HONOLULU, Hawaii — The sun was shining in Honolulu today and Eastern Washington women's basketball almost started their tournament out with a win. Eastern played Saint Mary's in its first game of the Bank of Hawaii Classic, hosted by Hawaii. The Eagles dropped the game to the Gaels, 59-57, despite coming back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth.
The first two quarters were competitive between EWU and Saint Mary's, but the Gaels jumped ahead in the third.
In the fourth, Saint Mary's led by as many as 14, but Eastern rallied 18 points in the quarter. Peyton Howard led the scoring effort with six points in the fourth and had a game-high 15 points.
After the game was tied in the fourth, the Gaels managed to get the lead back and converted enough free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
"The game was not the result we wanted, but I'm really proud of the way we executed the game plan. When shots weren't falling, we continued to defend with urgency and create offense from our defense," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "We won't lose sight that this tough schedule will help us in Big Sky play and we will be ready for that."
Howard was one of three Eagles scoring in double figures, as Jaecy Eggers followed with 13 points. Breeje Schuler added 10 points and led the team with six rebounds, both career-bests.
"It was great to have Breeje Schuler back in the regular rotation," Gleason added. "Her calming influence and basketball IQ really help us stay composed and together when teams are pressing and changing defenses like Saint Mary's. We're looking forward to getting back on the court to take on a quality Hawaii team on Sunday. Go Eags!"
Eastern opened the game strong with a 5-0 run with Breeje Schuler accounting for all of the team's points. They extend the lead to as much as 10-4 midway through the quarter. The Gaels pulled the lead back with a 9-2 stretch that put them up by one. EWU retook the lead on a Ella Gallatin layup, but Saint Mary's countered with their own score to hold a 15-16 lead. The Eagles shot 46.2 percent in the quarter.
The second quarter was more of a defensive battle, with the Gaels staying in front initially. A three from Peyton Howard gave Eastern their first lead of the second at 7:18. Saint Mary's retook the lead and pushed their advantage out to as much as five in the quarter. EWU used jumpers from Howard and Jaecy Eggers to bring the lead down to one. The Eagles went into the half trailing 26-25 after shooting 35.7 percent in the quarter.
Saint Mary's built separation in the third quarter, out-scoring Eastern 22-13. The Gaels held EWU to a 29.4 shooting percentage. At the end of the quarter, Saint Mary's lead grew to 48-39.
The fourth quarter, the Gaels stretched their lead to 14 at 43-39 with 8:13 on the clock. The Eagles were not done yet, organizing a 9-0 run to reduce the lead to five. With 1:21 left in the game, Alexis Pettis connected on a jump shot and tied the game at 55. EWU got a stop, but it's go-ahead shot was blocked by the Gaels. Saint Mary's then scored off a layup with 13 seconds remaining. Eastern missed a tying layup and the Gaels were able to get the rebound and go to the free throw line. They made 1-of-2 shots giving the Eagles a chance. EWU missed a three with five seconds left, but Gallatin got the rebound and made the second-chance layup. Saint Mary's made another free throw with one second remaining. Eastern then could not get another shot off to tie or take the lead.
EWU fell in the game, 59-57 after shooting 37.1 percent overall. The Gaels had a 50 percent shooting mark for the game.
Eag Notes
- Peyton Howard set a career-best with 5 steals against the Gaels. Eastern had 10 total steals in the game.
- EWU outrebounded Saint Mary's 34-31 in the game. They had a 19-2 second-chance point advantage and a 30-22 total scoring in the paint edge.
- Eastern forced 22 turnovers from the Geals. The Eagles scored 21 points off the mistakes.
- Jaecy Eggers recorded her 2nd game scoring in double figures this season, surpassing her previous career-best of 11 points.
- Howard and Alexis Pettis each had 3 assists in the game.
- Saint Mary's had 11 different players score in the game.
Up Next
Eastern Washington finishes out its time at the Bank of Hawaii Classic with a matchup against the host school, Hawaii, on Sunday (Nov. 24) at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Season tickets for women's basketball are now on sale. Reserve your seats at Reese Court for the 2024-25 seasons by clicking on the link here, emailing tickets@ewu.edu or calling the ticket office at 509-359-6059.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
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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