Struggling Eagles Face Surging Vandals in Big Sky Opener

CALDWELL, Idaho (Interstat) — The Eastern Washington Eagles, mired in a difficult non-conference stretch, aim for a fresh start in Big Sky play when they visit the Idaho Vandals on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

The matchup at Idaho Central Credit Union Arena pits teams on opposite trajectories. Idaho (8-5) enters conference action with momentum from a strong pre-conference performance, while Eastern Washington (2-11) seeks to halt a five-game skid.

The Vandals have shown resilience, including an overtime road win at Cal Poly and a narrow last-second loss at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 23. In that 63-64 defeat, forward Brody Rowbury was a force, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Rowbury has been a consistent contributor, averaging a double-double in key games earlier in December.

Eastern Washington is coming off a 109-81 loss at BYU on Dec. 22, its third straight defeat by 20 or more points. Guard Alton Hamilton has been a bright spot, averaging 15.6 points over his last five games. He posted 13 points and six assists against BYU, following a 19-point effort at Utah.

Idaho’s defense, which held four non-conference opponents under 70 points, will test an Eagles’ offense that has struggled against high-major competition. Eastern Washington’s two wins came against Missouri-Kansas City and Division II Eastern Oregon.

The Vandals have dominated recent meetings, winning the last four matchups. Home-court advantage has been significant; Idaho is 5-1 at home this season, while Eastern Washington is 0-7 in true road games.

Saturday’s contest opens the conference schedule for both teams. Idaho looks to establish itself as a contender, while Eastern Washington desperately seeks a turnaround to ignite its season.