A Grip on Sports: Eastern solidifies its hold on Big Sky lead with win over Montana

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Ladies and gentlemen, your first-place Eastern Washington University Eagles.

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• OK, so Eastern’s men have been atop the Big Sky basketball standings since the conference’s schedule tipped off. Their 6-0 mark is a game-and-a-half clear of Sacramento State. We get that.

But following last night’s 64-57 win over Montana in Cheney, the Eagles’ spot seems a lot more secure. But can you honestly say, after their 6-7 nonconference performance, you saw it coming?

Sit down Nostradamus. Even you’re lying.

Not after the season began 1-4, with losses to Santa Clara, Yale and Washington State. Who knew those schools would be as good as they have been? Heck, even a win over a Pac-12 team – California – on the road seemed less than stellar, considering it was by two points and it was against, after all, Cal. That seemed sort of like defeating the ’62 Mets.

But a couple of losses that followed actually showed the promise of this rebuilt Eastern roster. A one-point defeat at South Dakota State was followed a few days later by a seven-point one at Texas Tech. A tough road trip against two good teams and two chances to win.

Despite a 4-7 record, a tweak here and there and the Eagles might fly. They have ever since, winning two nonconference games and then opening Big Sky play with a sweep of the Montana schools on the road.

Suddenly, it seemed as if the long travels early on had built something. Togetherness? Maybe. Toughness? Certainly.

Plus it didn’t hurt EWU has played its last four games at home. Road lessons are great and all but it’s much easier to win on your campus. And that the Eagles have done. They are 6-0 in Cheney – the WSU game, in the Spokane Arena, is listed as a home game on their schedule but we all know that isn’t precisely true.

The latest victory, giving them a sweep of the Grizzlies, showcased Eastern Washington’s ability to win Big Sky games no matter how they are played.

The Eagles can fly up and down the court with the best of them. But they had to grind against Montana and grind they did, holding UM to 37.5% shooting, including a miserable 5-of-28 from beyond the arc.

At times this season Eastern’s offense has featured one player exploding for a large number. Monday night it was balance among the starters – four were in double figures, led by Ethan Price’s 13 – and key contributions off the bench.

Add it up and the Eagles head off on the road this weekend for the “Northern” trip – they play Northern Colorado on Thursday and Northern Arizona on Saturday – alone in first place. The nearest pursuer, Sacramento State, is 4-1 with games at Idaho State and Weber State this week.

Funny thing about life in a mid-major conference. The regular season, while a test of will and endurance, doesn’t determine anything. The ultimate prize is the lone bid to the NCAA tourney and all the perks that accompany it. That goes to the tournament champions. After all, at-large berths are not a thing in the Sky.

Yes, winning the regular season title earns an easier berth come the first of March in Boise. And it includes a trophy.

But the ultimate reward may just be the recognition of your peers. The understanding that, over the course of an 18-game schedule, with half of those in places where everyone is screaming at you, hoping you’ll fail, you showed the most fortitude. Exhibited toughness over and over. And won at least one more time than anyone else.

It’s not the glamour and glitz of the NCAA Tournament. But it is something special. Something the Eagles are a third of the way to accomplishing.

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WSU: Around the Pac-12 and college basketball, the weekend that was occupies Jon Wilner’s thoughts in the S-R today and Jeff Metcalfe’s in the Mercury News. … Colorado’s defense has improved. Now, about that offense. … There are still inequities between the men and women. … Arizona State is moving up in everyone’s eyes. … Arizona is still dealing with the stumble at Oregon. … In football news, John Canzano has some tidbits about the recently approved (but not announced) 2023 football schedule. … Wilner rates the winners and losers in the runup to the NFL draft deadline. … Washington has a lot of depth offensively. … UCLA has lost its best running back to the NFL.

Gonzaga: You know you have it rolling when one the best young players in the world enrolls at your school and agrees to sit for a semester. That’s what happened this month with GU, as Theo Lawson explains. … Theo also has a story on the Zags moving to sixth in the latest AP poll. … Jim Allen covers the women jumping to 16th in the AP poll. … Stephanie Hawk Freeman will represent the Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor class. That news leads of the latest S-R local briefs column. … Elsewhere in the WCC, it’s possible the close loss to GU actually helped BYU. 

EWU: We mentioned Eastern’s win over Montana last night above – and linked Dan Thompson’s story. We link it here again. … The women traveled to Missoula and picked up a win as well.

Idaho: The Vandals are winless in conference no longer. And by defeating Montana State 74-70 in Moscow on Monday night, they dropped the defending champion Bobcats two games behind EWU in the Big Sky. Peter Harriman has the game story.

Track and field: There is another big-time track meet headed to The Podium this month. John Blanchette has the preview.

Seahawks: Pete Carroll admitted his failures yesterday, although obliquely. They are not that good up front on defense. He has a huge role in those decisions. Expect the Hawks to focus there in the draft. … It looks as if they really want to bring back Geno Smith. … The defensive staff is just fine with Carroll.

Kraken: Tampa Bay ended Seattle’s win streak at eight with a 4-1 victory last night in Climate Pledge Arena. … The Kraken’s schedule is unique.

Mariners: We found this story about Portland’s expansion effort interesting in that after five years of effort, Major League Baseball hasn’t moved any closer to a decision about adding a couple teams.  

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• We’re finally getting over our cold. We’ve passed it on, though, to another member of our household. She’s miserable. And probably ready to give it back. Sorry. No refunds. Until later …