MOSCOW, Idaho — Eastern Washington women's basketball made the short road trip south to Moscow on Saturday to play Idaho. Eastern struggled to score and the Vandals put together enough offense to get the win. EWU falls to 2-3 in the Big Sky and is 6-11 overall.
The Eagles could not produce enough offense, either inside, outside or from the free throw line. Idaho had a plus-11 advantage in made free throws. The Vandals' also had a stand-out game from Olivia Nelson, who posted a game-high 29 points.
"Idaho is a tough team and they are really efficient with the ball. We had a tough time slowing down [Olivia] Nelson and she really took it to us," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "Offensively, we never could get it going and didn't have enough open looks. When we did have looks, we didn't make them. I think we tend to settle for jumpers or challenged perimeter shots early in the shot clock. We need to recognize that when we are not hitting those; we need to move the ball and force them to play defense for a full possession."
Ella Gallatin led the Eagles with 14 points, while Kourtney Grossman scored 11 points and led the team with 12 rebounds.
"I think we struggled to go on runs consistently. We would score, but then have a dry spell for a bit. I think that was on us to realize what was going on and then try to get an easy bucket. We just didn't do that," Grossman described. "We picked up the urgency in the fourth quarter and made some quick buckets, while pressuring them on defense. It was us trying to find the energy and urgency. I know that every time I step onto the court, my teammates are working as hard as they can for me so I just try to do the same for them. I think we put some quarters together, but not four consistently."
Idaho jumped out to a quick 11-4 lead in the first with its offense running well. Peyton Howard connected from three to cut the lead down. With 52 seconds remaining in the quarter, Bella Hays tied the game up at 15 on a layup. The Vandals then managed to score another field goal to take the lead into the first break, 17-15. The Eagles shot 38.6 percent in the opening quarter.
Eastern tied and took the lead, 19-17, to begin the second quarter, getting scores from Hays and Kourtney Grossman. Idaho roared back with a 9-0 run to establish its lead. The Vandals had taken control in what was a 13-2 stretch over a three-minute stretch. The teams traded points, but Idaho carried a 35-25 lead into halftime. EWU had a 31.3 shooting percentage in the quarter.
Both the Eagles and Vandals settled into their offense in the third quarter. Ella Gallatin led Eastern with 5 points in the quarter. In the quarter, EWU shot 29.4 from the floor, scoring 13 points. Idaho had a 33.3 percentage and scored 15 points. After three, the Vandals led 50-38.
In the fourth quarter, Idaho pushed its lead to 15 points after two minutes. The Eagles responded with an 8-0 run to reduce the lead to 54-47 at the 6:14 point. Despite the run from Eastern, the Vandals maintained a lead as the game drew to a close. Idaho converted free throws and limited scoring chances for the Eagles. The Vandals held on for the 67-57 win over Eastern.
EWU shot 31.0 percent for the game as Idaho had a 34.4 percent mark.
Eag Notes
- Kourtney Grossman recorded her fifth double double of the season. Grossman has double doubles in two-straight games and three-of-the-last-four games. It was also her 8th game scoring in double digits and 6th in double figures for rebounds.
- Peyton Howard scored in double figures for the 15th time this season. Ella Gallatin had her 9th game in double digits and Jaecy Eggers recorded her 7th.
- Idaho had a 52-44 advantage in rebounding, but the teams tied with 30 points in the paint apiece.
- Both teams had 10 turnovers in the game, with the Vandals scoring 10 points off mistakes and EWU scoring 5.
- Eggers led the Eagles with 2 blocks, her 5th game this season with 2 or more blocks.
- Eastern recorded a season-low 4 assists in the game.
Up Next
Eastern Washington has a quick turnaround with a game on Monday night (Jan. 20) against Montana State at Reese Court. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
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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