SPOKANE, Wash. — The road trip was close by for Eastern Washington women's basketball, but the team came up short of a win away from home. Eastern lost to Gonzaga on Saturday, 78-60, with the Bulldogs leading for most of the game. EWU's record falls to 2-3 on the season, while the Zags improve to 3-3.
Gonzaga's offense was clicking in the game, shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. They led for 33 minutes, while Eastern led for four minutes.
EWU made a run at the lead in the third quarter, cutting the lead to six with under three left in the quarter. An 8-2 run from the Zags gave them the separation they needed as they cruised to the double-digit win. Eastern shot 35.8 percent for the game, with a 26.1 mark from three-point range.
"We are always going to come out and fight. Our team did a nice job of coming out and working hard. We just had defensive breakdowns," head coach Joddie Gleason explained. "[Gonzaga] was running exactly the plays that we knew they were going to run and we were biting on every ball fake, leaving the corner shooter open. We just have to learn from it. To beat a good team, you have to execute on both sides of the ball. There were just too many mental breakdowns defensively."
Elyn Bowers carried the offense for the Eagles, setting a new career-best with 21 points in the game, shooting 9-of-18(50.0%).
"I was getting to the rim and it was exactly what we talked about in our scout. [Gonzaga] is going to be icing the screens. I had to find a way around them and then it was wide open, like we were practicing," Bowers described. "I definitely like playing in these louder environments. I think it makes the team step up and be more connected. You're not going to be able to hear every play call. You just have to find those moments, bring everyone together and that's definitely going to help down the road against Big Sky teams."
Eastern had its shooting early in the game, as Kourtney Grossman and Elyn Bowers both connected from three. With EWU up 12-8 at the 6:08 mark, Gonzaga ripped off an 8-0 run to flip to take the lead. A three from Ella Gallatin stopped the run and kept the Eagles within a possession. They trailed the Zags 20-17 after shooting 40 percent in the opening quarter.
Gonzaga was pulling away in the second quarter, shooting 47.1 percent from the floor. The Eagles offense was held to 23.4 percentage, while going 0-of-6 from three-point range. The Zags outscored EWU 23-11 in the quarter. Eastern trailed 43-28 at halftime.
Midway through the third quarter, EWU went on a run to close the deficit. The Eagles went on a 11-0 run and cut the lead down to 54-48 and 2:30 on the clock. The run was over a 2:30 minute stretch. Eastern shot 58.6 percent in the quarter and outscored the Zags 22-25. The Eagles now trailed 58-50 after three.
In the fourth quarter, the deficit stayed around 10 points early, but a 13-2 run from Gonzaga put the game out of reach for Eastern. The Zags rolled with 21 points in the quarter, holding EWU to 10 points and securing the win.
Eag Notes
- Elyn Bowers continued her streak of scoring in double digits, now with 5-straight games to start her collegiate career.
- Kourtney Grossman scored 10 points and had a team-high 7 rebounds. It's Grossman's 25th game scoring in double figures in her career.
- Eastern grabbed 13 steals in the game with Ely Bowers and Ella Gallatin recording 4 and Grossman with 3. Gallatin matched her career-best, while Bowers upped her career-best from 2 in her young career.
- EWU forced 22 turnovers overall in the game, scoring 13 points on those mistakes. They committed 14 as a team and Gonzaga scored 12 points off of them.
- The Zags had a 44-to-29 rebounding advantage in rebounding. The two teams matched each other with 8 offensive rebounds.
- Gallatin led the Eagles with 4 assists in the game. She scored 7 points as well.
Up Next
Eastern Washington is off until after Thanksgiving when they travel to play in the Portland Invitational next weekend. EWU starts against Nevada on Friday (Nov. 28) and then against the host Portland on Sunday (Nov. 30).
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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