The Eastern Washington University men’s basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit with 10 minutes left to force overtime, then prevailed 93-88 in another double-overtime nonconference victory over Seattle University on Sunday, Dec. 4, at KeyArena in Seattle.
Six 3-pointers in the final eight minutes of regulation helped send the game into overtime, including a triple with 24 seconds remaining by Felix Von Hofe, who finished with 19 points. After the Redhawks hit a 3-pointer to send the game into a second extra period, Eastern used a 9-0 run and hit 11 of 12 free throws in the final 1:54 to close out its first road victory in three tries.
Junior Bogdan Bliznyuk had a double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Eastern survived a 1 of 19 shooting stretch to finish at 42 percent for the game with 11 3-pointers. Spokane’s Cody Benzel was also in double figures with 12 and senior Jacob Wiley had a great all-around game with 10 points, eight rebounds, five blocked shots, five assists and a pair of steals.
The victory was Eastern’s fifth in a row, all by six points or less. Now 6-2, Eastern becomes just the third team in EWU’s 34-year history as a member of NCAA Division I to have a 6-2 or better start, joining the 2014-15 and 2008-09 squads to achieve that feat.
“It’s the kind of win when you go on the road and gain confidence,” Eastern head coach Jim Hayford said. “It’s going to be a season like this with a lot of close games — we’ve played more overtime games this year than we have the last three years. This is the kind of win that can breed more wins.”
The Eagles are home tonight, Dec. 8, to face Great Falls at Reese Court and Tuesday against Moorhead State. Both games tip at 6:05 p.m.
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