Reno, Nev. – The Eastern Washington University women's basketball team gave up 51 second-half points and shot just 21.9 percent over the final 20 minutes in an 86-71 defeat to Idaho in a Big Sky Conference Championship semifinal contest at the Reno Events Center Friday afternoon, Mar. 11.
 
Despite the setback, EWU remains in consideration for a bid to either the Women's NIT or the WBI. More information is expected to follow the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Selection Show on Monday night, Mar. 14.
 
"I think (a postseason invite) would be deserving for this team," said EWU head coach Wendy Schuller. "If you look at our performance in conference play, we finished second and won a lot of Big Sky games. But we also challenged ourselves in the non-conference and played some very tough opponents. This is a team that earned an opportunity to play in the WNIT. We hope they'll consider us."
 
Win-Loss Records
The Eagles fall to 20-12 on the year with the loss while Idaho improves to 23-9 and will face Idaho State in the Big Sky Tournament's championship game tomorrow, Mar. 12.
 
Turning Point
Eastern led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Idaho remained within striking distance for much of the opening 20 minutes. Sophomore Delaney Hodgins buried a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the Eagles into the locker room up six, 41-35. EWU still owned a six-point advantage, 54-48, with three minutes left in the third quarter, but saw the Vandals close on a 7-2 run to cut the Eagles' lead to one, 56-55, heading into the fourth frame.
 
Idaho would score 11 of the first 13 points of the fourth quarter to open up and eight-point advantage, 66-58. Buckets from redshirt senior Hayley Hodgins and Delaney Hodgins brought Eastern back within four, 66-62, with 5:48 remaining, but the Vandals answered with consecutive three-pointers to take a 10-poind lead, 72-62, at the 4:57 mark.
 
Two free throws from Delaney Hodgins and a three-point play from junior Ashli Payne cut Idaho's lead in half, 72-67, with 3:37 left, but the Eagles made just one field goal the rest of the way as the Vandals ran away with the win.
 
Top Performers
Delaney Hodgins led all scorers with 22 points on just nine shots. She finished 11-of-12 from the free throw line and added five rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals to her stat line.
 
Hayley Hodgins finished with 19 points, knocking down three three-pointers to go along with two rejections and two steals.
 
Payne tallied a team-high eight rebounds and chipped in nine points and three steals while redshirt junior Tisha Phillips added eight points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists.
 
Freshman Amira Chandler came off the bench to record six points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.
 
Key Statistics
Both squads shot 44 percent in the first half, but Idaho made 14-of-25 shots in the second stanza while Eastern went 7-of-32 over the final 20 minutes. The Vandals made nine second-half three-pointers while the Eagles went 0-of-4 from beyond the arc in the second half.
 
Idaho outrebounded EWU, 46-34, and limited Eastern to 13 offensive rebounds on 44 missed shots.
 
The Eagles forced the Vandals into 22 turnovers and outscored them, 20-12, in points off turnovers.
 
Quoting Coach Schuller
"I want to congratulate Idaho. They played a great basketball game and shot the ball extremely well. Especially in the second half they were aggressive offensively and made plays. At this time of year you have to make plays. They shot the ball well and it's tough when we aren't. You aren't going to win a lot of games when you make only 22 percent in a half.
 
"It is (tough to beat a team three times in a row), especially a really good team. It's not like we're trying to beat a team three times that won 12 games. We were facing a team that won a lot of basketball games and was laden with seniors and is extremely talented. Our two wins were hard-fought, but they weren't indicative of any kind of dominance we had over them. We knew that they were coming to play and what they were going to bring to the table."
 
Game Notes
Eastern's Big Sky Tournament stay ended in the semifinal round for the second straight season, and for the third time in its last four trips. The Eagles' 1988 appearance remains its most recent trip to the tournament's title game.
 
With her three triples today, Hayley Hodgins moved into second on the Big Sky's single-season made three-pointers list. She has made 88 three-pointers this season, just four behind the league's single-season record.
 
Hayley Hodgins has now appeared in 126 career games, just one shy of tying the Big Sky's career record for games played. Her 126 appearances are also a program record. She also broke the Big Sky's single-season record for minutes played during today's game, a mark she herself set a year ago with 1,195 minutes played. She has played 1,198 minutes this season.
 
Up Next
Eastern will learn its postseason fate this Monday evening, Mar. 14, following the conclusion of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship Selection Show. The Eagles remain a possible selection for either a WNIT or WBI bid.