CHENEY, Wash. — Saturday was the final home game for Eastern Washington women's basketball of the 2025-26 season. Eastern celebrated its five seniors and sent them off with a win in their final game at Reese Court.
EWU delivered a 81-61 win over Northern Arizona on Senior Day, leading for the majority of the game. The Eagles improved to 7-10 in the Big Sky and are now 14-16 overall. NAU falls to 6-11 in conference and is 10-20 this season.
"We had some players really step up with Elyn [Bowers] and Emily [McElmurry] hitting a bunch of shots in the first half. Our bench came in and gave big contributions," head coach Joddie Gleason said. "I felt like we moved the ball well. We're always really unselfish. When they went to the zone, we moved the ball to get inside and outside looks that we knocked down."
The three-point shooting drove Eastern victory today as the team went 14-of-27(51.9%) from behind the arc. EWU also carried 43.3 field goal percentage overall against the Lumberjacks.
Elyn Bowers dropped 21 points to lead the team, going 8-of-16(50.0%) overall and 4-of-9(44.4%) from three-point range.
"I think today we played together offensively and moved the ball great. We got great looks against their zone and I think we can continue that in the future," Bowers described. "I think I've gotten a lot stronger and physical since the start of the season. At the beginning of the year, I was stepping into it and figuring out what the Big Sky is like. Now I think I'm more confident."
Along with Bowers, three Eagles scored in double figures, getting 17 points from Kourtney Grossman and 14 from Ella Gallatin. Emily McElmurry, making her first career start, scored 11 points. The Eagles' passing was effective against NAU, totaling 20 assists on 29 made field goals.
"We talked a lot about throwing the first punch," Gallatin said. "I feel like we get down in the first quarter and have to climb back. If we can throw that first punch, we won't have to make a comeback."
With the win, EWU slated to be the No. 5 or No. 6 in the Big Sky Tournament starting next weekend.
"It's easier to win three games then four so it's huge to get that first round bye," Gleason explained. "Playing on Saturday and then going up against one or two on Sunday to advance. We knew how big this game was and this team stepped up."
Following the game, Eastern honored five seniors, including Gallatin, Bella Hays, Paris Kirk, Addison Hall and Camille Jentzsch.
Gallatin reflected on her final game at Reese, "The last game at Reese was awesome and it flew by. I'm so grateful for the past four years. I'm just grateful I got to spend my last game with this team. I love them all so much."
Eastern moved the ball well to start the game, opening a 7-3 lead on a three from Emily McElmurry. Kourtney Grossman was also scoring well for the Eagles with five points in the first. The score remained close as the 'Jacks matched Eastern's scores. After the first 10 minutes, EWU held a slim 20-19 lead, shooting 38.9 percent.
NAU took the lead to start the second quarter with a three, but Elyn Bowers quickly had Eastern's answer to tie the game. Bowers would score seven consecutive points for the Eagles to keep their lead. McElmurry and Bowers then traded off making threes to push the Eagles lead to 36-26 and 3:07 remaining in the half. The 'Jacks trimmed the lead down to four with under two minutes on the clock. Brielle Magnuson joined the hot-shooting from behind the arc, giving EWU a 41-32 lead at the half on a made three. Eastern shot 33.3 percent in the second.
Out of the halftime break, the Eagles were on fire shooting, going 10-of-13(76.9%) from the floor and 4-of-5(80%) from three. Six different players scored, led by seven from Grossman. Bowers added six and Ella Gallatin scored five. NAU shot 46.7 percent in the third. The hot-shooting helped EWU build a double-digit advantage, leading 67-50 after three.
Eastern cruised in the fourth quarter, out-scoring the 'Jacks, 14 to 11. They shot 33.3 percent in the quarter. Gallatin and Grossman each scored five points in the fourth to lead the team. The Eagles' defense was stifling, holding NAU to 1-of-16 shooting, a 6.3 percent mark. With the combined offensive and defensive effort, EWU closed out the 'Jacks for the senior day win.
Eag Notes
- Eastern Washington's 14 made three-pointers today is a season-best and tied for the 5th most for a single game in program history.
- Elyn Bowers scored in double figures for the 26th game this season.
- Kourtney Grossman posted her 19th double-double of the season, grabbing 12 rebounds. She recorded her 26th game scoring in double-digits and 22nd in double figures for rebounding.
- Ella Gallatin tallied her 26th game scoring in double figures. Gallatin led the team with 7 assists.
- Madeline Gibbs earned a career-best 5 assists. Bowers added 4 for the Eagles.
- Emily McElmurry scored in double figures for the 4th time in her career, finishing with 11 points. She was 3-of-4(75%) on three-point shots.
- Eastern led for 38:08 minutes, trailing for only 32 seconds. The Eagles led by as much as 21 against the 'Jacks.
- Jaecy Eggers pulled down 10 rebounds for the second consecutive double-digit rebounding game and 9th this season. She nearly had a double-double after scoring 8 points. Eggers also added 3 blocks, her 15th game with 2+ blocks this year.
- NAU's Kayla Williams scored a game-high 24 points, adding 10 rebounds.
Up Next
Eastern Washington closes out the regular season against Idaho in Moscow on Monday (March 2). Tip off for the game will be 6 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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