by After 11 days off, it was only fitting for the game to come down to the last possession for Eastern Washington women’s basketball’s return to the court. Eastern faced UC Irvine on Thursday (Dec. 1) at Reese Court, falling to the Anteaters, 67-65. The Eagles would rally in the fourth quarter to get an opportunity to win the game at the end but were not able to convert. Eastern’s record falls to 4-2 on the season, while UC Irvine improves to 5-1.
“We went to a small-ball lineup and that helped us in the fourth quarter, giving us a few more shots. I thought we really executed our end-of-the-game situations really well. We practice all of that consistently,” head coach Joddie Gleason said. “UC Irvine is a great team and in that third quarter, they outscored us 23-10. They forced some turnovers in situations where there wasn’t a lot of pressure, including on defensive rebounds or outlet turnovers. We need to make sure we regroup quicker. On our end, we also need to think about taking too many quick shots.”
Jaydia Martin had a game-high 19 points on 7-of-16(43.8%) shooting. Martin was 5-of-11(45.5%) on her three-point shots.
“I think I could have grabbed more rebounds for our team. I had a good game, but I think overall, we always want to get the win,” Martin explained. “It helps to know that my team has my back. Learning from this game, you want to do better next time. I think this loss will help us forward through the next few games.”
The matchup opened with both teams getting their shots to fall, as the score was tied at 10 after the first four minutes in the quarter. At the media timeout, the score sat at 12 all with 4:14 left in the quarter. Jamie Loera had the early stroke, scoring six points on 3-of-4(75%) shooting. After Eastern took a one-point lead, Jaydia Martin drilled her first three-pointer of the game for a 16-12 lead. UC Irvine responded with a 6-0 run to jump ahead, 18-16 with 2:13 on the clock. Jaleesa Lawrence would tie the game on the Eagles’ next possession. The Anteaters then connected with a jump shot and buried a three-pointer to build a five-point lead. Martin would hit another three near the end of the quarter to pull the score back to 23-21, but UC Irvine led at the break.
Eastern shot well in the first quarter, going 9-of-16(56.3%) from the field. The Anteaters were also hot from the floor, going 10-of-17(58.8%).
Martin continued to demonstrate her range, hitting her third three of the game to pull the Eagles within one at 25-24 to open the second quarter. Off a UC Irvine turnover, Aaliyah Alexander would the drive into the paint for the layup and Eastern had the lead, 26-25, with 7:03 left in the half. A three from Jacinta Buckley would extend the lead to 29-25. Points became scarce for both teams following Buckley’s three, as neither team scored again until 2:00 left on the clock. UC Irvine connected with a jumper and would add a free throw on its next possession to cut the Eastern lead down to one. Jayden McNeal would end an over four-minute scoreless stretch for the Eagles with a layup off a steal from Lawrence. Eastern went into the half with a 31-28 lead.
In the second, Eastern shot 48.1 percent overall and 36.4 percent from three-point range. UC Irvine shot 40.7 percent, going only 1-of-7(14.3%) from three.
The third quarter opened with both teams trying to find a rhythm on offense. The Anteaters scored the first points at 8:36 to cut the lead to one. Martin would come right back with a jumper to build the lead back to three points. UC Irvine would then tie and take the lead with two three pointers. Lawrence provided the quick answer with an and-one to tie the game at 36. Almost as quickly, a 4-0 burst from the Anteaters put them back in the lead. The run turned into a 10-0 stretch and UC Irvine had sized the momentum in the game. Martin would again halt the run with a three, ending a three-minute scoring drought for the Eagles. UC Irvine would close the third with a 5-2 stretch to lead 51-41.
During the third quarter, Eastern shot just 28.6 percent from the floor, while the Anteaters raced ahead with a 52.6 percentage.
Eastern looked to spark a comeback to open the fourth quarter, going on a 5-0 run with baskets from Buckley and Lawrence. The teams traded field goals, as the Anteaters tried to maintain their advantage. They opened up a 57-51 lead at 6:22 and would extend it to 64-53 at the 3:34 mark in the quarter. UC Irvine had a 66-55 advantage with 2:47 left in the game, prompting Eastern to make its move. The team would go on a 10-0 run to pull within one of the Anteaters. The run was powered by three-pointers from Martin and Buckley, along with free throws from Alexander and Loera. With four seconds left in the game, the Eagles fouled and put UC Irvine on the line. Navaeh Parkinson made one-of-two free throws and gave Eastern a chance to win the game. Eastern had a look but could not connect for the game-winner. The Anteaters survived, 67-65 after Eastern’s rally fell short.
Eastern Washington shot 41.7 percent as a team and 30.8 percent from three-point range. UC Irvine finished with a 43.8 percentage and a 31.3 percent from three.
