GAME NOTES
CHENEY, Wash. – The Eastern Washington University women's basketball team will split a pair of games at home and on the road with the University of Idaho this week. First up is a 6:05 p.m. match-up at Reese Court on Feb. 4, followed by a 12 p.m. tip in Moscow, Idaho on Feb. 6.
Thursday's game will be televised locally on SWX as well as Pluto TV Ch. 1053. Saturday's game can be watched on Pluto TV Ch. 1060.
Eastern Washington is 6-9 overall with a 5-5 mark in Big Sky Conference play after splitting a pair of games at Sacramento State last week. In Thursday's (Jan. 28) 82-76 loss in Sacramento, the Eagles erased a 12-point deficit and found a five-point lead in the fourth quarter, but the Hornets used a 9-0 run in the final two minutes of play to win. Five players scored in double figures for Eastern Washington, led by freshman
Maisie Burnham with a career-high 25 points.
The Eagles swiftly bounced back on Saturday (Jan. 30), as they jumped out to an early lead and never trailed, shooting 52.8 percent from the field in the 73-61 victory. EWU set season-highs in steals (13), blocks (8) and field goals (28) and were led by Burnham and
Grace Kirscher with 19 points each.
Burnham currently leads EWU, and ranks sixth in the Big Sky, with 14.7 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 10-straight games and also leads the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest while adding 17.0 points and 6.2 rebounds in conference play. At the free throw line, the freshman is 84
th in the nation with 70 attempts and she has made 52 to rank 92
nd. In the first game at Sacramento State, she was 11-of-12 at the charity stripe which was the most made free throws since
Delaney Hodgins had 13 against North Dakota on Jan. 25, 2018.
Also leading the Eagles in scoring are
Kennedy Dickie (12.5 ppg),
Aaliyah Alexander (11.9 ppg) and
Grace Kirscher (10.3 ppg). Sophomore
Jenna Dick adds 9.9 points per game and currently ranks 63
rd nationally with 32 made three-pointers on 40 percent accuracy from the field which ranks 64
th.
As a team, the Eagles knock down 40.9 percent of their shots from the field to average 65.8 points per game. They also add 34.2 rebounds, 8.8 steals and 13.0 assists per contest. Nationally, Eastern Washington is 22
nd in free throw percentage, making 195 of its 253 attempts. Behind the arc, the Eagles make 7.1 three-pointers per game to rank 88
th across Division I and their 106 made three's is the 56
th most nationally.
The Idaho Vandals rank second in the conference with a 9-5 overall record and an 8-2 mark in conference action. They are on a three-game winning streak after sweeping Weber State on the road last week. The Eagles also swept Weber State in January at Reese Court.
Just like Eastern Washington, Idaho likes to shoot from three-point range as it ranks 41
st nationally with 112 made three-pointers and 44
th with 8.0 per game. The Vandals also protect the basketball, turning the ball over just 11.9 times per contest with is 11
th nationally.
Idaho has two players that rank in the top-ten in scoring in the Big Sky, led by Beyonce Bea with 16.2 ppg to rank third and Gina Marxen who is 10
th with 13.9 per contest.
Eastern Washington looks to snap a five-game losing streak to the Vandals this week, as they have only won three out of the last 10 match-ups. The Eagles trail the all-time series 33-38 and own a 19-15 record over the Vandals at Reese Court. In Idaho, EWU is 9-22.
EWU's last win over Idaho came on Jan. 12, 2018 by a score if 71-64 in Reese Court. They have not won in Idaho since Jan. 9, 2016 in a 74-66 decision. Last year, Eastern lost in Moscow on Jan. 16 by a score of 69-60 before losing at Reese Court on Feb. 8, 2020, 75-46.
Following this week, the Eagles are back at home for two of its final three regular season home games when they host Montana State on Feb. 11 and Feb. 13. Tip-off is set for 6:05 p.m. and 12:05 p.m. at Reese Court on Pluto TV Ch. 1053.
