running out gave EWU a 29-26 lead at halftime. His two baskets to start the second half gave the Eagles the lead for good.
The Eagles made just 10-of-27 shots from the field and had 11 turnovers in the first half. But the Eagles were saved by 5-of-8 three-point shooting and a 21-12 rebounding edge that at one time was a commanding 15-3 advantage.
Pariseau's three-pointer gave the Eagles a 41-30 lead early in the second half, then Axton hit a pair of free throws to give Eastern a 13-point edge. Pariseau's steal and pass to Snow for a layin a couple of minutes later maintained EWU's 13-point lead.
The closest Montana could come the rest of the way was eight as David Bell hit four three-pointers in the final four minutes. The Eagles clinched the win by making 11-of-12 free throws during his barrage, including a string of nine-straight. Eastern finished the game 25-of-33 at the line for 76 percent.
Bell, who did not start after falling sick earlier in the week, finished with 22 points. Freshman Kevin Criswell added 19, but he had just four in the second half. Those two players entered the game averaging nearly 30 points per game between them, and had combined for 81 three-pointers. Montana made just 8-of-28 treys in the game.
"We had to do something to throw them off kilter a little bit, so we changed defenses a little bit in the second half," Giacoletti said. "When you have two shooters like Bell and Criswell in the game, it's nerve-wracking to sit over there and think about going zone and giving them a good open look. It's tough enough to guard them man-to-man."
2006 Griz Basketball Flashback: NCAA Tournament Win Over Nevada
Monday, March 30
Name As Many 90's NBA Players: Griz Basketball
Monday, March 30
Dairy Challenge: Griz Basketball
Monday, March 30
Name As Many Dinosaurs: Griz Basketball
Monday, March 30
