by Eastern Washington women’s basketball was on the court for the first official time on Sunday afternoon at Reese Court. The Eagles defeated Eastern Oregon, 67-54, in an exhibition game before the regular season starts next week.
Eastern had three players in double figures, led by Jacinta Buckley’s (Spokane Tribe) 19. The junior was 8-of-11(72.7%) from the floor and led the team with eight rebounds. Aaliyah Alexander scored 15 points in her return to the court and Jaydia Martin added 10. Milly Knowles had a game-high, seven assists.
“I think we are very versatile, as a team, and have a lot of depth, with a lot of weapons,” head coach Joddie Gleason said. “What stood out to me was the 19 assists. I think from any given night, anyone can have a big night. I think it’s tough for opponents to guard us because we can shoot so well from three-point range. In the first half, we didn’t get to the free-throw line enough. We are always looking for the extra pass or the one more pass to set a teammate up. That is going to be huge for us.”
The Eagles and Mountaineers were in a close contest in the first quarter, as both teams worked off the rust in the exhibition. In the opening quarter, there were seven lead changes and two ties. EOU led 16-12 after the first quarter. The Eagles were 5-of-13(38.5%) from the floor while Mountaineers shot 6-of-11(54.5%).
The battle continued in the second quarter, as both teams tried to find space on the court. The Eagles cut the lead down to one in the second, outscoring the Mountaineers 19-16 in the quarter. Eastern marginally improved its shooting to 6-of-15(40.0%) in the quarter but was 4-of-6(66.6%) from three-point range. The Mountaineers’ shooting fell off, going 4-of-14(28.6%). Eastern trailed 31-32 at halftime.
Sensing the momentum shifting, the Eagles made a move in the third quarter. Eastern continued to find its shot from behind the arc, going 3-of-6(50%) in the quarter. With three-point shot working, the Eagles were able to take the lead in the third, outscoring the Mountaineers 20-12. The Eagle defense clamped down on EOU, holding them to 3-of-15(20.0%) shooting. Eastern was improving from the floor, shooting 6-of-13(46.2%) to grab the lead.
Eastern was in front, 51-44, after three quarters.
