Eastern Washington’s Comeback Falls Short Against Idaho: A Thrilling 83-76 Showdown

MOSCOW, Idaho. — Eastern Washington (6-12, 2-3) made a comeback in the second half but ultimately succumbed to Idaho (8-10, 3-2) with a final score of 83-76.
 
“They were simply more prepared than we were,” stated head coach Dan Monson. “They performed better than us in the first half, and we placed ourselves in a disadvantage. Offensively we lacked our rhythm, and defensively we failed to control the game in the first half.”
 
Mason Williams spearheaded the Eagles’ offense with 21 points, while Andrew Cook contributed 18. Both Nic McClain and Emmett Marquardt also scored in double digits. On the defensive end, Sebastian Hartmann and Tyler Powell each secured seven rebounds, while McClain registered three steals.
 
“In the second half, I believed we played quite hard, but we had dug ourselves too deep into a deficit. I commend our guys for fighting back from that gap, but it took us too long to get there.”
 
First Half:
Idaho controlled the first half, dominating Eastern 35-14 in the paint and out-rebounding them 22-14. The Eagles had difficulties offensively, particularly during a six-minute scoring drought that permitted the Vandals to widen their lead to seven points.
 
The match commenced with a closely contested struggle. Williams initiated the scoring with a long three-pointer for the Eagles, but Idaho quickly answered with one of their own. By the first media break, the Vandals led 10-7. A 6-0 run by Idaho expanded their lead to 25-12.
 
Cook halted the momentum with a pull-up jumper, but Eastern continued to find it challenging to keep up. With only six seconds remaining before halftime, McClain forced a steal, converting it into a fast layup, which brought Eastern within 12 as they headed into the break.
 
Second Half:
The Eagles came out energized in the second half. Hartmann sank a three-pointer, followed by a basket from Cook that reduced Idaho’s lead to single digits. McClain then drained a three from the corner, and Williams hit two free throws following a steal, narrowing the gap to just four points with 15:52 left on the clock.
 
However, Idaho quickly responded with a brief 6-0 surge, extending their lead back to 11 points. Williams went to the charity stripe for four free throws and made all of them to keep Eastern within reach. Following a bucket from the Vandals, Idaho’s advantage increased to nine.
 
With less than a minute remaining, Williams sank a corner three, Marquardt secured a steal and assisted Cook for a reverse layup, followed by a free throw from Cook that narrowed the deficit to three. At the last media timeout, the score was 72-68 in favor of Idaho.
Despite a commendable effort toward the end, Eastern was unable to complete the comeback and fell to the Vandals with a final score of 83-76.
 
Up Next:
The Eagles will prepare for three games within six days as they travel to Bozeman, Montana, to compete against Montana State on Monday, Jan. 20, at 6 p.m. PST. Afterwards, Eastern will take on Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado at home.
 

ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics supports 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, providing opportunities for its most athletically gifted students and enhancing student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, which comprises 10 regional institutions with similar enrollments and academic objectives.

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