Men’s Basketball Go 3-1 in Their Last Four Games

The Utah State University Eastern Men’s Basketball team has extended their record to 18-8 over the past two weeks, where they have won three out of their last four games. On Feb. 15, the Eagles matched up against the Community Christian College Saints. On Feb. 17, USU Eastern played against College of Southern Nevada. Then on Feb. 22, Utah State played against the Golden Eagles from the College of Southern Idaho. Lastly, they played against North Idaho College on Feb. 24.

First up, Utah State University Eastern traveled to Redlands, CA to play against Community Christian College. The Eagles came out firing in the first half and absolutely crushed the Saints, ending the second half with a 57-22 lead. USU Eastern did not let up, as they scored 69 points in the second half too, which secured them the victory. The final box score was 126-43. Dyson Lighthall contributed 26 points and seven rebounds, while also shooting an astounding 92% from the field. Jamele Jack also had a great game, where he scored 23 points, grabbed four rebounds, all the while shooting 58% from the three-point line.

Next, Utah State University Eastern traveled to Henderson, NV to face off against the College of Southern Nevada. The Eagles battled back and forth in the first half against the Coyotes, entering the second half of the game down by seven points. Despite their efforts, Utah State only shot 38.2% from the field and 12.5% from three-point range the entire game, which cost them the win. The final score for the game was 63-70. Martel Williams was the leading scorer for Utah State, where he picked up 15 points and seven rebounds. Taft Mitchell was the only other teammate to put up double-digit points this game, where he scored 12 points and snagged three rebounds.

After their loss on the road, USU Eastern would play their next game at the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center in Price, Utah against the College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles. There was a huge attendance for this game, as it was also fan appreciation night for USU Eastern’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. CSI and USU Eastern continuously fought back and forth for the lead in the first half of the game. Entering the second half only up by four points, Utah State continued to put pressure on the Golden Eagles, which ultimately won USU Eastern the game. The final box score for the game was 89-80. Martel Williams had an incredible game where he had a near double-double, scoring 40 points and snagging nine rebounds. Ethan Copeland also contributed 16 points, five rebounds, and dished out seven assists during the game.

For their last home game of the season, which also was their senior appreciation night, Utah State University Eastern played against North Idaho College at the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center. The Eagles came out firing in the first half of the game, scoring 48 points compared to the Cardinal’s 33. The second half of the game would look like the first, as Utah State scored 41 points and North Idaho 33. The final score was 89-66 in Utah State University Eastern’s favor. Williams again would have an amazing game, where he scored 33 points and had nine rebounds. Copeland would also score double digits, as he put up 16 points during the game. Dyson Lighthall had a near double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds for the team.

Utah State University Eastern’s last region game of the season will be on Feb. 29 against Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely, CO. With USU Eastern being tied for fourth with Snow College, this next game will be an important one. The Region 18 Tournament will be held between Mar. 8 and Mar. 9, and details for that are still to be announced as of this article’s writing.