CHENEY, Wash. – The final two games of the regular season have arrived for the Eastern Washington University women's basketball team. The squad will take their two-game winning streak to Southern Utah (Feb. 28) and Northern Arizona (March 2) before heading to Reno, Nev., for the Big Sky Conference Tournament on March 5-10. Eastern looks to go for the season sweep over both squads as they topped them back in January at home.
The Eagles are 15-13 overall and 10-6 in Big Sky play. With two regular season games remaining, they sit in a four-way tie for third place with Weber State, Idaho State and Portland State. EWU would take the tiebreakers and would be a No. 3 seed if the season ended today. The top four teams receive a first-round bye.
EWU is currently averaging 66.3 points per game and shooting over 40 percent from the field. Delaney Hodgins leads the way with 21.2 points per game, 22.8 in Big Sky play, along with 7.3 rebounds. Violet Kapri Morrow is the other Eagle in double-figures with 14.6 per game.
Eastern Washington is coming off of another 2-0 home stand with wins over Weber State and Idaho State. Against Weber State, the Eagles led for over 39 minutes and pulled down 53 boards in the 77-68 victory. Hodgins scored 30 points while Morrow added 23. During the victory, Hodgins became the first person in EWU basketball history, male or female, to eclipse the 2,000-point mark and just the fourth in BSC history.
Against Idaho State, Eastern was down 60-44 with 7:37 remaining when they exploded on a 22-4 run in the fourth quarter to pick up a crucial Big Sky Conference victory, including an 18-0 run during that stretch. Brittany Klaman knocked down five three-pointers to lead the team with 17 points. Hodgins added 15 while Alissa Sealby added 10. EWU shot 46 percent from the field on 24-for-52 shooting with 16 assists.
2,000 AND CLIMBING: Delaney Hodgins is Eastern Washington's all-time leading scorer as of Feb. 22, 2018 and has now totaled 2,022 career points. She has started in all 126 of her career games for a 16.0 points per game average. The mark places her fourth on the Big Sky's all-time scoring list, just 28 points away from sole possession of third and 263 from the record.
SCOUTING THE THUNDERBIRDS: The Thunderbirds are 3-24 overall and 2-14 in conference play. They are led by Breanu Reid who averages 10.0 points per game. Natalie Sanchez and Whitney Johnson average 9.7 and 9.2, respectively. As a team, SUU averages 59.5 points per game to their opponents 70.9. They are currently on an 11-game losing streak.
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern picked up a 58-41 victory on Jan. 20 at Reese Court where Delaney Hodgins and Natalie Sanchez each had 12 points. EWU leads the all-time series 10-7, but are 3-3 down in Cedar City. Last season, Eastern walked away with a thrilling 67-66 road win for their fifth straight victory over the Thunderbirds.
SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS: Northern Arizona is 7-20 overall and 4-12 in conference play. They have won three out of their last five, but most recently dropped a 59-68 decision to Portland State. Olivia Lucero averages 16.9 points per game followed by Kenna McDavis who averages 15.1 and Kaleigh Paplow who posts 10.7. As a team, they pull down an average of 42.1 rebounds per game and average 68.4 points.
SERIES HISTORY: Eastern leads the all-time series 36-26, but trails down in Flagstaff, 11-18. EWU has picked up the last two meetings, including an 82-62 victory behind Hodgins' 30 points and Morrow's 27 points on Jan. 18. The Eagles also knocked down a season high 13 three-pointers.
UP AHEAD: Eastern Washington turns its sights on the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Reno, Nev., on March 5-10. The first round takes place on March 5, followed by the quarterfinals on March 7. The semifinals are set for March 9 with the championship on March 10. All games can be streamed for free on WatchBigSky.com or Pluto TV.
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.
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.
