IRVINE, Calif. — The effort and resilience was there for Eastern Washington women's basketball Monday night, but it was not enough in the end. Eastern dropped its road game against UC Irvine, 71-63 after trailing by double-digits into the fourth quarter, but went on a run to take the lead. Irvine managed to avoid the collapse and retook the lead late for the win. The Eagles record now falls to 3-1 on the season.
Aaliyah Alexander and Jamie Loera each scored 17 points to lead Eastern.
"I love the resiliency the team showed, bouncing back after a rough first quarter," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "We knew that taking care of the ball would be important against a good pressing team like UC Irvine and, unfortunately, we struggled to do so tonight. Even after a rough shooting night, we gave ourselves a chance to win taking the lead with 2:17 left on a flurry of great plays. But UCI executed their action and hit [shots] on three-straight possessions. That's what championship teams do and their experience down the stretch was evident."
The Anteaters raced out to lead in the first quarter, putting Eastern in an 8-0 hole after the first three minutes. EWU pulled Irvine back with a 7-0 run, getting four points from Jaydia Martin and a three from Loera. The quarter went on and the Anteaters continued to score effectively, scoring the last five points for a 18-10 lead. The Eagles shot 21.4 percent in the quarter, while Irvine was hot with a 50.0 shooting line.
Beginning the second quarter, the Anteaters extended their run to 9-0 with two layups. Not to be outdone, Eastern snapped off a 7-0 burst with Martin, Loera and Milly Knowles scoring. The teams continued to trade points through the first five minutes of the quarter. Down 11, EWU put together an 8-0 run, led by Loera's four points. The teams went into half with Irvine up 34-27, following a 42.9 shooting percentage from the Anteaters. The Eagles improved to a 47.1 percentage in the quarter.
Out of halftime, Eastern attempted to cut down the Irvine lead early, reducing it down to five at the 8:45 point behind a basket inside from Knowles. EWU continued to pressure the Anteaters and the lead was down to two at 4:50 after a pair of free throws from Jacinta Buckley. Irvine responded, ripping off an 8-0 run to build a 10-point lead at the end of the quarter, 48-38. The Eagles shot 25.0 percent in the quarter and the Anteaters finished at 35.7.
Moving to the fourth, Irvine extended its lead to as much as 12 over Eastern. With 8:24 left in the game and the Anteaters leading 53-43, EWU found a rhythm, launching a 8-2 run to bring the lead down to one possession. Alexander accounted for five of the team's points during the stretch. After a score from Irvine, Loera would score inside and Alexander would drain back-to-back threes to pull ahead, 61-58. The Anteaters had the final say, countering with a 7-0 run to take a 65-61 lead with 36 seconds on the clock. They held on for the 71-63 win. The Eagles posted a 60.0 shooting percentage in the quarter, with Irvine shooting 53.8 percent.
Eag Notes
- Eastern finished the game with a 38.7 shooting percentage. UC Irvine had a 45.6 percentage.
- The Eagles won the rebounding battle, 37 to 35. Eastern had four players with five or more rebounds, with Milly Knowles, Jacinta Buckley and Jamie Loera each getting six. The Anteaters outscored EWU in the paint, 34-24.
- Both teams had 18 turnovers in the game. Irvine converted those turnovers into 18 points, while the Eagles had 13. Eastern finished with 10 offensive rebounds and turned them into 14 second-chance points.
- EWU had six steals in the game, led by Loera who matched her career-high with five.
- Aaliyah Alexander has now led or tied for the lead in scoring for each of Eastern's first four games.
- Eastern committed 22 fouls while Irvine had 15.
- Alexander was 4-of-5(80.0%) from three-point range, while the rest of the team combined for 3-for-18(14.3%).
Up Next
Eastern Washington travels to Stephenville, Texas to play Tarleton State on Wednesday (Nov. 22) with a 5 p.m. Pacific Time tipoff.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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