Eastern Washington women's basketball returns to the court on Saturday, Dec. 10 to host Tarleton State at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. Eastern has been idle for a week and will look to get back in the win column against the Texans.

The game will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats are provided through GoEags.com. Tickets to the game can be purchased at Reese Court or online by clicking the link HERE.

Fans attending the game will also be able to take photos with Santa Swoop at halftime. Additionally, fans are encouraged to bring new or gently used toys to drop off for the Toys for Tots Drive.

Last Time Out
Eastern hosted UC Irvine on Dec. 1, falling to the Anteaters, 67-65. The Eagles held a three-point lead at halftime, but Irvine dominated the third quarter (23-10) to take the lead in the game. Eastern battled back in the fourth quarter, going on a 10-0 run to cut the Anteater lead down to one with four seconds left in the game. After Irvine converted one-of-two free throws, the Eagles had a chance to win or send the game to overtime on the final possession. The team could not connect with a game-winning shot, and the Anteaters survived the Eastern rally.

Jaydia Martin scored a game-high 19 points and shot 43.8 percent. Martin was 5-of-11(45.5%) from three-point range, tying her career-high in made threes. She now has three career games with five made three-pointers. Jacinta Buckley nearly had a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Jamie Loera added 10 points and led the team in assists (5) and steals (3). Jaleesa Lawrence was the fourth Eagle in double figures, finishing with 10 points.

A Look at the Eagles
Eastern Washington's ability to score has been key early this season, as the team is averaging 75.3 points per game while allowing 60.8 points to opponents. The Eagles are second in scoring offense and fourth in scoring defense among Big Sky programs. Additionally, the team's 14.5 scoring margin is the top number in the Big Sky and is tied for 59th in the nation. Eastern is shooting 43.1 percent from the floor along with a 36.1 percent mark three-point range, both ranking fourth in the conference.
 
The turnover battle has been a source of success for the Eagles as they lead the conference and are 13th in the NCAA with a plus-8.7 turnover margin, losing 11.5 a game (eighth in the NCAA) and forcing 20.2 (54th in the NCAA). The team also leads the Big Sky with 11.7 steals per game, with 70 total this season. The Eagles have four players ranked on the conference leaderboard in steals, led by Jamie Loera who averages 3.0 a game. She is joined by Aaliyah Alexander (2.0), Jaydia Martin (1.8) and Jacinta Buckley (1.5).
 
The Eagles hold the top spot on the free-throw percentage leaderboard in the Big Sky with a 77.5 percentage.
 
The ball is always moving for Eastern' this season, leading to the team ranking first in the Big Sky and 64th in the nation with 16.0 assists per game. Along with the consistent ball movement, the Eagles are careful with their opportunities, ranking first in the conference in turnovers per game.
 
Loera commands the offense for the Eagles, dishing out 27 assists this season for the fifth-best total in the conference. The Moses Lake, Wash. native averages 4.5 assists per game and has a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranks 18th in the nation. Loera adds an aggressive defensive mindset, accounting for 18 steals this season to lead the Big Sky. Her 11.5 points per game is third on the team, and she is shooting 47.4 percent this season.
 
Martin is the stand-out offensive weapon for Eastern, averaging 15.3 points per game while holding a 43.1 shooting percentage, 10th best mark in the Big Sky. Martin is third in three-point shooting percentage (45.9) and fourth in made three-pointers (2.8) in the conference.
 
Buckley is the third dangerous scorer for the Eagles, adding 12.3 points per game, tied for 14th in the conference. Buckley's 53.3 field goal percentage ranks third in the Big Sky. The Spokane, Wash. native picks her three-point shots well, going 8-of-14 (57.1%) to expand her abilities as a scorer. Buckley also leads the team and is ninth in the conference for rebounding with a 6.7 per game average.
 
Scouting the Texans
Tarleton State is 5-2 to begin the 2022-23 season, with a 1-2 record on the road and 4-0 at home. The team is on a two-game winning streak after defeating Western Illinois (84-69) on Nov. 30 and Weber State (86-69) on Dec. 6. Through the first seven games, the Texans offense has been clicking, averaging 73.7 points per game and the team is shooting 42.8 percent overall. They add a 36.6 percentage from three-point range. With a productive offense, Tarleton's defense has been successful, allowing 64.4 points per game and a 39.5 shooting percentage to opponents.
 
The scoring effort for the Texans is led by Teresa Da Silva, who averages 18.4 points per game, shooting 49.4 from the floor and 46.2 percent from behind the arc. Da Silva is not only the leading scorer, but also the team's leading rebounder with 5.3 per game. She posted a double-double against Western Illinois, with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Jackson adds 12.9 points per game with a 46.8 percent shooting percentage and 45 percent from three-point range.

Series History
This will be the first ever meeting between Eastern Washington and Tarleton State. Eastern is 20-18 against opponents from the Western Athletic Conference in program history.
 
Up Next
Eastern Washington will have a two-game road trip next week, starting with Seattle on Tuesday, Dec. 13, with tip-off at 6 p.m. The Eagles will then play Oregon in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.