Sacramento St at Eastern Washington (-3) - 7:00pm Pacific - Game #573-574

I have been waiting very patiently for a good spot to play EWU and this one has come up beautifully.  EWU is definitely in the upper echelon of the Big Sky conference and will only be threatened at home by the very elite teams in the conference.  The Eagles are led by guard Rodney Stuckey, one of the top freshman in the country, and a rare NBA prospect in this league.  Stuckey has been a constant all season but he is getting more and more help in recent weeks.  Sophomore forward Kellen Williams has scored in double figures in three of last four games and junior center Paul Butorac has averaged 12.4ppg in last 10 games.  Senior Deuce Smith is a reliable point guard with experience.  The Eagles easily go nine deep so depth is not an issue.  The Eagles were unfortunate to play 5 of their first 7 conference games on the road and in doing so have already played on the home court of the top four teams in the league.  They still have managed a 3-4 record and are now primed for a strong finish as they play 5 of their last 7 at home.  Eastern Washington had won three straight games before losing at Montana State and at Montana on the road last week.  Even in the losses they played very well, leading by as much as 10 points in the second half of both games.  Montana and Montana State are extremely tough venues to win at.

 

Sacramento State lost leading scorer Jason Harris to academics for five games and surprisingly did well winning 4 of 5 in his absence.  However, they have lost two straight since his return and three straight over all.  There is a good chance they could be having chemistry issues right now as Harris likes having the ball in his hands often.  The Hornets are deep with perimeter talent but have very little inside presence to speak of.  They have posted a 2-1 record in Big Sky road games but the two wins both came against teams tied for last in the conference standings.  One of the road wins came on a fall away baseline shot at the buzzer for a one point win.  In conference games only, Sac State ranks last in the Big Sky in FG% shooting, FG% defense, and rebounding margin.  They rely heavily on forcing turnovers which is a style not conducive of success on the road.

 

Eastern Washington has only played six times at home all season.  They are 5-1 with their only loss coming vs a good San Diego team in a non-conference game played on New Year's day.  EWU just did not show up that day, but have won all of their other home games by an average margin of 15.25.  A tired Eastern Washington team lost at Sacramento State by 19 earlier in the season and will surely have a great opportunity for revenge tonight.  Give the small number and expect a convincing win.

 

RAS Official Play:  Eastern Washington -3  2 UNITS