CHENEY, Wash. — In what was a slog of a non-conference game Monday night, but Eastern Washington women's basketball emerged with the win. Eastern defeated Cal Poly, 70-65 behind a balanced scoring attack at Reese Court. EWU improved to 2–2 on the season and the Mustangs fell to 1-3/
"I think we distributed the ball well. We got to that second and third side. It was really nice to have us move the ball a little bit and find open teammates a little more," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "In our previous two games, there weren't very many fouls called. This one, there was a lot and I think you have to make those adjustments. It's tough when it's a different game than what you've played in the last couple. I thought that we made some good adjustments and our players hit enough free throws. We missed a few, but we hit enough down the stretch."
The Eagles maintained the lead for the majority of the game, leading by as many as 15. Cal Poly stayed within striking distance, but could never break through. A 10-2 run in the third quarter created the 15-point lead for EWU. The lead was necessary as the Mustangs pushed the Eagles in the fourth quarter, outsourcing them by seven to make the final minutes more intense.
The scoring was spread around in the game, with four players scoring in double figures. Caitie Gingras had a breakout game, scoring 16 points on an efficient 6-of-8(75.0%), including 4-of-5(80%) from three point range. Kourtney Grossman posted another double-double, and was second on the team with 15 points, adding a game-high 10 rebounds.
"We push each other but we are also each other's biggest fans," Gingras explained. "We've handled the press before, but in the heat of the moment, obviously mistakes will happen. We'll have to get to work and fix that and I'm sure practice will do that for us."
The score was close in the beginning, as the teams tied at four and three minutes into the game. Kourtney Grossman went to work, scoring five points to give the Eagles a 9-4 lead. The Mustangs did not fade, however, and stayed close in the quarter. EWU led 13-11 after one, shooting 33 percent from the floor. They held Cal Poly to 25.0 shooting.
Eastern looked to expand its lead in the second quarter and found a rhythm by way of an 8-0 run. The Eagles used made jumpers from Elyn Bowers and Emily McElmurry, while Grossman went inside to score. The lead grew to 21-10 and 6:38 on the clock. The Mustangs found their own rhythm and closed the gap to six points with just under four minutes to play in the half. The teams then matched each other in scores down the stretch and Eastern held a 30-23 lead, shooting 35.7 percent in the quarter.
Starting in the second quarter, the Eagles began to pull away with a 10-2 run over a minute-and-a-half stretch. Caitie Gingras scored eight of the team's points during the run and EWU was up 44-29 at the 6:52 point. Gingras' shooting maintained the Eastern lead, closing the quarter with another three. The lead for EWU was 57-44 after shooting 60 percent in the quarter.
In the fourth, EWU battled to keep their advantage. Midway through the quarter, Cal Poly began to chip away at the lead. They made a late run and reduced the Eastern lead down to five with 46 seconds remaining in the game. The team did not fold and converted their free throw opportunities to secure the win.
Eag Notes
- The two teams combined to have 51 fouls in the game with Cal Poly committing 26 and Eastern 25.
- Kourtney Grossman made it two-straight games with a double-double, and her 15th of her career. She pulled down double-digit rebounds for the 19th time and scored in double figures for the 24th time.
- On the boards, EWU had the advantage, 35 to 27.
- Caitie Gingras scored in double figures for the second consecutive game.
- EWU forced 19 turnovers from the Mustangs and converted them into 19 points.
- Eastern made 10 steals in the game, with Ella Gallatin matching her career-best with 4. Six different Eagles recorded a steal in the game.
- Elyn Bowers scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game, tallying 14 in the game. She has scored in double figures in every game to start her career.
- EWU had 13 assists on 21 made field goals. Gallatin led the team with 4 assists and has 3+ assists in each game this season.
- Jaecy Eggers scored double-digit points for the 17th time in her career, finishing with 14. She nearly had her first career double-double, adding 8 rebounds.
Up Next
Eastern Washington has a short road trip on Sunday (Nov. 23), driving up to Spokane to play Gonzaga, with tipoff at 2 p.m.
Women's basketball season tickets are now on sale! Claim your seats at Reese Court for the 2025-26 season by visiting goeags.com/tickets to purchase online.
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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