Coming off an emphatic 75-59 win against conference opponent University of Idaho, the Southern Utah University men’s basketball team is looking to make it four wins in a row when they take on the Eagles of Eastern Washington University on Saturday, Feb 5.
This will be the second matchup of the year for these two teams. SUU won the first meeting at Eastern Washington, 89-76. Dre Marin led the T-birds with an impressive 28-point performance of 9-16 from the field and 5-10 from three.
The Thunderbirds
SUU has been playing solid basketball the last couple of weeks, winning five of their last six games. The only loss coming to No. 1 Weber State University.
Guard Tevian Jones has really started to perform like the predicted Big Sky Player of the Year, averaging just over 20 points per game over that six game stretch, including a 36-point outburst in an overtime win at Portland State University.
The team has been dealing with some injuries, John Knight III has been playing limited minutes due to a hip flexor issue and Maizen Faussett went down with a knee injury late in the game against Idaho on Thursday.
Looking at Eastern Washington
Now 5-6 in conference play, the Eagles are looking to halt a three game losing skid on the road in Cedar City.
Eastern Washington has lost their last three contests by a combined 12 points, including a loss on Jan. 31 to Weber by just six.
The Eagles are led by forwards Steele Venters and Linton Acliese III who both average 16 points per game. The Eagles average 77 a game as a team compared to SUU’s 79 and shoot 44% from the field. Defensively they hold teams to 41% from the field and just 30% from three.
The matchup
This Eastern Washington team is just a couple of possessions away from being a top team in the Big Sky and they are ready to prove it when they come to the America First Event Center on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.The game can also be live streamed on ESPN+.
Article by: Parker Haynie
sports@suunews.net
Photo Courtesy of SUU Athletics
