by Gainesville, Fla. – The Eastern Washington University women’s basketball team closed out its nonconference schedule on a high note, topping host Florida, 67-56, Monday, Dec. 22, en route to being crowned Gator Holiday Classic champions.
Win-Loss Records
Eastern finishes its nonconference slate with a 7-4 record while Florida falls to 7-5 with the loss.
What It Means
EWU has now won three straight games, its longest winning streak of the season. The Eagles’ three nonconference victories away from Reese Court are the most since their 2004-05 campaign.
Gator Holiday Classic Recap
Eastern became the first school other than Florida to win the Gator Holiday Classic since High Point claimed the title in 2009, snapping a four-year streak by the Gators. The Eagles are just the fifth team other than Florida to win the title dating back to the tournament’s inception in 1990.
Senior Melissa Williams received Most Valuable Player honors after registering double-doubles in both games while senior Lexie Nelson collected all-tournament accolades following her 28-point outburst against the Gators.
Turning Point
The Eagles led by five at halftime before extending their lead to 10, 42-32, following a three-pointer from Nelson at the 14:56 mark of the second stanza. Florida responded with a 7-2 run over the next three minutes to pull back to within five, 44-39, extending its pressure the length of the court and using its athleticism to disrupt Eastern’s rhythm offensively.
Another triple from Nelson followed by layups from junior Hayley Hodgins and sophomore Tisha Phillips snapped the Gators’ run, giving EWU its largest lead to that point, 51-39, with 10:15 remaining. The hosts would crawl back to within seven, 53-46, at the 8:11 mark, forcing the Eagles to call timeout.
Williams converted a jumper out of the timeout before making a layup inside, giving Eastern a 57-46 advantage with 6:13 left. Florida would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way as the Eagles went 6-of-7 from the line to close out the victory.
Top Performers
Williams notched her second consecutive double-double with a 12-point, 11-rebound effort. 10 of her points and eight of her rebounds came in the second half, and she also finished with a game-high three blocked shots.
Nelson had a career night from three-point range, burying seven triples, two more than her previous career high, en route to scoring 28 points. She also made 7-of-8 free throws and dished out two assists.
Sophomore Tisha Phillips (Nez Perce Tribe) came off the bench and had arguably the best game of her college career, tallying seven points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes of action. Three of her rebounds came on the offensive end, giving the Eagles crucial second chances at opportune times.
