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Eastern Washington University Basketball

Eastern Washington unable to slow hot-shooting Northern Arizona 87-67

Eastern Washington guard Nic McClain drives against Northern Arizona’s defense during Saturday’s Big Sky Conference game at Findlay Toyota Field in Flagstaff, Ariz. (Courtesy of EWU Athletics)

From staff reports

Northern Arizona shot a season-high 61.8% from the field and handed the Eastern Washington men’s basketball team an 87-67 loss Saturday in Flagstaff, Arizona.

It was the second straight decisive defeat for the Eagles (10-18, 6-9 Big Sky), who lost to Northern Colorado by 19 points on Thursday. Eastern is eighth in the Big Sky standings, a half game behind the Lumberjacks (16-13, 7-9).

Senior Andrew Cook led the Eagles in scoring with 14 points, and sophomore Mason Williams added 12 points and a team-high four rebounds.

But the Eagles struggled to slow NAU guard Trenton McLaughlin, who scored 23 points and finished with five steals and six assists. Carson Towt added 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Lumberjacks, who outrebounded the Eagles 31-24. It marked the fifth straight game in which Eastern was outrebounded.

The Eagles led for a 12-minute stretch of the first half, but an 11-0 Lumberjacks run turned Eastern’s 24-20 lead into a 31-24 edge for NAU, which led the rest of the game.

Eastern shot 46.4% from the field and made 9 of 22 3-pointers, more than it had made in its past 10 games. But the Eagles also struggled to get to the foul line, making 6 of 7 free throws – their fewest attempts of the season.

Eastern has three regular-season games remaining, starting Thursday at home against Weber State. The Eagles are two games behind third-place Portland State in the crowded middle of the Big Sky standings.

Women

Northern Arizona 88, Eastern Washington 77: Peyton Howard’s career-high 30 points weren’t enough for the Eagles (10-17, 6-9 Big Sky) to overcome the Lumberjacks (23-6, 14-2) at Reese Court in Cheney.

It was the second straight loss for the Eagles, who are tied with Idaho State and Montana for fifth place in the Big Sky standings with three games left in the regular season.

Eastern led 40-33 at halftime, but NAU tied the score at 48 midway through the third quarter, in which the Lumberjacks outscored the Eagles 34-18.

Sophie Glancey made 10 of 20 shots and led NAU with 25 points; Taylor Feldman added 17 points.

EWU is on the road next, at Weber State on Thursday and Idaho State on Saturday.