Eagles defense earns statement win on the road

POCATELLO, IDAHO — The Eastern Washington Eagles (4-14, 2-3) defeated the Idaho State Bengals 84-66 on the road Saturday. Associate head coach Ryan Lundgren was proud of how the Eagles played from tip-off.

“The key to this one was we came out very aggressive,” Lundgren said. “We knew they were a very aggressive team, and I thought we hit them with the first punch. They didn’t react very well there in the first half.”

Isaiah Moses had a game-high 22 points. Alton Hamilton IV followed with 15 points and a team-best nine rebounds, while Kiree Huie and Johnny Radford each added 12. JoJo Anderson rounded out the scoring in double figures with 11 points, and Huie anchored the defense with three blocks.

The Eagles were efficient on the offensive end, shooting 48 percent from the field compared to ISU’s 38 percent, according to a statement by EWU Athletics. Eastern was especially effective from deep, connecting on 53 percent from three-point range, while Moses was flawless at the free-throw line, finishing 10-for-10.

Eastern Washington took control from the opening tip, building early momentum through defensive pressure and efficient transition offense to claim a 44-21 halftime lead. Hamilton set the tone inside with the Eagles’ first basket and controlled the glass, while Radford and Tyler Powell knocked down early three-pointers to help EWU jump out to a 15-5 advantage in the opening four minutes. The Eagles forced multiple ISU turnovers during that stretch, turning steals into fast-break points to seize command.

“We’ve been on them for weeks about predicating ourselves on defense and allowing that to transition into our offense,” Lundgren said. “I thought we did that. We shot a really high percentage because we got great shots, and we defended.”

Idaho State struggled to find rhythm offensively, shooting just 8-of-30 in the opening half as Eastern’s defense disrupted passing lanes and contested shots. Moses fueled a decisive mid-half run by scoring from the perimeter, attacking the rim, and facilitating in transition, while Huie added strong finishes inside and anchored the defense. EWU closed the half with continued stops and balanced scoring to take a commanding 23-point cushion into the break.

Eastern came out of the locker room with purpose and quickly stretched the advantage in the opening minutes of the second half. Hamilton IV ignited the run with back-to-back baskets in the paint, while the Eagles’ defense remained active with blocks from Huie and Radford.

“They got away with some things early in the second half, but I thought we answered the bell,” Lundgren said. “We got stops when we needed to, stretched it back to 20 and made our free throws.”

The Bengals made a push midway through the half behind Caleb Van de Griend and Connor Hollenbeck, trimming the deficit to as few as 13, but they never reached single digits. Eastern consistently responded with timely buckets from Powell and Anderson and steady free-throw shooting from Radford and Moses.

“Credit to our defense,” Lundgren added. “Our perimeter guys were solid, our bigs fought their tails off. They throw the ball into the post a lot, and we knew it was going to be a battle in the paint, but overall we dictated the game.”

Eastern’s poise down the stretch sealed the win. Moses went a perfect 6-for-6 at the line in the second half, Huie finished strong at the rim to halt a late ISU push, and Anderson punctuated the night with a corner three in the final seconds to cap the 84–66 victory and snap the Eagles’ road losing streak.

The 18-point margin marked the Bengals’ worst loss of the season, as well as their lowest shooting performance from the field and second-worst night from three-point range this year, according to a statement by ISU Athletics. The Bengals head coach Ryan Looney credited Eastern Washington’s physicality and urgency from the opening tip.

“I thought they played harder than us, especially early in the game,” Looney said. “The very first possession, we lost the jump ball, they got two offensive rebounds, and scored on their third shot. I think that kind of set the tone for them the rest of the night.”

Eastern Washington returns home to host Portland State on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m., before welcoming Sacramento State on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m.

“Great road win,” Lundgren said. “Now we’ve got two really good teams coming up. It’ll be a challenge, but we get to play in front of our fans and hopefully build on this.”

BOX SCORE:

EWU: 44-40: 84

ISU: 21-45: 66

    Shaumba Ngoyi (35) tries to block a dunk by an Idaho State player. The Eagles logged 28 rebounds as a team in their win Saturday.