by NEW ORLEANS — The Eastern Washington University women’s basketball team dropped a 93-78 decision to Drake in the consolation game of the 21st Annual Tulane Classic on Thursday (Dec. 22) afternoon.
“Drake is a really good basketball team, and I thought we played hard, but their offensive firepower was too much for us,” said head coach Wendy Schuller.
The Eagles ran into a hot-shooting Bulldog squad that shot 56.3 percent from the field on Thursday. Eastern was able to post a 46.3 percent shooting performance, but a 34-21 advantage in points off turnovers for the Bulldogs was too much for Eastern to overcome in the team’s final non-conference game of the season.
“We are ready to tackle Big Sky play,” Schuller expressed after the game. “I think our tough non-conference schedule has definitely prepared us for the rigors of what we’ll see in our conference.”
Redshirt senior Tisha Phillips (Nez Perce Tribe) was an assist away from a double-double, as she finished the day with 20 points and a season-best nine assists. The point guard also added six steals and four rebounds to her stat line.
“I thought Tisha played as complete a game as I’ve seen her play,” said the head coach of her point guard’s performance.
Junior Delaney Hodgins tallied 19 points to extend her double-digit scoring streak to 28 games, while freshman Symone Starks came off the bench and poured in a career-best 16 points.
Win-Loss Records: Eastern Washington falls to 5-6 on the year, while Drake improves to 7-4.
Top Performers: Redshirts senior Tisha Phillips flirted with a double-double on Thursday, as the point guard picked up a team-best 20 points and handed out a season-high nine assists. Phillips also had six steals against the Bulldogs.
Notables: The Eagles fall below the .500 mark for the first time since they were 1-2 after a win over Furman on Nov. 19.
With a 19-point outing against Drake, junior Delaney Hodgins extends her double-digit scoring streak to a remarkable 28-straightt game.
Redshirt senior Tisha Phillips record her second 20-plus point game of the season with an even 20 points against the Bulldogs. The only other 20-plus point contest for Phillips came on Dec. 8 at Boise State when she dropped 25 points against the Broncos.
What’s Next: The Eagles now move onto Big Sky Conference play, as they open the 2016-17 conference slate with rival Idaho on Dec. 31 at Reese Court. Tip-off is set for 2:05 p.m. PT.
