Eastern Washington starts hot, wins opener over Montana

Thursday, February 18

Cheney, Wash.

7 PM (MT)

Montana

9-11, 5-8BSC

Eastern Washington

11-6, 10-2BSC

Montana

Eastern Washington

Photo by: Bridget Underwood/EWU Athletics

Eastern Washington starts hot, wins opener over Montana

2/18/2021 10:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Audio Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

CHENEY, Wash. – Montana ran into a buzz saw on Thursday, falling at first-place Eastern Washington, 90-76. The Eagles, who have now won eight consecutive games and average 80.0 points per game, made 14 consecutive shots early in the contest to build an insurmountable lead.

The Eagles made their first three shot attempts to take a 7-2 lead just 99 seconds into the game, but they were just getting started. It took Eastern Washington just 6 minutes to take a double-digit advantage, and the Eagles held a 20-point lead just 10 minutes into the contest. Eastern Washington went 9 consecutive minutes without a miss at one point, making 14 straight shots to build a game-high 47-20 advantage.

Montana closed the half on a 14-4 run, but never got closer than 12 points for the remainder of the game.

The loss was Montana's largest Big Sky margin of defeat under head coach Travis DeCuire, who lost a Big Sky game by double digits for just the third time in seven years (138 games). The biggest bright spot for Montana was the play of freshman Robby Beasley III, who scored a career-high 25 points. Beasley shot 9-of-16 from the floor and made three first-half 3-pointers. Sophomore Eddy Egun also scored a career high, seeing his first action in five games and scoring 16 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

The thing that can give Montana optimism moving into Saturday's rematch is the fact that the Grizzlies out-scored the Eagles 60 to 54 over the final 30 minutes. Montana also out-rebounded Eastern Washington, 36 to 31.

Gallery: (2-18-2021) MBB: at Eastern Washington (02.18.21)

Game Notables

Montana lost to Eastern Washington for the first time since January 2019, having previously won four consecutive games over the Eagles.
- Montana (2018, 2019) and Eastern Washington (2020) have won the past three Big Sky Conference regular-season titles and have played each other in three of the past five Big Sky tournament championship games.
- Since Travis DeCuire's arrival to Montana in 2014-15, Montana (90 wins) and Eastern Washington (88) rank first and second in the Big Sky for total wins.
Thursday's 14-point defeat is the largest Big Sky loss in seven seasons under Travis DeCuire. In 138 games against Big Sky competition, DeCuire has lost by double digits just three times (Jan. 26, 2017 vs. Eastern Washington, 12 points; March 7, 2019 at Portland state, 12).
Eastern Washington scored on its first possession of the game and never trailed, leading by as many as 27 points (47-20) and by double digits for the final 33:09.
The Eagles made 14 consecutive shots over a 9-minute stretch, building a 40-17 lead just more than 11 minutes into the contest. At that point, Eastern Washington was shooting 17-of-19 overall, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range.
Montana used a 12-0 run late in the first half, and scored 14 of the final 18 points entering the intermission, to close within 15 points, 51-34.
The Grizzlies closed to within 12 points in the second half, but could never get closer.
Eastern Washington had six different runs of six consecutive points or better.
Montana out-scored Eastern Washington, 60-54, over the final 30 minutes of the game.
Eastern Washington, which average 80.0 points per game (best in Big Sky, top 35 nationally), scored 90 points on .544 shooting (31-of-57) on Thursday.
- It marks just the third time this season that a Big Sky opponent has surpassed its season scoring average against the Griz, with one of the other instances coming in double overtime.
- Montana, which ranks in the top 60 nationally for scoring defense, has allowed its past two opponents to both reach 90 points. Over the past two games, Montana has surrendered 90.5 points per game on .578 shooting.
Josh Bannan getting fancy with the spin move! 🤩#GrizHoops #GoGriz #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/jQuhqShVMn
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 19, 2021
Nearly two-thirds of Montana's scoring came from its bench. Montana's five starters scored 28 points, compared to 48 for the bench.
Montana out-rebounded Eastern Washington, 36 to 31, including 12 offensive boards.
- Four Grizzlies recorded five or more rebounds, led by freshman Josh Bannan's seven.
- Thursday marked the third time this season that Montana has out-rebounded a Division-I opponent. It marked the first time this season the Grizzlies have won the rebounding battle and lost the game.
Montana, which entered the game ranked third nationally for free-throw shooting, was again nearly perfect at the line, shooting 15-of-16. Over the past two games, the Grizzlies are 36-of-38 (.947).
Montana surrendered a season-high 11 3-pointers. The Eagles lead the Big Sky for 3-pointers, while Montana ranked 24^th nationally for 3-point defense.
Freshman Robby Beasley III scored a career-high 25 points, connecting on nine shots, including three from 3-point range.
- Beasley, who has now been in double figures in six of 14 games this season, also added five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
In addition to his team-high seven rebounds, Bannan scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, plus two steals.
- The freshman has now reached double figures for scoring in three consecutive games.
- Bannan played a game-high 35 minutes while earning his first start since Jan. 21.
Sophomore Eddy Egun scored a career-high 16 points, making 4-of-6 shoot attempts and shooting 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also added a season-high six rebounds.
- Egun played 24 minutes off the bench, his first action since Jan. 23 at Sacramento State.
Reserves Darius Henderson (Dec. 18 vs. Dickinson State) and Freddy Brown III (Jan. 9 vs. Whitworth) also saw their first action in more than a month.
Montana used its ninth different starting lineup of the season, with Mack Anderson and Bannan entering the rotation.

EGUN FOR 3!🔥#GrizHoops #GoGriz #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/d4OkGau0Zv
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 19, 2021

Looking Ahead
Montana and Eastern Washington will meet again on Saturday, with the rematch coming in Missoula (noon tipoff on SWX Montana and Pluto TV).

Beasley with the quick release to make a big 3 for the Grizzlies!#GrizHoops #GoGriz #BigSkyMBB pic.twitter.com/jfFpgBX34y
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 19, 2021