CHENEY, Wash. — It was another close contest for Eastern Washington women's basketball, but the team could not come up with the win. Eastern fell to Weber State, 67-65, in the penultimate road game of the regular season for the Eagles. EWU's record drops to 6-10 in the Big Sky and 10-18 overall.
The Eagles trailed by two to start the fourth quarter, but took the lead with two minutes remaining. Weber pulled off the win after out-scoring EWU 6-2 in the final minutes of the game.
"Heartbreaking loss tonight on the road. We played with urgency in the second half and amped up our defensive pressure, resulting in some offense from our defense," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "We have to give credit to Weber St. Everytime we would take the lead, it seemed like they would immediately answer with a big bucket."
Alexis Pettis led the team with 18 points, shooting 7-of-18(38.9%) from the floor. Kourtney Grossman posted another double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
"Another very good team is waiting for us in Pocatello on Saturday so we will need to rest up and be prepared to go to battle," Gleason added.
It was all Weber to start the game, as they scored seven-straight points for the quick lead. The Eagles would find their footing, led by Rachel Harvey who scored five-straight points to cut the deficit to 11-7 at 4:39. Following a layup from the Wildcats, EWU ripped off another five-straight points to cut the lead to 13-12 at the break. EWU shot only 27.8 percent in the first.
Eastern took the lead to start the second quarter on a made three from Peyton Howard. Weber struck back with a 4-0 run to retake the lead. The teams went back and forth with both teams shooting a high percentage. On a layup from Bella Hays, EWU was up 22-21 at the 5:13 mark. The Wildcats then organized a 12-2 run to close out the second quarter and go up 33-24 on the Eagles. In the second, Eastern shot 31.2 percent from the floor.
EWU looked to get back into the game, opening the quarter with four made free throws. The Wildcats responded with a three to keep their lead. With WSU up 37-28, the Eagles blitzed with a 12-0 run, getting five points from both Alexis Pettis and Kourtney Grossman. Weber battled back and the teams tied twice down the stretch of the third. The Wildcats went up two on Eastern on a pair of free throws and they led 48-46. EWU improved to a 58-3 shooting percentage in the third.
Now in the fourth, Eastern jumped back in front with layups from Grossman and Jaecy Eggers. Weber then went up with a three before a quick answer from EWU on a Pettis layup. At 5:57 remaining in the game, the teams were tied at 57. They tied twice more at 59 and 61. EWU was up 63-61 with 2:18 on the clock after a jumper from Alexis Pettis. Despite the advantage, Weber scored six-straight points and led 67-63 with five seconds remaining. EWU managed to score but there was not enough time on the clock for another possession. The Wildcats won the game, 67-65.
Eastern finished shooting 37.7 percent from the floor, with Weber recording a 39.3 percent.
Eag Notes
- Kourtney Grossman now has 12 double doubles this season, leading the NCAA. She recorded her 18th game scoring in double figures and 14th in double digits for rebounds.
- The game featured 14 lead changes and 10 ties. There were 8 lead changes in the second quarter and 7 ties in the fourth.
- Alexis Pettis matched her career-best in scoring and has 11 games this season in double figures.
- Eastern forced 15 turnovers and scored 19 points on those opportunities.
- Ella Gallatin added 12 points on 4-of-8(50%) shooting for her 14th double digit scoring game.
- EWU was out-rebounded in the game, 42 to 40, but out-scored the Wildcats in the paint, 36 to 24.
- Jaecy Eggers set a career-high with 4 blocks. It is Eggers' 9th game this season with 2+ blocks.
- The Eagles committed 17 fouls to Weber's 9.
Up Next
Eastern Washington plays its final road game of the regular season on Saturday (March 1) against Idaho State, with tip off at 1 p.m. Pacific Time from Pocatello, Idaho.
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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