Sports

Wildcats no match for Eagles
Eastern jumps on Weber State early, coasts into Big Sky tourney title game
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Dave Trimmer
Staff writer

If at first you don't succeed try, try, try and try again.

Eastern Washington will do just that, attempting for the fourth straight year to win the Big Sky men's basketball tournament and the NCAA berth that goes with it.

The top-seeded Eagles (16-12) advanced to tonight's 6:05 championship game on ESPN2 by dispatching Weber State 72-53 Tuesday night before 4,247 boisterous fans at Reese Court.

They'll play second-seeded Northern Arizona, which rolled over Idaho State 91-72 in the first game.

It is EWU's fourth consecutive trip to the championship game but the first on their home court, which obviously made a difference against the fifth-seeded Wildcats (15-14), who beat the Eagles 60-57 in the title game last year in Utah.

Eastern shot 66.7 percent in the first half and 57 percent for the game. Marc Axton scored 21 points for the Eagles, hitting 8 of 10 shots, and Alvin Snow added 18.

The Eagles kept their crowd revved up from the opening moments by scoring the first seven points.

Seven different Eagles scored in a blistering first half, led by Axton with 14 points. EWU shot 66.7 percent, making 18 of 27 shots. Meanwhile, only four players scored for the Wildcats, who shot 30 percent (7 of 23).

Eastern had the lead up to 16 at the 10-minute mark after a basket by Matt Nelson on a Brendon Merritt assist.

Twice Weber made short 6-0 runs but in between the Eagles put together a 10-2 surge and closed the half with an 8-2 burst to lead 40-22.

At one point, with 5:39 to go in the half, the Wildcats had more points from the line (eight) than they did on on field goals (six) and trailed 28-14.

The Eagles cooled off in the second half, hitting just three of their first nine shots. With Nic Sparrow hitting from the outside and Slobodan Ocokoljic working inside, the Wildcats were within 12 with 12 minutes to go.

Then Axton and Snow hit consecutive 3s to get the lead quickly back to 18.

Weber cut into the margin, getting within 13 with 7:45 to play, but when Nelson hit a free throw with 3:39 left the lead was 67-47.

Sparrow finished with 20 points and Ocokoljic had 18. They had all but five of Weber's points in the second half. The Wildcats shot 30 percent in the first half and 36 percent for the game.

Eastern hit 7 of 14 3-pointers and had a 30-20 advantage in rebounding, led by Merritt's eight.

The only place the Wildcats had an edge was at the foul line. WSU made 20 of 23 to 9 of 12 for the Eagles.

Weber State has appeared in every Big Sky tournament but one since 1976 and won the championship seven times.

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