The EWU men’s and women’s basketball teams both won and lost one game last week. The men lost to Weber State in Utah but beat Idaho State after traveling to Idaho, while the women stayed in Cheney to defeat Weber and lose to ISU.
The Wildcats defeated the EWU men 91-80 on Thursday, Jan. 15. Weber State junior guard Tijan Saine Jr. scored 23 points and had 5 assists. He averages 4.2 assists per game this season, the sixth-most in the Big Sky Conference.
EWU’s leading scorer was graduate student forward Kiree Huie. The former Miami Hurricane scored a career-high 21 points and had a season-best two steals. He currently ranks second in the Big Sky in blocks, and added two more to his total against the Wildcats.
Weber State capitalized on EWU mistakes by forcing 15 turnovers, including 9 from Huie. The Wildcats turned those turnovers into 26 points, while the Eagles scored just 11 points off turnovers.
The EWU men bounced back on Saturday, Jan. 17, with an 18-point victory over Idaho State. The Eagles dominated early, going up 19-5 after the first five minutes, and the Bengals could not claw back.
Senior guard Isaiah Moses, whose 322 points this season rank second in the Big Sky, led the Eagles with 22 points. Junior forward Alton Hamilton IV finished second with 15 points and nine rebounds.
EWU converted on 53.3% of their 3-point attempts. Four players each made two 3-pointers, and the team combined to go 8-15 from beyond the arc.
In contrast, EWU limited Idaho State’s shooting efficiency. The Bengals attempted 25 shots from behind the 3-point line and made five, a 20% clip.
The men are now 2-3 in conference games and 4-14 overall. This week, they will play at Roos Court in Cheney on Thursday, Jan. 22 against Portland State and Saturday Jan. 24 against Sacramento State.
The EWU women’s basketball team also started the week by playing Weber State on Thursday, defeating the Wildcats 73-58 in front of the home crowd.
Led by sophomore forward Jaecy Eggers’ 20 points, four Eagles scored double-digit points. Senior guard Ella Gallatin scored 18 points, sophomore forward Kourtney Grossman scored 14 points, and freshman guard Elyn Bowers scored 10 points.
Grossman and Eggers also contributed on the glass, with Grossman collecting 14 rebounds and Eggers grabbing 11 boards. Grossman is first in the NCAA with 13.5 rebounds per game, while Eggers’ 8.2 rebounds per game ranks fourth in the Big Sky.
On Saturday, the Eagles’ offense struggled in a loss to Idaho State. EWU held the Bengals to 37.1% shooting, but committed 19 turnovers while shooting 34.5%. EWU converted 26.1% of 3-point attempts, while ISU made 35.7%.
Gallatin led the Eagles with 22 points and nine rebounds. She ranks seventh in the Big Sky this season with 14.6 points per game. Bowers scored 16 points and led the team with three made 3-point shots. Grossman rounded out EWU’s double-digit scorers with 10 points and added 16 rebounds.
The women are also 2-3 in conference play and 9-9 overall. They will play Portland State on Thursday and Sacramento State on Saturday on the road. Upcoming games can be streamed on ESPN+.
