BOZEMAN, Mont. — The first road trip of 2025 and Big Sky competition for Eastern Washington women's basketball ended on Saturday afternoon against Montana State. The Bobcats defeated the Eagles, 66-54, on their home court in a game of momentum swings. EWU is now 0-2 in the Big Sky and 4-10 overall, while Montana St. improves to 2-0 in conference and 12-2 overall.
"This team showed their fighting spirit in the second half. Battling back and taking the lead in the third and then going back-and-forth until the middle of the fourth quarter. It was a true test of resilience," head coach
Joddie Gleason said. "I'm proud of the way we played this weekend against two good teams. We just need to find a way to finish games. The scoring drought late in the fourth did us in as it was turnovers and easy buckets for MSU, while we struggled to finish. We will continue to get better and be ready for the home games next week."
Montana St. had a 12-point lead at half, but Eastern responded in the third quarter with a 16-0 stretch to take the lead. The teams battled in the fourth, but a late run from the Bobcats gave them enough of a lead to secure the win.
Eastern struggled with turnovers, committing 19 in the game. MSU scored 18 points off EWU's turnovers.
Kourtney Grossman posted another big game, leading the team with 13 points and 16 rebounds, while shooting 5-of-10(50%) from the floor.
"Kourtney had a stellar weekend as she got to play at home, in front of her friends and family," Gleason added. "Her ability to rebound helps keep us in these games. We look forward to her continued growth this year as a true freshman as she learns the ropes of Big Sky play. It was also a standout weekend for Ella Gallatin as she scored in double digits for both games. Her basketball IQ and defense for nearly two complete games was what was most impressive. I love to see her stepping up when we need it most!"
The game opened with a defensive battle in the first quarter, as scoring was difficult to find for both teams. Eastern managed only a 14.3 shooting percentage on 14 shot attempts. The Bobcats struggled as well, shooting 17.6 percent on 17 attempts. MSU held a slim, 6-5 lead over the Eagles after the first quarter.
The Bobcats opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run to build some offensive rhythm. A jumper from Peyton Howard ended the run at 7:19 for the Eagles' first points. MSU continued to add to its lead, going up by 12 at 3:15 on a made three. A jumper from Ella Gallatin and free throws from Emily McElmurry helped cut the lead back down to single digits. The Bobcats closed the quarter with a 4-0 run to lead 28-16. Eastern improved its shooting to 40.0 percent, but MSU was even better at 50.0 percent.
Moving to the third quarter, the Bobcats extended their advantage to 15 early. Undeterred, Eastern's offense exploded with a 16-0 run to go up 36-33 on MSU. The run occurred over a four-minute stretch as Kourtney Grossman powered the effort with eight points. The Bobcats stopped the bleeding and managed to take the lead back at 41-40 and 36 seconds remaining. Not to be outdone, Gallatin drained a late three to hand EWU a 43-41 lead. The Eagles shot a hot-58.8 percent from the floor.
EWU pushed its lead out to 45-41 to start the fourth quarter on a jumper from Alexis Pettis. Eastern led 50-45 at the 6:50 mark, but MSU ripped off a quick 5-0 burst to tie the game 40 seconds later. After the Eagles went up by two, the Bobcats put together a 10-0 run to separate on the scoreboard. The run was part of a 16-4 stretch to close out the game for MSU. Eastern fell, 66-54 in the game.
For the game, Eastern shot 36.4 percent, while Montana St. had a 37.5 percentage.
Eag Notes
- Kourtney Grossman recorded her 3rd double-double of the season and the 2nd in 3 games. It was also her 3rd straight game with double-digit rebounds.
- Eastern had the slight advantage in rebounds, 39-38. However, Montana St. managed to win inside with a 34-to-20 scoring advantage.
- EWU had 3 players scoring in double figures, with Grossman being joined by Ella Gallatin (11) and Alexis Pettis (10). It was both players' 6th game this season scoring in double figures. Pettis has scored in double figures in five-straight games. Grossman recorded her 5th game in double figures.
- Peyton Howard set a career-best with 3 blocks in the game. She also led the team with 6 assists and added 2 steals as well.
- Jaecy Eggers pulled down 10 rebounds, 1 shy of her career-best. Eggers has 2 double-digit rebounding games this season.
Up Next
Eastern Washington returns to Cheney next week for two games, hosting Portland State on Thursday (Jan. 9) at 6 p.m. Pacific time and Sacramento State (Jan. 11) at 2 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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