CHENEY, Wash. — The first full week of 2025 is here Eastern Washington athletics' competition begins to pick up. Women's basketball is at home for two games this week, now into the second week of Big Sky matchups. Fresh off a big win at home, men's basketball gets on the road looking to build a winning streak. The 2025 season officially begins for women's tennis as they host their first home match of the season on Sunday.
Women's Basketball - vs. Portland State (Thursday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time), vs. Sacramento State (Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. PT) - Get Tickets
After two games on the road, Eastern is back at Reese Court for a pair of conference games. EWU starts against Portland St. on Thursday night, followed by a Saturday afternoon matchup against Sacramento St. Both games are streamed live on ESPN+.
The Eagles opened Big Sky play with a road trip, playing Montana and Montana St. last week. Against the Griz, the score was tied at halftime and remained close throughout the third quarter. Montana used a 7-0 run near the end of the game to separate from the Eagles to win, 78-70.
Ella Gallatin scored a career-best 22 points and had 10 rebounds for her first career double double.
In the matchup against the Bobcats, Eastern trailed by 12 at halftime, but surged ahead with a 16-0 run in the third quarter. MSU went back ahead in the fourth quarter on a 10-0 stretch. The Bobcats held its lead for a 66-54 victory.
Kourtney Grossman posted her third double double of the season, tallying 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Grossman continues her upward trajectory in her freshman season as an Eagle. The Billings, Mont. native leads the Eagles and is fourth in the conference with 8.4 rebounds per game. Grossman is also fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.1 per game, while shooting 40.0 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
Eastern's scoring is led by Peyton Howard, who's 14.3 points per game stands fourth on the Big Sky leaderboard. Howard is shooting 41.2 percent to rank fifth in the Big Sky. She averages 1.9 made threes per game, ranking fifth.
As a team, EWU is shooting 31.4 percent from behind the arc, good for fourth in the conference.
The Eagles are active on the offensive boards, recording 12.9 per game, second among Big Sky teams. They average 41.3 rebounds per game - third in the conference - and have a plus-4.9 rebounding margin - second in the conference.
Another true freshman is providing a dynamic complement to Grossman in the paint, with Jaecy Eggers recording 29 offensive rebounds this season. Eggers averages 5.6 rebounds per game, second on Eastern and tied for 13th in the Big Sky.
Men's Basketball – at Portland State (Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time), at Sacramento State (Saturday, January 11 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time)
The Eagles are looking to carry the momentum from their hard-fought win over Montana State on Saturday, Jan. 4, into their first conference road trip of the season. Eastern Washington will face Portland State on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. before traveling to Sacramento State on Saturday, Jan. 11, for a 1 p.m. tip-off.
Eastern split its games this past weekend, suffering a tough 92-81 loss to rival Montana but bouncing back with a 68-63 victory over preseason favorite Montana State.
Mason Williams and Nic McClain were key to the Eagles' offensive efforts, each finishing with 39 and 35 points, respectively, over the weekend. On the defensive end, Emmett Marquardt was a force on the boards, grabbing 13 rebounds, while Sebastian Hartmann contributed with eight. McClain leads the Big Sky in steals, averaging 2.36 per game, while Marquardt ranks fourth in blocked shots with an average of 0.93 per game. Additionally, Andrew Cook is currently fifth in the Big Sky in scoring.
In their loss to Montana, Williams had a career-high 28 points, leading the Eagles in a game that was neck-and-neck throughout. The first half ended in a 40-40 tie, with the lead changing hands multiple times. Despite strong second-half performances from Williams, McClain, and Cook, Montana pulled away late, finishing strong with key free throws and a clutch three-pointer.
Against Montana State, Eastern Washington overcame a scoring lull to secure a 68-63 win. The game remained tight throughout, with the teams trading leads in the first half before Montana State held a narrow 32-31 advantage at the break. The Eagles' defense, spearheaded by Marquardt, stepped up in the second half, while McClain delivered crucial points in the final minutes.
With the game tied at 58, McClain ignited a 7-0 run that gave the Eagles the lead for good. Montana State made a late push with a three-pointer, but Eastern Washington's defense held strong, securing the victory. McClain's clutch plays and the team's defensive effort were pivotal in the Eagles' comeback.
Women's Tennis - vs. UC Davis (Sunday, Jan. 12 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time) - Free Admission
New Year, new season. EWU Women Tennis opens up spring play this weekend when they host UC Davis on Sunday, Jan. 12. The match will begin at 10 am.
The Eagles will face off against the Aggies in their third all-time meeting, with UC Davis capturing the first two meetings. The last two met in 2016 in Davis, California with the Aggies pulling out the 5-2 victory over the Eagles. Eastern will host the Aggies at home for the first time ever, and will open their season at home for the first time since 2022 when they defeated Seattle 5-2.
Head coach Dustin Hinson begins his 13th season leading the Eagles. Hinson comes into this season with a combined record of 77-152. In season openers, Hinson is 4-8 during his tenure.
The Eagles bring back six returners from last year's team, (Kelly Arends, Anait Arutiunian, Isabella Foshee, Kenzington Mann, Leandra Nizetic, and Sara Vasic). Eastern will welcome two freshmen to the team. Zoe Pradel from Toulouse, France, and Olivia Marais from Lodi, California.
After their match against the Aggies to open the season and non-conference play, the Eagles will then be on the road for eight straight matches.
After a successful fall, Eastern looks to continue their momentum into this spring season. The Eagles recorded 15 singles wins in their three tournaments this fall. Senior Isabella Foshee led the team recording five singles wins, and two doubles wins with other senior Kenzington Mann.
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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