SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — The 2026-27 season has begun, but it was not the start Eastern Washington women's basketball wanted. Eastern dropped the season opener to Utah, 76-67, as the Utes' balanced shooting night outpaced the Eagles.
"I'm really proud of the way we battled tonight against a quality Big 12 opponent," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "We made some defensive adjustments at halftime along with just settling down at the offensive end, which contributed to our 43-34 win in the second half. Our defense led the charge to start the third quarter, ultimately resulting in 18 turnovers and leading to 21 points."
Utah shot 13-of-32(40.6%) from behind the arc and carried a 44.4 overall shooting percentage. The Utes' balanced scoring was spread out, with 28 points coming off the bench. Utah found production at the free-throw line, going 15-of-19(78.9%) from the stripe.
Jaecy Eggers led EWU with 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Eggers was one of three Eagles scoring in double digits, followed by Elyn Bowers with 15 and Kourtney Grossman with 11.
"Jaecy was huge for us tonight as she really solidified our interior game, while protecting the paint at the defensive end," Gleason explained. "Elyn ran the show for us at point guard and was pivotal in our comeback, both scoring and setting up her teammates for good shots."
Eastern shot 35.1 percent overall and shot threes at a 25.9 percent clip.
"I'm really happy with how we competed overall and how we out-rebounded them. This game is a great gauge for where we are right now and helps us down the road," Gleason added.
Utah jumped ahead in the first quarter with a 12-2 lead at the first media timeout. A three by Alyse Aby brought the score back down to single digits. The Utes had found a groove and expanded the lead to as much as 12 in the quarter. After the first 10 minutes, Utah led 19-9. EWU shot 29.3 percent, with Emily McElmurry leading the team with four points.
In the second quarter, the Utes continued to expand their lead, going up by as many as 20 in the quarter. Utah shot 50.0 percent from the floor and was 5-for-11(45.5%) on threes. Eastern shot 28.6 percent from the floor in the quarter. The Utes outscored the Eagles 23-15 in the second and led 42-24. Jaecy Eggers scored 11 points and had six rebounds in the quarter.
The third quarter was more of the same from Utah, shooting 45.5 percent overall and 42.9 percent from three. The Eagles saw an uptick in their shooting, turning in a 42.1 percent mark. Their scoring increased to 21 points, and they outscored the Utes by four, 21 to 17. Utah was up 59-45 going to the final frame.
Early in the fourth quarter, Madeline Gibbs connected from three to bring the score down to single digits (61-52). Elyn Bowers followed with a quick layup, and the lead was down to seven. The Utes scored the next four points to go back up by double digits. EWU had the counter, ripping off a 6-0 run with points from Bowers, Eggers and McElmurry. With the score at 66-60 and 3:51 left in the game, the Utes stemmed the momentum with a 4-0 burst. Down the stretch, the score went back-and-forth between single and double digits. Eastern shot 50 percent in the quarter and held the Utes to 33.3, but it was not enough to take the lead.
Eag Notes
- Eastern controlled the paint with a 44 to 39 advantage in rebounding. The Eagles scored 32 points in the paint against the Utes' 22. With 19 offensive rebounds, the team had 15 second-chance points.
- Jaecy Eggers posted her 7th career double-double. She has posted double-doubles in 2 of her last 3 games going back to last season. Eggers also matched her career-best with 4 blocks, her 27th career game with 2 or more blocks. It was Eggers 34th game in double figures for scoring and 11 for rebounds.
- EWU limited its turnovers to 10 in the game, while forcing 18 from the Utes. They produced 21 points off of turnovers.
- Kourtney Grossman already registered her first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Grossman had her 49th double-digit scoring game and 41st double-digit rebounding game.
- Elyn Bowers scored in double figures for the 30th game in her career.
- Utah tallied 7 blocks in the game, spread out among five players.
Up Next
Eastern Washington hosts UC Davis for the team's home opener on Friday (Nov. 6) at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.
Tickets for the EWU Women's Basketball 2026-27 season are on sale now! Purchase season and single-game tickets for the Eagles' 15 home games, including 10 Big Sky matchups and a non-conference showdown with Gonzaga. For more info, visit goeags.com/wbbtickets or contact the EWU Ticket Office at 509-359-6059 or tickets@ewu.edu.
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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