Eagles soar to first win under Monson, defeating Redhawks

CHENEY — Eastern (1-1) secured their first win of the season, defeating Seattle (0-1) 93-86 in a thrilling match at home. The victory was especially significant for head coach Dan Monson, as it marked his first win with the Eagles. With the win, EWU improved to 9-7 all-time against the Redhawks.

"The most gratifying thing about today's win, isn't that it's our first team win, that it isn't my first win, it's that the team got better today and they won that as a group," said Monson. "Your going to win a lot of games when you put 93 point on the board. We are still a work in progress, but its a lot easier to learn after a good win like this."

Andrew Cook was the standout for Eastern Washington, scoring 25 points, while Mason Williams added 18, Sebastian Hartmann had 16, and Emmett Marquardt chipped in with 14. The Eagles shot an impressive 50% from the field and narrowly out-rebounded Seattle 30-28. As a team, EWU only gave up six turnovers to Seattle's 10.

"We'll get better defense because this a very coachable group, they have start both games dictating the defense, we just have to sustain it."

The game began with a fast-paced start, as EWU went on a 14-0 run to open up the contest, largely thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Marquardt had five points during the run, but Seattle quickly responded with a 7-0 run of their own to close the gap. Despite the Redhawks' effort to fight back, a mid-range jumper from Vice Zanki ended their run, restoring Eastern's momentum.

Seattle then caught fire with a series of three-pointers, taking their first lead of the game with 7:50 remaining in the first half. However, Cook answered with a fast-break layup to tie the game at 28. The Eagles went into halftime with a 40-35 lead, largely due to Williams' 10 points and solid shooting — 51% from the field compared to Seattle's 41%.

"I thought our bench was a big key this game. They came and did their job and did it well. I love kids that come out and don't ask why they are coming out, they went in to help their teammate and they came out to help their teammates."

The second half saw Marquardt hit a big three-pointer to give EWU a 12-point lead early on. However, Seattle responded with an 8-0 run to cut the Eagles' advantage to just three. With 10 minutes remaining in the game, the Redhawks pulled within two, but that was as close as they would get.

With the game winding down and Eastern leading by seven with two minutes to go, Williams nailed crucial free throws to extend the lead to nine. Despite Seattle's attempt to capitalize on a couple of Eastern fouls to get some free-throw points, the Eagles held firm and secured the 93-86 victory.

In the second half, Cook and Hartmann continued their strong performances, each finishing in double figures to help seal the win. Overall, the Eagles' balanced attack and effective shooting proved too much for Seattle, as Eastern bounced back from their season-opening loss to start 1-1.

Up Next
Eastern will hit the road for the second time in three games, to face off against Missouri on Monday, Nov. 11, at 4 p.m.