Eastern Washington Topples Hawaii

It is never easy to fly to Hawaii and win, especially by 16. So Eastern Washington had to be excited after beating Hawaii 89-72 on Tuesday night, really taking control of the game in the second half.

Hawaii jumped out to an early lead, but the Eagles took a 33-29 lead into intermission. From the start of the 2nd half they jumped on things, leading by as many as 18 before the final margin of 17.

Collin Chiverton got things going in the first half, as he had 12 of his 20 points, a game-high. He hit three more treys, and is a huge weapon from the outside. Cliff Ederaine picked it up in the second half, scoring 14 of his 18 points. Cliff Colimon also had another nice day, with 15 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Jeffrey Forbes was the only other Eagle in double figures, with 14 points.

I thought this would be a good barometer for the Eagles, as they have lost some tight games on the road against good competition this year. They answered all questions, as Hawaii is a solid team. Coupled with Montana State's loss, the Eagles look like a top 3 Big Sky team to me right now. Coach Hayford said the trip has been good for his team in other ways too:

“Our players keep showing poise,” Hayford said of having second-half leads in all four games. “This has really been a good trip because the players can spend time together and bond. To play well is one thing, but to see them get along really reinforces all of those things so much. It was just a great night to be an Eagle.”

The Eagles have to be feeling good about themselves heading into the holiday, but they will have no time to rest. UC Davis comes to town on Sunday.

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