GAME NOTES

CHENEY, Wash. – The final home stand of the 2017-18 season has arrived for the Eastern Washington University women's basketball team as they host Weber State (Feb. 22) and Idaho State (Feb. 24) at Reese Court this week. Both games can be streamed for free on WatchBigSky.com or Pluto TV Ch. 234.
 
With four regular season games remaining for the Eagles, who hit the road to close out the regular season at Northern Arizona and Southern Utah next week, EWU sits in a tie for fourth-place with Portland State in the Big Sky Conference standings. Weber State and Idaho State are in a tie for second place with a 9-5 conference record. The top four teams receive first-round byes in the conference tournament on March 5-10 in Reno, Nev.
 
SENIOR WEEK: The final home stand will be just a little bit sweeter for seniors Mariah Cunningham and Delaney Hodgins, who will take to Reese Court for the final time in their careers on Saturday. The duo will be recognized prior to the start of the Idaho State game for their four years of hard work and dedication to the Eagle basketball program.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Eastern is coming off of a 1-1 weekend in Montana. They topped the Griz by a final score of 75-72 for only the fifth time in program history on the road. The victory also marked head coach Wendy Schuller's 250th career win. The Eagles led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, but hung on to a 75-72 victory that was close until the final seconds. Eastern Washington was led by three in double figures in Delaney Hodgins (24), Symone Starks (15) and Violet Kapri Morrow (14). Uriah Howard added nine points, while Hodgins grabbed seven rebounds.
 
As a team, the Eagles knocked down 11 three-pointers, shooting 52.4 percent from behind the arc on the night with Hodgins and Starks each draining three apiece. From the field, the Eagles shot 47.3 percent on 26-for-55 shooting to go along with 17 assists. They also had 14 steals.
 
On Saturday, the Eagles dropped a 77-74 decision to Montana State. They were led by Hodgins' career-high 31 points as she moved into fourth on the Big Sky's all-time scoring list. Symone Starks had 11 points, while Violet Kapri Morrow and Amy Hartleroad each had eight. The Eagles had 11 steals and only eight turnovers and shot over 43 percent on the afternoon.
 
FINAL HOME STAND PROMOTIONS: The first 100 students in attendance to Thursday night's game will receive free bacon. It's also social media night and fans will have a chance to win prizes. Follow @EWUAthletics on Twitter for more information.
 
Senior day recognition will take place prior to Saturday's game. The first 300 fans in attendance will receive a Delaney Hodgins and Mariah Cunningham poster. It's also EWU Alumni Appreciation day and alumni will receive discounted tickets. Visit goeags.com/tickets for more information.
 
ROAD TO 2,000: Already Eastern Washington's all-time leading scorer, Delaney Hodgins is 23 points away from eclipsing the 2,000-point mark. Currently sitting in fourth on the Big Sky's list with 1,977 points (72 away from third, 319 from first), Hodgins looks to become just the fourth player in conference history, and the first since 2009, to hit the 2,000-point total.
 
DEFENDING REESE COURT: The Eagles have a 9-3 record at Reese Court this season, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. Since the 2014-15 season, Eastern is 29-6 in conference play at home.
 
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: The Eagles are 13-13 overall and average 65.9 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from the field. They are led offensively by Delaney Hodgins who averages 21.1 points per game, which is 17th in the nation and second in the Big Sky. She is also on a 22-game double-digit scoring streak and leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per contest. Violet Kapri Morrow has scored in double figures in 11 out of the last 12 games and averages 14.5 per game.
 
Symone Starks scores an average of 9.4 points per contest and ranks 10th in the nation with 3.23 steals per game. As a team, the Eagles lead the Big Sky and rank 18th nationally in steals (292) and 17th in steals per game (11.2).
 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS: Weber State sits at 17-8 overall with a 9-5 record in conference play and have dropped three out of their last five. They have four players that average double figures, including Larryn Brooks who leads the team with 19.8 points per game. The Wildcats average 74 points per game which is 50^th in the nation. They drain 9.8 three pointers per game which is eighth and they 35.5 percent of those. Brooks is ninth in the nation with 3.64 three-pointers per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY: The Eagles trail the all-time series 32-43, but have won two straight and nine out of the last 10. At Reese Court, they are 19-15 overall. Last season, EWU cruised to a 99-85 win in Cheney and a 70-42 victory in Ogden. Delaney Hodgins had 10 points in the win while Symone Starks and Uriah Howard each had nine and the Eagles shot 49 percent from the field.
 
SCOUTING THE BENGALS: The Bengals are also 17-8 and 9-5 in conference play and have won five out of their last six. They average 71 points per game and limit their opponents to just 61.9. Brooke Blair leads the way with 13.4 points per contest, followed by Grace Kenyon who has 12.6. Kenyon has appeared in all 25 games for the Bengals and is shooting over 50 percent from the field.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Washington has the 37-34 edge in the all-time series over Idaho State, including a 22-11 record at Reese Court. EWU has picked up seven out of the last 10 meetings, including two straight. The Eagles picked up the series sweep last year with a 58-41 decision in Cheney and a 61-58 win in Pocatello.
 
ROAD TO RENO: Join the Eagles in postseason action for the 2018 Big Sky Conference Tournament in Reno, Nev. from March 5-10. Women's ticket prices are as follows:
 
Single Session:
Courtside Pricing ($30)
Institution General Admission ($20)
Public Pricing ($20)
*Single game tickets will not be for sale until each game day.
 
All-Session:
Courtside Pricing ($75)
Institution General Admission ($38)
Public Pricing ($41)
 
For more information visit: Reno Events Center, Road to Reno Website, or book your hotel here.
 
SENIOR CLASS AWARD: After being named a candidate on Jan. 4, Eastern Washington University forward Delaney Hodgins has been selected as one of just ten women's basketball seniors across Division I to be named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. She is the only member of the Big Sky Conference to be selected to the list.
 
From now until March 19, fans can vote for Hodgins at the link below to select her as the winner. Fan votes count for 1/3 of the total and the other 2/3 is determined by NCAA Division I coaches and national media members. VOTE HERE.