MISSOULA, Mont. — Never count a team out until the end and Eastern Washington women's basketball proved that tonight. Eastern walked out of Missoula with a 56-55 win after
Jacinta Buckley hit a three with 20 seconds left in the game to grab its eighth-straight win. The Eagles now improve to 14-2 in the Big Sky and 24-5 overall.
"This team continues to amaze me. Their resilience and fight on the road was absolutely huge," head coach Joddie Gleason emphasized. "Our defense was so locked-in, keeping a team that wants to push the tempo and score in the 70s; we held them to 55. Our shots were not falling and we continued to work, communicate and stay together. Jamie Loera was huge for us again tonight and showed how she can carry us when we need her. During crunch time, her cool demeanor was on display and it helped secure the win. It was so nice to have Jacinta Buckley back. Obviously, the game winning shot was clutch. She is made for those situations and her versatility really helps us at both ends. Shout out to our Men's team securing the Championship tonight! Go Eags!"
Jamie Loera scored a game-high in 20 points to lead the team, adding 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
At the start of the game, the teams traded points and the lead changed hands twice. Montana went up 7-5 and extended it to 13-8 at the 4:05 mark. Aaliyah Alexander found space inside after a Grizzlies turnover and converted it for two, getting the lead down to 14-11. The score held for the rest of the quarter, with Eastern shooting 26.7 percent.
The Eagles tried to tie the game up to start the second quarter, but the Grizzlies were able to keep them at a distance. After EWU cut the score down to 16-13, Montana scored the next four points. Montana pushed its advantage to 24-15 with 3:50 left in the half. Eastern responded with a 6-0, getting five of its points from Loera. At the half, the Eagles trailed 27-21, shooting 21.1 percent for the quarter.
In the third quarter, EWU reduced the lead quickly and went ahead 31-30 at the 6:17 point on a steal and score from Alexander. Montana jumped back in front and built a 40-33 lead with 2:15 on the clock. The back-and-forth continued as the Eagles got scores from Milly Knowles and Loera to bring the lead down to single digits at the end of the quarter, 40-37.
Similar to the third, Eastern battled back to take the lead at 41-40, by way of a Jaleesa Lawrence layup. The Grizzlies countered, pushing the lead back up to five and 6:05 left in the game. With 4:17 on the clock, Montana was up 53-47, but another layup from Lawrence cut the lead down to four. The Eagles and Grizzlies scored down the stretch and Montana was clinging to a 55-53 advantage with 1:12 remaining. Both teams traded defensive stops, with Loera stealing the ball at 29 seconds. On Eastern's next possession, Buckley lined up her three and connected to put the team up 56-55 with 20 seconds on the clock. EWU's defense stepped up for the remainder of the game to secure the win. The team shot 31.9 percent for the game.
Eag Notes
- Eastern Washington's 14th Big Sky win ties the program record for conference wins in a single season.
- Jamie Loera now has three 20-point games this season and four for her career. She now has eight career double-doubles as an Eagle.
- Despite being out-rebounded (46-40), Eastern matched Montana with 28 points in the paint. EWU had 12 offensive rebounds for 12 second chance points.
- The Eagles forced 18 turnovers from the Grizzlies, turning them into 18 points. Eastern had 11 steals in the game, led by four from Jacinta Buckley. It was EWU's 11th game this season with 10 or more steals. The team committed only eight turnovers.
- Eastern is now 18-0 this season when holding opponents under 50 points.
- Milly Knowles scored 11 points for her sixth double-digits scoring game this season. Aaliyah Alexander added 10 points for her 25th game in double figures.
Up Next
Eastern Washington heads further east to play Montana State on Saturday (March 2) in Bozeman, Mont. with tip off at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.
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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