PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Invitational started off with intensity for Eastern Washington women's basketball as they opened with a victory for the holiday weekend. Eastern defeated Nevada 58-57 on Friday, holding off a late rally from the Mountain West opponent. EWU improves to 3-3 on the season and the Wolf Pack falls to 4-3.
"I'm extremely proud of the way we prepared for this game all week and executed our game plan with solid defense and rebounding," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "It's always nice to get any win, but with the shooting night we had; it's really hard to do. [Nevada] made a nice run in the fourth and we bent, but did not break. I'm proud of how we stayed together all game. If there was ever a mistake, someone would step up and rotate, or make a play to pick each other up. Our bench energy was awesome and they were really all about celebrating their sisters."
After trailing by a possession at halftime, Eastern flipped the script in the third quarter with a sustained scoring run. Over a nearly an eight-minute stretch from the third and fourth quarters, the Eagles outscored Nevada by 15 points to build a nearly double-digit lead. Despite a late push by the Wolf Pack, Eastern scored enough down the stretch to hold its lead.
EWU's defensive effort produced results, holding Nevada to 0-of-7 from three point range and 39.7 percent overall shooting for the game. The Wolf Pack also shot only 7-of-13(53.8%) from the free throw line, while Eastern had a 6-of-8(75%) mark from the line.
Two Eagles traded off on scoring as Ella Gallatin and Kourtney Grossman each scored 15 points against Nevada. Gallatin went 6-of-14(42.9%) from the floor and 3-of-5(60%) on three-point shots, while Grossman was 6-of-13(46.2%) and 1-of-3(33.3%) on threes.
"Ella and Kourtney really stepped up on offense when we were struggling to score. Their leadership was a key for us again today," Gleason added.
Eastern jumped out in front early in the first quarter, leading 8-4 at the five-minute mark. Kourtney Grossman led the scoring with six points. The Eagles outside shooting was working as Ella Gallatin, Elyn Bowers and Caitie Gingras connected on jump shots. At the end of the first 10 minutes, EWU held a 15-10 advantage, shooting 35 percent.
Nevada battled back in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 17-16 at the 6:24 point. They took the lead at 18-17, before a quick score from Jaecy Eggers put the Eagles back in front. The Wolf Pack had seized momentum and went in front on the next possession. Nevada built a five-point lead at 29-24. A late layup from Bowers reduced the lead down to a possession at halftime, with Eastern trailing 29-26. In the second, EWU shot 26.3 percent from the floor.
Nevada grew its lead to seven a minute-and-a-half into the third quarter. The Eagles then organized a run, ripping off five-straight points to bring the lead down to 33-31. Following a Wolf Pack score, Eastern scored six-straight to take its first lead since the second quarter. EWU would carry a 17-5 run over a six minute, 40 second stretch to take the lead and gain momentum in the game. After three, the Eagles led 43-38 after outsourcing Nevada, 17-9 in the quarter, shooting 35 percent from the floor.
Eastern's lead grew to as many as eight to begin the fourth quarter, getting another three from Grossman. A quick 5-0 burst from the Wolf Pack sent the lead back to a possession, 46-43 and 8:34 on the clock. Four-straight points from the Eagles halted the momentum shift, but Nevada had found a rhythm on offense. The teams traded points and the lead continued to tighten. With 1:07 remaining, the Wolf Pack had the lead down to one, but Gallatin answered with a driving layup. Following another Nevada score, Gingras made two clutch free throws to keep the lead at three. The Wolf Pack scored again, but the Eagle defense held in the final seconds to secure the road win.
Eag Notes
- Eastern Washington had 4 players with 6-or-more rebounds, led by Elyn Bowers pulling down 9 rebounds, a new career-best. Bowers has 3 games this season with 6 or more rebounds. Kourtney Grossman had 7 rebounds, while Jaecy Eggers and Ella Gallatin had 6 apiece. As a team, the Eagles were outrebounded slightly, 47 to 45 against Nevada. Eastern did grab 16 offensive rebounds to the Wolf Pack's 12.
- Grossman scored in double figures for the 26th time in her career and 6th time this season. Gallatin scored in double figures for the 18th time in her career and 2nd time this season. Eggers scored in double-digits for the 18th time in her career and 3rd game this season.
- Eastern recorded 12 assists on 24 made field goals. Bella Hays matched her career-best with 2 assists.
- Eggers notched 2 blocked shots for her 3rd, 2-block game this season and 12th of her career.
- The Eagles tallied 12 steals in the game, led by 3 from Grossman and Emily McElmurry, tying her career-best. EWU has double digit steals in 5-of-6 games this season.
- Eastern scored 11 points in fast break to only 5 from Nevada.
Up Next
Eastern Washington continues its time in the Portland Invitational on Sunday as they face the host-school, Portland at 3 p.m. Pacific Time.
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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