CHENEY, Wash. — Finals are over for the Eagles, but two teams are back at Reese Court this week. Women's basketball has a quick turnaround after playing Saturday with a game tonight and will also play Friday night in front of the home fans. Men's basketball resumes action after a small break with a Saturday afternoon matchup in Cheney.
Women's Basketball - vs. Warner Pacific (Monday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m.), vs. UC Santa Barbara (Friday, Dec. 20 at 6 p.m.) - Get Tickets
Eastern Washington gets to wrap up its non-conference schedule at home before the calendar changes to 2025. EWU hosts two games this week, beginning today as Warner Pacific comes to Cheney for a 6 p.m. tip. The Eagles then get back on the court on Friday for the final non-conference game against UC Santa Barbara at 6 p.m. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Eastern had one game last week, traveling to Spokane to play Gonzaga. The Bulldogs got the best of the Eagles, winning 79-50. The game was close in the first half, with EWU matching the 'Zags for points in the second quarter after trailing by five following the first. The Bulldogs' shooting stepped up in the third quarter and improved even more in the fourth to separate from Eastern.
Peyton Howard led the Eagles in scoring with 15 points, while
Kourtney Grossman and
Alexis Pettis each scored 10. The 'Zags had a 46 to 30 advantage in rebounding for the game.
This season, Howard leads the team and is second in the Big Sky with 16.1 points per game. The grad transfer ranks fourth in the conference for three-point percentage and fifth in field goal percentage. In the paint, Grossman has stepped up as the team's leading rebounder, averaging 5.9 rebounds per game, ranking 10th in the Big Sky. The true freshman has improved her rebounding average from 3.5 per game through the first four games. Grossman is also fifth on the team with 6.3 points per game and third with five blocks.
EWU ranks third in the Big Sky with 39.2 rebounds per game, along with 12.9 offensive rebounds per game that also ranks third. Jaecy Eggers leads the team with 17 offensive rebounds this season and is second on the team with 4.8 total rebounds per game.
Men's Basketball – vs Lincoln (Saturday, December 21 at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time) - Get Tickets
Eastern is coming off a hard fought battle against Washington, falling 69-87. On Saturday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m., the Eagles will face off against Lincoln University (Oakland). This will be the first match up for the two schools.
Last time out, Eastern was led by Andrew Cook, who scored 18 points, followed by Nic McClain with 15 points and five assists, and Emmett Marquardt with 10 points and nine rebounds. Coach emphasized that the team's focus remains on their Big Sky Conference play and the upcoming tournament, with their season truly starting in January. Early in the game, the Eagles fought back from a deficit, with McClain's fast break and a key three-pointer from Vice Zanki helping them stay competitive. However, Washington's 8-0 run gave them a five-point lead, which they maintained through the first half, with Eastern trailing 39-32 at halftime.
In the second half, Eastern came out strong, with Marquardt and Zanki hitting early shots to cut the deficit. However, a three-minute scoring drought stalled their momentum, and despite a late surge from Cook and Zanki, Washington's depth and size were too much for the Eagles. McClain fouled out with just over five minutes remaining, and Washington sealed an 87-69 victory, pulling away in the final stretch.
Single game tickets for men's and 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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