CHENEY, Wash. — Saturday afternoon was another classic battle between Eastern Washington women's basketball and Montana State. In the 37th meeting between the two teams, the Bobcats defeated the Eagles 71-69. Eastern drops to 5-6 in the Big Sky and now 12-12 overall this season. Montana St. is 10-2 in conference and 17-6 overall.
"Every single game we play against the Cats seems like a two-point game and they made some big shots down the stretch. We did an amazing job coming back in the second half and just battling. I'm so proud of the way we executed and continued to fight," head coach Joddie Gleason emphasized. "I think we didn't do anything in the second half that we had not already talked about; it was making sure we were executing. Ella [Gallatin], Elyn [Bowers] and all of our guards did a great job of breaking their press. It was also recognizing when to continue to attack or set something up and try to run action. That's always tough against them because they apply a lot of pressure. I thought we did a much better job of that in the second half."
The Bobcats seemed to be pulling away in the second quarter, leading by as much as 19 points. The Eagles flipped the script in the second half, outscoring MSU by 12. Despite the comeback effort from Eastern, the Bobcats held on the final possession and escaped with the road win.
"They're one of the top teams in our conference and we're right there with them," Gleason added. "We have to have one more possession, whether that be free throws, a good finish or a defensive stop. We gave up too many easy backdoor scores. It's about eliminating the easy things for opponents and making sure we play with urgency to get that one more possession."
Ella Gallatin was the steady scorer for EWU, tying for the game high with 18 points, shooting 7-of-12(58.3%) from the floor. Jaecy Eggers contributed 16 points and Elyn Bowers supported with 15.
"I love these games because I know [Montana State] is always a tough, physical team. It brings something extra to the games. We talk a lot about trying to attack attacking teams. We just had to get downhill on them like they were doing to us," Gallatin explained. "We've been working a lot on our screens and connections with our bigs. Jaecy [Eggers] and the other bigs did a good job setting screens, which allowed me to get downhill and break the press."
Montana State jumped on Eastern to start the game, opening up a 13-4 lead at the 5:09 point. EWU clawed back into the game, cutting the lead to five behind a three from Kourtney Grossman. Near the end of the first quarter, the Bobcats again went on a run and built a double-digit lead. EWU trailed 23-12 after the first 10 minutes, shooting 36.4 percent from the floor.
In the second quarter, Montana St. expanded its lead over the Eagles, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. They had seven different players score in the balanced offensive effort. Eastern shot 37.5, with Ella Gallatin leading the team with six points. The Bobcats would outscore EWU, 20-17 in the quarter and lead 43-29 at halftime.
It was comeback time in the third quarter for Eastern as they reduced the lead to single digits in just under three minutes. Gallatin and Jaecy Eggers led the charge for the Eagles with four points each. The Bobcats tried to rebuild its double-digit lead, but EWU answered each time with a score. At the 3:33 mark, a layup from Egger cut the Bobcat lead to one. Eastern could not take the lead but kept the deficit between one and two possessions. At the end of three, Eastern trailed 57-54, with the team shooting at a 56.3 clip.
Early in the fourth quarter, MSU built a cushion between them and the Eagles, leading 64-57 after over a minute of play. EWU maintained its belief, staying within striking distance of the Bobcats. With 1:22 remaining in the game, Elyn Bowers powered into the paint for a difficult layup, getting the foul in the process. Bowers converted the free throw and Eastern had its first lead of the game, 69-68. MSU responded with two made free throws to go back in front, 70-69 and 1:10 left. Neither team could score down the stretch, but the Bobcats tacked on one more free throw with four seconds remaining. The Eagles had an opportunity at the end, down two, but could not get the shot to fall and MSU earned the win.
Eag Notes
- The teams were nearly even on shooting, with Eastern Washington at 41.8 percent and Montana State at 41.7. Eastern had a 40.0 three-point percentage on 15 attempts, while the Bobcats shot 28.6 percent on 21 attempts.
- Ella Gallatin scored in double figures for the 20th game this season and has 36 in her career.
- Jaecy Eggers was in double-digits for the 14th time this season. She added 7 rebounds in the game
- Elyn Bowers notched her 21st game scoring in double figures. She led the team with 2 steals.
- Eastern posted 36 rebounds in the game, a plus-seven advantage over Montana St. In the paint, however, the Bobcats won the battle, 30 to 28. MSU also scored 14 points on second chance opportunities to only 5 from EWU.
- Kourtney Grossman posted double-digit rebounds for the 19th game this season, collecting a game-high 14. Grossman has 36 total games in double figures for rebounding in her career. She nearly had her 16th double-double after scoring 9 points.
- Gallatin and Bowers each recorded 3 assists in the game.
- EWU is now 15-22 all-time against Montana State, dropping the last four matchups with the Bobcats.
Up Next
Eastern is back on the road next week to play Idaho State on Thursday (Feb. 12) at 6 pm Pacific Time, followed by a matchup against Weber State on Saturday (Feb. 14) at 1 p.m.
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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