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An experienced Eastern Washington team is stacking wins and soaring toward March

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An experienced Eastern Washington team is stacking wins and soaring toward March


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Erick Doxey photo

Guard/Forward Casey Jones

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When you think of Cheney, college basketball probably isn”t the first thing that comes to mind, but these days maybe it should be. That’s because the Eastern Washington University Eagles have found a consistent formula that’s turning high-octane offense into success in the win column.

The Eagles are 17-9 on the season and an impressive 11-2 in Big Sky Conference play. Their record is no fluke. Under third-year head coach David Riley, Eastern Washington has built a culture that allows players to have fun on the basketball court and, in turn, encourages them to stay and develop within the program. These Eags are old and experienced, and it shows in their results.

“I think our development track record kind of speaks for itself. We had five of the last seven [Big Sky] MVPs. We’ve kind of done all this success with developing our own guys,” Riley says. “I think that’s lost nowadays where people transfer from school to school and they just kind of work on what’s right in front of them. We try to have a long-term vision for each of our guys.”

That long-term vision can only pay off if the players are willing to stick around. At Eastern, the top-five leading scorers are upperclassmen, all averaging over 10 points per game.

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Ethan Price and Casey Jones have spent their entire careers at Eastern. Cedric Coward and Dane Erikstrup are in their second year in the program after transferring up from the D-III and D-II levels respectively. Of those five, only Jake Kyman is a first-year transfer (UCLA to Wyoming to EWU).

When you take an experienced core like that and let them loose on the offensive end, you wind up with some electrifying basketball.

“It’s a fun way to play, and it allows you to be yourself out there” Riley says. “Our guys get to play to their strengths. They don’t have to fit into some box, which is nice, and it’s just a fun group. We’ve got a really low-ego, goofy group. It’s fun to root for.”

He’s not wrong. As of Feb. 16, the Eagles are averaging a shade under 80 points per game behind one of the more uptempo offenses in the entire sport. They’re shooting 49.8 percent from the field, the eighth-best mark in the country. If not for a brutal start to the season that saw the Eagles go on the road to face power conference team after power conference team, those numbers would be even higher.

After reigning Big Sky MVP Steele Venters transferred to Gonzaga in the offseason, EWU wasn’t tabbed by coaches or the media to be Big Sky favorites. The Eagles opened the season with a 1-6 record and losses to Utah, Mississippi, Cincinnati, Stanford, Washington State and USC, all on the road. Their only win in November came in their only home game that month, against non-Division I Walla Walla.

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“I felt like every game [in November] taught us a different lesson, and the beauty of it is it forces you to live in reality, those big games against really good teams,” Riley says. “Because sometimes against lesser teams, if you make a mistake, they’re not going to make you pay for it.”

The Eagles scheduled those games knowing that it would be tough but that they’d be able to learn from them. It’s not the kind of schedule you’d want with a young team, but with an older team like he has this season, Riley’s group wanted the challenge.

“We kind of had a choice between a non-Division I team and Stanford, just the way it worked out. We talked to our veterans that were returning and they were like, ‘Let’s go see where we’re at, let’s get another Power Five game.’”

While all the Power Five games resulted in a loss, it helped lay a foundation for the success that the Eagles are having in Big Sky play. Eastern’s running away with the league race in conference play, multiple games clear of all challengers as the team enters its final five games of the regular season.

Unfortunately, at the Big Sky level, to make the NCAA Tournament you have to win the Big Sky Tournament — in its 60-year history, the league has never sent multiple teams dancing. Last season the top-seeded Eagles fell victim to a 1-point upset in the first round of the conference tournament, which despite an incredible regular season, dashed their NCAA Tournament dreams.

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This season’s Eagles, for the most part, were also last season’s Eagles. They certainly remember what happened a year ago.

“I think it definitely shaped our goals and our vision for the year. We talked about how we have one main goal and then a bunch of secondary goals. So the main goal is to win in [the Big Sky Tournament]. That’s the No. 1 goal. We talked about that on June 20, our first day,” Riley says.

One of the secondary goals, he says, is to win the Big Sky regular season as well. They’re on track to do that with just five games remaining, including two at home next week against rivals Montana and Montana State, the latter of which defeated Eastern in league play this season.

When asked what people around Spokane should know about his team this season, Riley mentions their appealing style of play, the program’s success in having the most wins in the Big Sky over the past 10 seasons, and specifically the quality of this year’s squad. But he twice noted where Cheney is relative to Spokane.

“We’re 20 minutes away to watch some great hoops and come support these guys.” ♦

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Eastern Washington vs. Montana • Thu, Feb. 29 at 6 pm • Reese Court • ESPN+
Eastern Washington vs. Montana State • Sat, March 2 at 2 pm • Reese Court • ESPN+





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18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown

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18-year-old dies after shooting in Tenleytown


An 18-year-old who was shot and wounded in Northwest D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood on Thursday afternoon has died, authorities say.

Brady Flowers Jr., of Southwest, was the victim, police said in an update Saturday.

Flowers was found shot in the 4500 block of Wisconsin Avenue NW, behind the CVS store. Jackson-Reed High School and American University are nearby.

Flowers was rushed to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and pronounced dead a day later, police said.

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Police said 10-15 teens were seen running after the gunshots.

An investigation is underway. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.



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Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education

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Governor Moore Continues “Delivering for Maryland” Tour in Washington County, Highlighting Transportation Infrastructure, Economic Development, and Early Childhood Education


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ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore today continued his statewide “Delivering for Maryland” tour with a series of engagements in Washington County, highlighting vital investments in local transportation infrastructure, manufacturing job growth, and early childhood education. The governor emphasized state contributions to modernize the Hagerstown Regional Airport, toured the state-of-the-art Hitachi Rail facility, and celebrated the opening of a new child care center in the South End of Hagerstown funded by the administration’s historic ENOUGH Initiative.

“From investing $1.5 million to update Hagerstown Regional Airport’s aging control tower to supporting 1,300 jobs at Hitachi Rail, the Moore-Miller administration is delivering for Hagerstown, Washington County, and Western Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “Through our administration’s ENOUGH Initiative partnerships and investments, we’ve tripled child care capacity in the South End of Hagerstown — because no parents should be forced to pick between staying in the workforce or securing quality care for their kids.”

The governor began the day at the Hagerstown Regional Airport, touring the Air Traffic Control Tower and airport grounds. During the visit, Governor Moore highlighted the State’s $1.5 million Fiscal Year 2027 investment to complete the design for a critical replacement of the airport’s aging air traffic control facility. As a primary airport in the Maryland Aviation System Plan, the Hagerstown Regional Airport is a vital economic engine for Washington County, supporting more than 1,800 jobs and generating over $140 million in local business revenue.

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Following the airport tour, Governor Moore visited the Hitachi Rail STS facility alongside Congresswoman April McClain Delaney, Senator Mike McKay, Senator Paul Corderman and state transportation leaders. The governor toured the factory floor and rode a test train to observe the manufacturing process. Opened in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million state conditional loan, the 307,000-square-foot, carbon-neutral facility is a $100 million capital investment by Hitachi. The factory supports 1,300 jobs — including 460 newly created jobs — and is actively manufacturing railcars for both the Maryland Transit Administration and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“Hitachi Rail has built a cutting-edge model for advanced manufacturing here in Western Maryland which is focused on delivering clean, safe, efficient regional transportation across our state and the rest of the country,” said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. “This facility is powered by Maryland’s second-to-none workforce and world-class innovation environment. I’m proud to work with Governor Moore and our public, private, and philanthropic partners to drive global investment that supports jobs and economic growth along our I-270 Tech Corridor.”

Governor Moore concluded the day at the Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center in the South End of Hagerstown, where he met with parents, children, and community leaders. During the visit, the Governor highlighted the administration’s ENOUGH Initiative, which provided critical support for the center’s opening. The new facility is a major win for the community, tripling local childcare capacity with 24 new slots and generating six new early childhood education jobs.

Governor Moore Speaking With Children

The Children’s Learning and Empowerment Center’s opening was accelerated by a $100,000 investment from San Mar Family & Community Services, the ENOUGH grantee in Hagerstown. ENOUGH grant funding was also supplemented by a $100,000 philanthropic contribution from the Bainum Family Foundation — a member of the ENOUGH Alliance — to complete necessary facility upgrades. The center’s completion underscores the strength of the ENOUGH Initiative’s public-private partnerships to deliver on community priorities and work towards ending child poverty.

Governor Moore’s visit to Washington County follows the third stop of his “Delivering for Maryland” tour in Montgomery County, where he marked a historic milestone by installing the final segment of rail for the Purple Line. This installation completes the 16.2-mile light rail corridor connecting Bethesda and New Carrollton, with passenger service expected to begin in late 2027. The governor also visited Max’s Best Ice Cream in Bethesda, a local business dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through the Best Buddies Jobs program.

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Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role

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Washington shooting suspect seeks to bar DoJ officials from prosecution role


A man charged with attacking the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is seeking to disqualify top justice department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case, creating a potential conflict of interest.

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, and US attorney Jeanine Pirro were attending the 25 April event at the Washington Hilton hotel when Cole Tomas Allen allegedly ran through a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer.

In a court filing late on Thursday, Allen’s attorneys argued that it created at least the appearance of a conflict of interest for Blanche and Pirro to be making any prosecutorial decisions in the case.

“As this case proceeds closer to trial, the country and the world will continue to wonder – how can the American justice system permit a victim to prosecute a criminal defendant in a case involving them?” defense attorneys Eugene Ohm and Tezira Abe wrote.

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Ohm and Abe, who are assistant federal public defenders, suggested that the appointment of a special prosecutor might be warranted. They urged US district judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee assigned to Allen’s case, to disqualify Pirro, Blanche and possibly other justice department officials from direct involvement in the investigation and prosecution.

“Both heard gunshots, which presumably forced them to duck below the tables with the rest of the occupants. They were quickly evacuated. Shortly thereafter, they learned that law enforcement believed the target was certain administration officials,” Ohm and Abe wrote.

Pirro said her office would respond to the defense lawyers’ arguments in its own court filing.

“We will not tolerate people who come to the District of Columbia to engage in antidemocratic acts of political violence; and we will prosecute all such acts to the fullest extent of the law,” Pirro said in a statement.

Allen is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday on further charges in an indictment handed up Tuesday by a grand jury in Washington.

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The charges include attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, who is a longtime friend of Pirro. Blanche served as a personal attorney for Trump before joining the justice department last year. Blanche, through a spokesperson, referred a request for comment to Pirro’s office. Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, is also charged with assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two additional firearms counts.



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