BOISE, IDAHO -- The Eastern Washington University women's basketball team erased an 18-point deficit at Boise State on Thursday (Dec. 1), but the Eagles could not complete the comeback as they fell, 67-64.
"This is a tough one to lose," said head coach Wendy Schuller. "After digging the hole we dug early, I think it shows a great bit of character to battle back the way we did. Lessons are always learned in the non-conference and this was one that will stick with us for a long time. I can't say enough how pleased I was with the effort we made to claw back into it tonight."
The Eagles trailed Boise State, 22-4, after the first quarter of play, but EWU would turn up the defense pressure for the remainder of the game and chipped away at the BSU lead over the final three quarters of play. Eastern pulled within five points entering the fourth quarter after ending the third on a 14-2 run.
Redshirt senior Tisha Phillips' personal 5-0 run five minutes into the fourth gave Eastern its first lead of the game at 57-56. EWU would go up a game-high three points after junior Mariah Cunningham nailed a pair of free throws to make it 60-57 with 4:04 left to play.
The Broncos would go on a 10-4 run from that point, however eight of the 10 points scored during the run came at the free throw line. Eastern continued to play premier defense to close out the game, as they limited Boise State to just one field goal over its final 15 attempts. That basket, however, came at a crucial point in the game, as Brooke Pahukoa nailed a jumper from the corner to give the Broncos a 66-64 lead with 35 seconds remaining.
Eastern had a chance to tie the game with 11 seconds left in the game after Boise State hit 1-of-2 from the line, but they failed to get a shot off in the closing seconds.
Win-Loss Records: Eastern Washington falls back to .500 at 3-3, while Boise State remains undefeated at 6-0.
What It Means: With tonight's loss, Eastern's three-game winning streak comes to an end. Before tonight's game, the Eagles had won three-straight to move a game over the .500-mark for the first time this season.
Turning Point: Boise State ended the contest missing 14 of its final 15 shot attempts, but they made the one make count, as Brooke Pahukoa's jumper with 35 seconds left gave the Broncos a 66-64 lead. Eastern had two opportunities to tie the game from that point, but both possessions ended without points for the Eagles.
Key Stats: Boise State held a 41-34 edge in rebounding over Eastern Washington. The Broncos picked up more offensive boards (23) than defensive caroms (18), which led to a 17-12 advantage in second-chance points over the Eagles.
Top Performers: Junior Delaney Hodgins was one of three players to score double-digits with a game-high 21 points. The forward also picked up five rebounds and blocked four shots in 38 minutes of play.
Redshirt senior Tisha Phillips scored a season-high with 15 points. The point guard added a team-best five assists against the Broncos and pulled down five rebounds on the night. She also picked up a season-best four steals.
Sophomore Violet Kapri Morrow scored a career-high 13 points on Thursday night. Morrow went a perfect 5-of-5 from the charity stripe and hit four of her six shot attempts. She also pulled down a season-best eight rebounds, which all match a career high for the guard.
Notables: Tonight was the 51st meeting between the two former Big Sky rivals. Boise State now leads the all-time series 31-20.
Tonight's loss snaps Eastern's three-game winning streak and moves them back to the .500 mark on the year at 3-3.
Junior Delaney Hodgins posted her third-straight 20-plus point performance tonight with 21 points. It also extends her double-digit scoring streak to 22 games.
Hodgins younger sister, Braydey, came off the bench to play 10 minutes for Boise State.
Redshirt senior, and Idaho native, Tisha Phillips scored a season-best 15 points in her return to her home state.
What's Next: The Eagles look to pull to an even 1-1 on this brief two-game road trip, as they take on former Big Sky Conference foe, Cal State Northridge, on Saturday (Dec. 3). Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. PT.
For more information on the Eastern Washington women's basketball team follow @EWUWBB on Twitter and Instagram or like EWU Women's Basketball on Facebook.
