It will be a big weekend of action for Eastern Washington women's basketball as they host two games at Reese Court. The Eagles will start out against Idaho State on Thursday, Jan. 13, with tip-off at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Eastern will then welcome Weber State on Saturday, Jan. 15 and tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Tickets to each game can be purchased at GoEags.com/Tickets. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.

LAST TIME OUT
In Eastern Washington's return to Reese Court in 2022, the Eagles lost to Idaho, 63-42 on Saturday afternoon. In the second half, Eastern was held to 16 total points and shot 17.9-percent. The Vandals put up 32 points in the second half to pull away from the Eagles.
 
After the first quarter, Idaho held a six-point lead on 43.8-percent shooting. The Eagles seemed to find their shot in the second quarter, outscoring the Vandals, 14-13 and shooting 35.7-percent. The third quarter is where the game got away from Eastern, as the team managed only three points and 5.3-percent shooting. The Eagles managed to fire off 13 points in the fourth quarter, but Idaho was locked in, scoring 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. The Vandals also benefited from 17 Eastern turnovers that translated into 23 points for Idaho.
 
Jacinta Buckley and Jaydia Martin each scored in double figures, with Jaleesa Lawrence adding eight points on 4-of-11 shooting(36.3). Lawrence also had eight rebounds. Milly Knowles contributed across the board for the Eagles, scoring six points on 2-of-7 shooting, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out a team-high, five assists.
 
A LOOK AT THE EAGLES
Eastern Washington enters the week with a 2-10 overall record and 0-3 in Big Sky games.
 
Jaydia Martin continues to lead Eastern with scoring, contributing 16.3 points per game and is the second highest scorer in the conference. The Vancouver, Wash. native is a threat from all over the court and particularly from behind the arc. Martin leads the Big Sky in Three-Point Field Goals attempted(99), Three-Point Field Goals made(31) and Three-Point Field Goals per game(2.58). On the season, Martin holds a 31.3-shooting percentage from three.
 
Jacinta Buckley carries the load in the paint for the Eagles, leading the team with 7.2 rebounds per game. She is second on the team in scoring with 11 points per game and she has recorded two double-doubles this season. The Spokane Wash. native is shooting 43.5 percent from the floor this season.
 
The Eagles' defense has provided consistent effort on the defensive end of the court, holding opponents to a 37-shooting percentage, good for second in the conference. Against the three-point shot, Eastern has also been steady, allowing 32.5 percentage.
 
Against Idaho, the Eagles tallied 10 steals, giving the team five games this season with double-digit steals. The team is averaging 7.9 steals per game, as Jaydia Martin leads with 16 for the year.
 
A LOOK AT THE BENGALS
Idaho State is riding a six-game win streak heading into the game against Eastern Washington. The Bengals are 8-6 overall this season and 4-1 in conference games. This past weekend, ISU earned a one-point victory over Weber State in Ogden, 67-66. In their opening Big Sky games, the Bengals knocked off Montana(69-61) and Montana State(67-57) in Pocatello.
 
ISU distributes the ball well, leading the conference with 225 assists, while averaging 16.1 per game, good for second in the Big Sky. To go with dishing out assists, the Bengals are effective in creating turnovers, with a conference-leading 18.64 per game. The team also holds the second-best turnover margin, with a 1.21 stat line.
 
The scoring for ISU runs through Estefania Ors, a graduate student from Altura, Spain. Ors
averages 13.4 points per game, while shooting 48-percent. Her shooting percentage ranks third in the conference.
 
Senior Callie Bourne tops the team in rebounds with 7.6 per game, while adding 7.7 points per game. Redshirt-senior Ellie Smith defends the rim for the Bengals and has tallied 15 blocks this season, while averaging 3.8 rebounds per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Eastern Washington and Idaho State will face off for the 79th time in program history. It is the second most games for the Eagles against one opponent. The teams have a dead-even split in the series history, with each team having 39 wins. Eastern is currently on a five-game losing streak to the Bengals. The team's last win came in February of 2018 at Reese Court.
 
Idaho State defeated the Eagles in Pocatello during the 2021 season, 86-51.

A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS
Weber State is 7-7 and 3-2 in conference play and has a 1-5 road record this season. The Wildcats dropped their last game when the played host to Idaho State. Weber lost the game to Idaho State, 67-66 after failing to hit the go-ahead shot as time expired.

The Wildcats get to the line as a team, leading the Big Sky in free-throws made(206) and attempted(262). They rank third in the conference with a 77.1-free-throw percentage. Weber is averaging 61.9 points per game, while allowing 76.7.

Junior Emma Tolbert is a prime defender of the net, with 24 total blocks and a 1.71 blocks per game average. Tolbert leads the Big Sky in both categories. Sophomore Daryn Hickok is the top scorer for the Wildcats, averaging 12.7 points per game on 45.2-percent shooting. Another sophomore, Jadyn Matthews, leads the team in rebounds with 6.9 per game. Her 152 total rebounds lead the Big Sky.

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday night will be the 84th matchup between Eastern Washington and Weber State, with the Wildcats holding a 45-38 edge in the series. It is EWU's most frequent opponent in program history. The Eagles have won the last two matchups and have won the last three game at Reese Court.

Last January, the Eagles topped the wildcats 71-59 in the teams' most recent contest.

UP NEXT
Eastern Washington will host Portland State on Monday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. in a rescheduled matchup. The Eagles will then be on the road next weekend to play Sacramento State on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. and Northern Colorado on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 1 p.m.

As a reminder, proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within the last 72 hours for fans ages 11 or older is required for entry to home games. Masks must be worn for fans ages five years old or older unless actively eating or drinking.