SPOKANE, Wash.— The road trip was short for Eastern Washington women's basketball today as they drove to Spokane to play Gonzaga. EWU fell in the game, 79-50, to the Bulldogs at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Eagles now fall to 2-8 on the season, while Gonzaga improves to 5-6.
"Our inability to make layups and make free throws was the biggest issue," head coach Joddie Gleason explained. "I felt like we executed our action well. We moved the ball well on the second and third sides and got good looks, but didn't hit the easy shots. As a staff, we will continue to take a look at who can help us make shots and finish. We are just not scoring enough points right now."
Eastern trailed after the first quarter, but kept the score close at halftime, trailing by five. The Bulldogs used a 60-percent shooting mark in the third quarter to outscore the Eagles by 12 and take a double-digit lead heading into the fourth. They maintained their advantage to secure the win.
The Bulldogs used a strong shooting day to top Eastern, registering a 49.2 percentage from the floor. EWU struggled shooting with a 32.1 percent mark for the game.
Peyton Howard led the Eagles with 15 points on 5-of-10(50%) shooting. Howard was one of three players scoring double figures for EWU, as Jaecy Eggers and Alexis Pettis each scored 10 points.
Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim posted a game-high 28 points on 11-of-16(68.8%) shooting.
"[Yvonne Ejim] is not a player we're going to stop. She showed up and we did everything we could to slow down," Gleason said. "Fortunately for us, she got into foul trouble in the first half; that was the only way we could slow her down. She is an elite player, one of the best in the nation. We just want to limit the easy scores for her. Kourtney [Grossman] did a nice job against her as a freshman. But [Yvonne]'s experience got us today."
The 'Zags asserted themselves early, racing out to a 11-2 lead four minutes into the game. EWU looked to counter aggressively, with Howard driving into the paint to get points. Down 16-6, the Eagles put together a 6-0 run to cut the lead down to four. Both teams scored near the end of the quarter, and the Bulldogs led 19-14. Eastern shot 36.4 percent in the quarter.
EWU stayed in striking distance of the 'Zags in the second quarter, not allowing their lead to get above seven. Howard stayed effective in the second, scoring five points. Kourtney Grossman added four points to help the Eagles keep pace with the Bulldogs, as both teams scored 13 points in the quarter. At halftime, the 'Zags led 32-27 after Eastern shot 31.3 percent in the second.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs began to extend their lead and separate from Eastern. With EWU trailing 42-35 at the 6:03 mark, the 'Zags went on a 9-0 run to build a 16-point lead. The lead grew to as much as 19 in the quarter for the Bulldogs. The Eagles tried to keep up with a 42.9 shooting percentage, but the 'Zags were shooting even better at 61.5 percent. Eastern trailed 58-41 after three.
The Bulldogs kept up the pressure in the fourth quarter, shooting a blistering 69.2 percent from the floor. Eastern managed only a 20.0 percentage. The 'Zags outscored the Eagles 21 to 9 in the quarter and secured the win, 79-50 for the game.
Eag Notes
- Peyton Howard led the team in scoring for the ninth game this season, scoring in double figures for the ninth game as well. Jaecy Eggers had her third game in double figures, while Alexis Pettis had her second.
- Eastern was out-rebounded in the game, 46 to 30, but only out-scored in the paint, 34 to 32.
- Kourtney Grossman led Eastern with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 3 steals, adding 4 points.
- The Eagles forced 17 turnovers from the Bulldogs, while committing 15 of their own. Both teams scored 14 points off of turnovers.
- EWU's bench had a 23-to-9 scoring advantage over the 'Zags.
Up Next
Eastern Washington has a quick turnaround for its next game, but will be back at Reese Court on Monday (Dec. 16) to play Warner Pacific at 6 p.m.
Single game tickets for women's basketball are now on sale. Reserve your seats at Reese Court 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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