The Eastern Washington women’s basketball team bid farewell to Reese Court until after the New Year following a Dec. 17 contest against the University of Portland Pilots of the West Coast Conference.
The Eagles, 4-4 prior to Wednesday, split a pair of games last week — winning 69-39 over St. Martin’s Dec. 12 at Reese Court before losing at Boise State 90-72 Dec. 14 — will travel to Gainesville, Fla. and compete in the University of Florida‘s Gator Classic, Dec. 21-22, opening against Georgia Southern University.
Following the Christmas break, Eastern remains on the road to start Big Sky Conference play Jan. 1 at Weber State and Jan. 3 at Idaho State before returning home for a Jan. 10 game against the University of Idaho.
Last Sunday at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, the Eagles were down by 14 at the half but cut Boise State’s lead to just six, 53-46, three minutes into the second half, but that’s the closest it would get.
Senior Lexie Nelson led four Eagles in double-figures with 19 points while junior Hayley Hodgins added 16.
“I thought we let them get into a rhythm offensively, especially in the first half,” EWU head coach Wendy Schuller said. “They made some big shots.”
Eastern used a dominant defensive effort to top visiting Saint Martin’s in a rare matinee contest.
Up just four, 17-13, with 7:40 remaining in the first half, the Eagles turned up their defensive pressure, holding Saint Martin’s to 1-of-7 shooting for the rest of the half. Eastern outscored the Saints 17-4 over the final eight minutes of the half and led 32-17 at the break.
Nelson once again led Eastern scorers with 23 points. Hayley Hodgins had 12 points while both Jade Redmon and freshman Delaney Hodgins each added 11 points.
Eastern shot 43.1 percent from the field on the day while holding Saint Martin’s to just 22 percent.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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