CHENEY, Wash. (Interstat) — In a matchup of teams seeking traction in the Big Sky Conference, the Eastern Washington Eagles used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from the Sacramento State Hornets for a 75-67 victory on Saturday night at Reese Court.

The game, played before a crowd of 1,832, was a contest of contrasting efficiencies. Eastern Washington, despite committing nine turnovers to Sacramento State’s 10, capitalized more effectively on those opportunities, scoring 21 points off turnovers compared to the Hornets’ 12. The Eagles also dominated the interior, outscoring Sacramento State 34-26 in the paint and securing a 10-4 advantage in offensive rebounds, which led to crucial second-chance opportunities.

Sacramento State kept pace for much of the first half, trailing just 38-33 at the break behind the scoring of Mark Lavrenov and Prophet Johnson. The Hornets even narrowed the gap early in the second period. However, the game’s most critical sequence unfolded shortly after halftime, a stretch that ultimately defined the outcome.

Eastern Washington opened the second half with an immediate 8-0 run in just over a minute of play, transforming a five-point lead into a commanding 46-33 advantage. The burst began with a 3-pointer from Johnny Radford, assisted by Alton Hamilton, and was quickly followed by a Hamilton steal and subsequent putback layup after a missed three. This explosive start forced Sacramento State to burn a full timeout at the 19:08 mark, but the damage was done. The Eagles’ defense tightened, and their offense, which had posted an offensive rating of 116.2 for the game, found its rhythm. Sacramento State never recovered from that deficit, unable to cut the lead to fewer than six points for the remainder of the contest.

The Eagles’ victory was a balanced effort. Kiree Huie led the team with 16 points and was a force on the glass. Tyler Powell added 14 points, including a key 3-pointer during the second-half run, and contributed a block and a steal. Isaiah Moses orchestrated the offense with 13 points and four assists, while Alton Hamilton provided 11 points, three assists, and two steals, his early second-half energy sparking the decisive run.

Sacramento State was carried by the standout performances of Lavrenov and Johnson. Lavrenov, a 6-foot-8 forward from Rocklin, California, scored a game-high 26 points in 30 minutes, consistently attacking the basket and drawing fouls. Johnson, a guard from Dayton, Ohio, added 18 points in a game-high 39 minutes of action. Taj Glover provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, all in the first half, but the Hornets’ offense struggled as a unit, managing only four total assists and shooting just 5 of 17 from 3-point range.

With the win, Eastern Washington improved its season record to 5-15 overall. Sacramento State fell to 6-13. The game concluded a stretch where the Hornets had lost four of their last five contests. Both teams continue Big Sky play next Thursday. Eastern Washington travels to face Northern Arizona, while Sacramento State returns home to host Montana State.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Eastern Washington entered the game with a 79.6% probability to win and covered the pregame spread of -5. The total score of 142 fell well under the over/under line of 161.5.