Jose Briseno -USU Eastern Assistant SID
Photo courtesy of Dallin Grant
The Utah State Eastern men’s basketball team finished its preseason schedule with the Snow College Holiday Invitational. They played against the Casper College Thunderbirds and the Western Nebraska Community College Cougars.
For the second time in as many weekends, the Eagles faced off against the Casper Thunderbirds. The first time the two met, the Eagles won a close game, 79-75.
In the second matchup, the Eagles fought early, finding themselves with a nine-point lead, 31-22, with under seven minutes left in the first half. Casper responded with a 13-2 run. The run was one of many for the Thunderbirds, but it was the Eagles who finished the half with a 42-40 lead. Liam Davis had eight points to lead the Eagles.
The early parts of the second half were controlled by Casper, who jumped to a nine-point lead after five minutes of play. The Eagles battled back and took their first lead since the break, 75-74, with under four minutes to play. With 37 seconds left, Isaac Castagnetto hit a jumper to give Eastern a four-point cushion. The defense held strong as the Eagles won 85-84.
Bowen Davies led the Eagles with 16 points and seven rebounds. Liam Davis (13), Adam Grissom (10), Kayin Turner (10), and Ike Palmer (10) finished with double figures.
To close the preseason, the Eagles faced the Western Nebraska Cougars on Saturday.
The Eagles opened the game with strong offensive play, taking a 14-point lead after eight minutes in the first half. Eastern continued to dominate the half, holding the lead throughout the period. The Eagles took a 47-39 lead into the break. Kayin Turner had 13 points on 5-6 shooting in the half.
The second half was a similar story to the first. The Eagles dominated the Cougars, outscoring them 40-33 in the second half. Their lead was as large as 19 points as Eastern finished the game with an 87-72 victory. Bowen Davies recorded a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Ike Palmer finished with 18 points, and Turner recorded 17 points.
The Eagles finish the preseason with a 13-2 record, one of three teams with 10 or more wins in the Scenic West Athletic Conference. After a break for Christmas, the Eagles will begin conference play, hosting the Salt Lake Community College Bruins on Saturday, Jan. 3.