CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington women's basketball started a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon, hosting Northern Colorado. UNC topped Eastern 71-62 at Reese Court, despite a late rally from the Eagles. EWU's record in conference now sits at 4-5 and the team is 11-11 this season. UNC improves to 7-2 in the Big Sky and an overall record of 16-7.
"I felt like we played with toughness in the second half and had the amount of discipline needed to beat a good team. I felt like we didn't do that in the first half," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "We let [Northern Colorado]'s physicality and defensive pressure forced us out of our offense. In the second half, we did a better job of handling their physicality. You can talk about it and watch film, but you have to see it in the game and adjust. We know all the top-tier teams in conference have really solid, physical defense. We've been knocking on the door, but have not been able to get a win against them. I think we're getting better and moving in the right direction. We just have to get better."
Elyn Bowers was again the offensive engine for Eastern, scoring 26 points on 10-of-16(62.5%) shooting, going 3-of-5(60%) from three-point range.
The Eagles finished with a 39.6 shooting percentage, while the Bears shot at a 42.6 percent clip.
"I've been getting extra reps and extra work at game-speed in practice. I've been watching film to help me read other defenses and see gaps in them," Bowers explained. "We let Northern Colorado dictate the pace in the first half. They were faster than us and it sped up our offense. That's why I think we had so many turnovers. In the second half, we were tougher and slowed down, realizing that we didn't have to go 100 miles per hour. I think it was a good lesson to grow from."
The intensity was up in the first quarter as UNC made its first four shots and led 11-5 at the 4:38 mark of the quarter. After the Bears built the lead to seven, Eastern responded with four-straight points to cut the lead down to a possession. Ella Gallatin accounted for all four points. At the end of the first, EWU trailed 15-12, shooting 36.4 percent for the quarter.
The Eagles stayed close early in the second quarter, with Elyn Bowers providing the offense. At the midway point of the quarter, the Bears began to add to their lead. They went up 27-21 at 4:20. They would extend their lead tonight with 1:33 remaining in the quarter. The score held until halftime, with Eastern trailing 29-21. EWU was limited to 250 shooting in the quarter.
In the third quarter, Eastern moved to cut the lead down. They put together a 7-0 run at the eight-minute mark and tied the game at 31. UNC reset and reestablished their lead with a 4-0 run. The Bear lead swelled back to 40-33 and 3:28 remaining in the half. EWU increased their aggression and earned trips to the free throw line to stay in the game. After three, the Eagles trailed 48-43, shooting a blistering 70 percent from the floor.
Bowers was focused on leading the comeback in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead down to three with a jumper. The Bears responded with points, but Eastern kept close. Down tow at 4:47, Gallatin delivered a clutch three to put EWU up by one. The Eagle lead would grow to three at 57-54 behind two free throws from Kourtney Grossman. UNC surged back with a 9-0 run to go up 63-57 and 57 seconds remaining in the game. Eastern could not draw any closer and the Bears escaped Reese with the win.
Eag Notes
- Elyn Bowers recorded her 5th 20-point game and her second-straight with 26 points. She now has 19 games scoring in double figures as a true freshman.
- Ella Gallatin scored 13 points for 18th game in double-digits as a senior.
- Kourtney Grossman posted double-digit rebounds for the 17th game, grabbing a game-high 11. Grossman matched her career-best with 4 assists.
- Northern Colorado had four players score in double figures, led by 16 from Tatum West and 15 from Heather Baymon.
- Jaecy Eggers tallied 2 blocks, her 11th multi-block game of the season and 20th of her career. She finished with 9 points as well.
- UNC earned the rebounding advantage - 36 to 30 - over the Eagles.
Up Next
Eastern Washington continues its homestand next week as they host Montana on Thursday (Feb. 5) and Montana State on Saturday (Feb. 7).
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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