CHENEY, Wash. -- The Eastern Washington University women's basketball team's version of the Big Three helped the Eagles score a 67-57 victory over defending Big Sky Conference champ, Idaho, on Saturday (Dec. 31) to open up league play.
Seniors Ashli Payne and Tisha Phillips, along with junior Delaney Hodgins combined to score 47 of EWU's points to help the Eagles avenge a season-ending loss to the Vandals in last season's Big Sky Tournament. Payne led the way with a season-best 21 points, while Phillips chipped in 14 points and Hodgins tallied 12.
"I thought we saw the best of all three at certain times today," said head coach Wendy Schuller of the trio. "Ashli really stepped up and played with a lot of confidence. She shot the ball well, which is something we see her do a lot of in practice. I thought we did a good job of taking what they gave us."
Payne shot a blistering 70 percent from the field (7-of-10) in Saturday's win. She was just as impressive from behind the arc, as she hit four of her six 3-point field goals on the day. The forward added a season-best 14 boards to go along with her season-high 21 points to pick up her first double-double of the season.
Eastern's pesky defense forced the Preseason Big Sky favorites into 21 turnovers and limited Idaho to a 31.6 shooting percentage from the field. Eastern Washington held the Vandals scoreless for the final 8:53 of the second quarter to turn a 16-11 deficit into a 30-16 advantage going into the locker room. The Eagles would ride their defense to a game-high 22-point edge with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter.
"We were flying around, playing aggressive and stuck to the game plan," said Schuller of the run. "It helps when teams miss shots, and I'd like to thank that our defensive presence attributed to that."
Idaho would not go quietly however, as they continuously chipped away at the EWU lead, eventually pulling to within six points with 2:26 left to play in the fourth quarter. That would be as close as the Vandals would get, as Eastern would drill five free throws to keep Idaho at bay and pick up a 10-point victory in its Big Sky season opener.
"It's good to see us be in a tight situation like that early in the season where we have to make plays to preserve a win," stated Schuller. "I would've liked to see us hit free throws better down the stretch, but I thought we were able to step up and make some big baskets when we needed them."
Win-Loss Records: Eastern Washington improves to 6-6 and 1-0 in Big Sky play, while Idaho falls to 5-7 on the year and 0-1 in league action.
What It Means: Eastern opens conference play at 1-0 after today's victory, while they also move back to .500 on the year at an even 6-6. For Idaho, the defending Big Sky champs start its defense of the league crown with a loss.
Turning Point: The Eagles went on a 22-0 run from the 8:53 mark of the second quarter to the 9:11 point of the third quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a 17-point advantage. Eastern would build its lead to as high as 22 points in the third quarter before settling for the 10-point victory over the rival Vandals.
Key Stats: Field goal percentage was the biggest difference in today's contest, as the Eagles posted a 42.1 shooting percent while holding the Vandals to 31.6 percent from the field. Rebounding was also key, as EWU collected 43 to UI's 37. Eastern, who came into the game second in the Big Sky in steals, collected 13 in today's win over Idaho.
Top Performers: Senior Ashli Payne picked up her first double-double of the season with a season-high 21 points and 14 rebounds against the Vandals. Payne was deadly from behind the arc, as she hit four of her six 3-point field goals.
Redshirt senior Tisha Phillips scored 14 points and handed out a team-best five assists on Saturday.
Junior Delaney Hodgins picked up 12 points on the afternoon. The Preseason All-Big Sky first team selection was held to just one point at the break, but picked up her offensive output in the final two frames, scoring 11 combined points in the third and fourth quarters.
Notables: With 13 steals today, Eastern Washington has now posted double-digit steals in six of its last eight contests.
Junior Delaney Hodgins extends her double-digit scoring streak to 29 games with a 12-point outing against the Vandals.
Eastern Washington hit five 3-point field goals in the win over Idaho. They now have made at least one 3-point field goal in 314-straight games.
Senior Ashli Payne picked up her ninth career double-double with 21 points and 14 rebounds against Idaho.
What's Next: Eastern Washington takes to the road for a pair of games in the Treasure State, as they challenge Montana State on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. PT and Montana on Saturday at 1:05 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.
