Junior forward Uriah Howard led the way for the women’s basketball team, on the way to  earning the team’s first win of the season with a 66-45 victory over Eastern Oregon.

Howard scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. The Eagles did not trail in the game and led by as many as 23.

EWU started on a 16-3 run and forced seven turnovers in the first five minutes. The lead settled at 24-11 when the first quarter ended. In the two games played this season, EWU has allowed a total of just 16 first quarter points.

“I think [defense] is what we’re trying to make be our identity,” EWU head coach Wendy Schuller said. “Trying to establish ourselves on that end of the floor first and foremost. We want to play with toughness and be a relentless team, and those are defensive traits.”

After a sluggish second quarter in which the Eagles scored just eight points, they took a slim 32-26 lead into halftime. EWU came out firing in the third quarter, scoring 24 points and allowing 10 points, to broaden the margin. EWU also won the fourth quarter 13-9 to achieve a 21 point victory.

Senior forward Alissa Sealby said the message from Schuller at halftime was to heighten the intensity.

“She said that we were giving them to many looks,” Sealby said. “Our philosophy is to be relentless, and she thought that we weren’t doing that. She wanted us to make it tougher on them […] so that’s how we came out in the third quarter.”

EWU forced 31 turnovers and hit eight 3-pointers to just four for EOU. EWU shot 38.5 percent from the field overall.

Senior guard Violet Kapri Morrow had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles. Sealby added a career high 11 points while hitting both of her 3-point attempts.

EWU will now go on the road for the first time for a matchup with Brigham Young University. The game takes place in Provo, Utah on Nov. 17. Tip-off is at 1 p.m.