MISSOULA, Mont. – The Eastern Washington Eagles faced off against the Montana Grizzlies on March 3, 2025, but came up short, losing 83-72. The defeat seals Eastern Washington's regular season with a record of 10-21 overall and 6-12 within the Big Sky Conference.
The game played at Dahlberg Arena was pivotal as Montana claimed its 13th Big Sky Conference title, sharing the honor with Northern Colorado, finishing the season with a record of 22-9 overall and 15-3 within the conference.
Montana was led by Money Williams, who came off the bench to score 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting. His impressive performance helped rally the Grizzlies after they initially struggled through the first half. Montana also saw strong contributions from Te'Jon Sawyer with 19 points, Joe Pridgen, who recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, as well as Brandon Whitney with 13 points and notable assists.
The Eagles started strong, building a quick 19-5 lead within the first stretches of the game, thanks to Mason Williams, who hit key shots, including three early baskets. Eastern's early dominance was complemented by Andrew Cook's sharp shooting, netting 19 points and helping to maintain the lead. The Eagles shot 56% from the field during the game, which is commendable, yet they were outmatched on the rebounds as Montana controlled the boards 29-24.
Despite Eastern Washington's strong first half, leading 37-30 at halftime, the momentum shifted following the break. Montana executed flawlessly, erasing the deficit and taking their first lead at 53-51 with just over 12 minutes remaining. The Grizzlies' comeback was significantly fortified as they improved their scoring efficiency and tightened their defense.
“I like our feel going Into the tournament a lot more than I did 24 hours ago,” said coach Dan Monson of Eastern Washington post-game. “We got beat today. They made plays at the end, and we didn't. We couldn’t get a grip defensively in the second half.” Eastern’s defensive efforts faltered significantly as they allowed Montana to score 53 points after the break, leading to the Eagles' eventual downfall.
Montana staged a decisive 13-2 run late, fueled by Malik Moore's clutch three-pointer, which pushed their lead to 73-70 with only 2:42 left on the clock. They capitalized on Eastern Washington's last-ditch efforts by sinking free throws, netting 23 out of 33 attempts throughout the game, underscoring their proficiency at the line under pressure.
While Eastern’s performance had its merits, highlighted by their field goal percentage and teamwork reflected through the assists (the Eagles achieved four more assists than Montana with 17), the deficit on rebounds and late-game mistakes made the difference. “Our guys fought, and they fought together,” Monson noted, acknowledging the efforts of his team. “But we had five guys out there fighting for 40 minutes.”
Looking forward, Eastern will advance to the Big Sky tournament facing Northern Arizona on March 8, 2025, at 7 p.m. PST, hoping to regroup and turn their fortunes around. The match promises to be intense for the eighth-seeded Eagles as they seek to break free from the disappointing regular season.
Montana, meanwhile, prepares to kick off their tournament as the second seed and will face the winner of the first-round matchup featuring Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington, setting them up for potential redemption and success following their impressive regular season.
This match was not only about the score but showcased the struggles and resilience within the Big Sky Conference, providing fans with electrifying basketball as teams head toward the postseason. The excitement builds, and with March Madness on the horizon, both teams look to assert themselves heading forward.