FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The Eastern Washington University women's basketball team had its three-game winning streak come to an end on Thursday (Jan. 19), as the Eagles fell at Northern Arizona, 56-47, in Big Sky Conference action.
Eastern struggled to shoot from 7,000-feet above sea level, as they shot 26.8 percent from the field against the Lumberjacks. Both the 47 points scored and the 26.8 shooting percentage were season lows for the Eagles.
"Tonight was a tough loss in a tough place to play," said head coach Wendy Schuller. "I was really disappointed in our offensive output. I have to make sure I have us ready to play, and tonight we didn't appear to be. We need to get healthy and back on track in a hurry."
Junior Delaney Hodgins was an offensive bright spot for Eastern on Thursday, as the conference's leading scorer collected 20 points against NAU. Tonight's 20-point effort marks the seventh-time this season that she has scored 20-or-more points in a game.
Senior Ashli Payne chipped in 11 points for EWU, as the duo of Hodgins and Payne combined to score 31 of Eastern's 47 points on the night.
It was a defensive slugfest for the first three quarters of Thursday's contest, as the Eagles held a slim 29-28 lead entering the final quarter of play.
Northern Arizona match its point total for the game in the fourth quarter alone, as they posted 28 points in the final 10 minutes of play to pull away from the Eagles and collect a nine-point victory.
Win-Loss Records: The loss drops Eastern's Big Sky record to 4-2, while they are now 9-8 overall on the year. For Northern Arizona, they improve to 2-4 in Big Sky play at 6-11 overall, as they end a five-game losing streak.
What It Means: Tonight's loss brings Eastern Washington's three-game winning streak to a halt. Tonight also brought an end to a four-game winning streak for the Eagles against Northern Arizona.
Turning Point: Northern Arizona entered the fourth quarter with just 28 points, however, that would be the exact number of points they would score in the night's final frame to clip the Eagles, 56-47.
Key Stats: Rebounding was the difference in tonight's contest, as the Lumberjacks outrebounded Eastern Washington, 44-36. The plus-eight differential for NAU led to a 11-5 edge in second chance points.
The bench was also a deciding factor in Thursday's loss for the Eagles, as they were outscored 33-6 in points off the bench.
Top Performers: Junior Delaney Hodgins scored a game-high 20 points. It is the second-straight 20-point outing for Hodgins, as she previously scored 26 points in last Saturday's win against Weber State.
Senior Ashli Payne chipped in 11 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.
Notables: Tonight's loss snaps Eastern's three-game Big Sky winning streak, and falls to 3-5 this season in true road games.
Junior Delaney Hodgins collected her seventh game of the season with 20-or-more points with an even 20 against the Lumberjacks. It is Hodgins' second-straight 20-point outing and the 32nd time in the last 33 games that the junior has scored double figures.
Tonight's 11-point outing for senior Ashli Payne marks her eighth double-figure scoring game of the season.
Eastern Washington had a season low in both points (47) and shooting percentage (26.8 percent).
What's Next: The Eagles conclude their brief two-game Big Sky road trip on Saturday at Southern Utah. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on WatchBigSky.com and on the Watch Big Sky App.
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.
