PULLMAN, Wash. – The Eastern Washington University women's basketball team closed out non-conference play at Washington State today (Dec. 22), falling by a score of 73-52 in Pullman, Wash.
 
The Eagles had three score in double figures, led by freshman Maisie Burnham with a career-high 16 points and eight rebounds. Kennedy Dickie scored in double figures for the fifth-straight game, adding 10 points along with Grace Kirscher. Kirscher also led the way with five assists while Dickie added two blocks.
 
"That's a really good basketball team we just played – smart and savvy and they really play as a team," said head coach Wendy Schuller. "It was good to see us stand up in moments and execute and make plays. I thought our young players embraced the challenge and we saw some really good things from them. We are looking forward to a few days off and a chance to take all that we've learned and rise up to another level after Christmas."
 
Eastern Washington held an early lead twice in the first quarter. Down three points, Kennedy Dickie hit a three-pointer that was followed by a Maisie Burnham jumper for a 5-0 run, putting the Eagles up by two. Washington State then strung together six-straight points as they pulled ahead 16-12 and led 16-13 at the end of the first.
 
The Eagles were outscored 17-7 in the second quarter after being held to just 27.3 percent from the field. After Washington State opened the frame on a 6-0 run, the Eagles answered with a quick 4-0 spurt to pull back within five points, 22-17. From there, the Cougars used an 11-3 run down the stretch to lead 33-20 at the half.
 
Despite shooting over 45 percent in the third quarter, the Eagles had to play catchup and were outscored 20-15 during the frame to trail 53-35 at the half.
 
EWU started to click offensively during the final quarter of play, going 5-for-8 from the field to shoot 62.5 percent. They were also a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point range. Eastern scored five points in the final minute of the game, including Megan Fossen's first points as an Eagle via a three-pointer, but they would fall to the Pac-12 foe, 73-52.
 
WIN-LOSS RECORDS: Eastern Washington falls to 1-6 (0-2 Big Sky), while Washington State improves to 4-1 overall (2-1 Pac-12). This was the first meeting since EWU upset the Cougars in the first round of the WNIT in Pullman in 2015, and the first regular season match-up since 2007. WSU now leads the all-time series, 13-5.
 
TOP PERFORMANCES: Freshman Maisie Burnham led all players with 16 points after going 5-for-9 from the field. She made several trips to the charity stripe, making six of her 12 attempts. Burnham also led the team with eight rebounds and three steals.
 
For the fifth-straight game, Kennedy Dickie scored in double figures, this time with 10 points – six of which came from behind the three-point line. She also led the Eagles with two blocks.
 
For the first time this season, Grace Kirscher scored in double figures with 10 points. She also added six rebounds and tied a career-high of five assists. The junior was 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line.
 
Aaliyah Alexander scored nine points and dished two assists.
 
KEY STATISTICS: Eastern Washington shot 41.9 percent (18-43) from the field compared to Washington State's 48.1 percent (26-54). EWU was 7-of-17 from behind the three-point line, while the Cougars were 8-of-19.
 
Eastern Washington was out-rebounded 36 to 26 and outscored in the paint, 24 to 16. Washington State's bench scored 32 of its 73 points. Turnovers were trouble for both teams, as EWU committed 25 but forced 18.
 
UP NEXT: Eastern Washington returns its focus back to Big Sky Conference play, as today marked the final non-conference contest. The Eagles head to Portland State for a pair of games on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, with tip-off set for 6 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively, in Portland, Ore.