Eags clinch regular season title

EWU women’s basketball are Big Sky Conference regular season champions. Two seniors, Jessica Huntington and Nicole Scott, were sent out on a high note Saturday night, beating Portland State 78-68 to claim the program’s first-ever conference title.

Winning the conference title outright wasn’t the only thing the Eagles accomplished. Scott scored eight points to surpass the 1,000 mark for her college career.

EWU went into the game determined to take their 12th BSC victory of the season and the conference title as they gained a 12-point lead into half time. Julie Piper scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds in the half.

The Vikings came out in the second half looking to spoil an Eagle’s victory as they tied the game at 42-42. But a tie was the only thing the Vikings achieved as the Eagles regained the lead for the remainder of the second half. Chene Cooper got it going in the second half with 13 points and a razzle-dazzle layup that brought a roar to Reese Court. 

“I think that our energy level was great, and we had great contributions from everybody,” said Head Coach Wendy Schuller. “It was just a good indication of what our team has been all year; it has just been about the whole team. It has not been about one player who has carried us. Everyone has made great contributions for us all year long. It was nice to have the last game be a display of that.” 

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the Eagles’ bench erupted in joy as they celebrated their first conference title. Carrie Ojeda and Kyla Evans celebrated with their own version of the Gatorade bath, pouring a water jug on coach Schuller.

Although it was senior night at Reese Court, the underclassmen stood out at this game.  Piper ended the night with 20 points and 13 rebounds; Cooper added 19 points, four rebounds and three assists; and Evans cashed in 11 points and shot 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.

The BSC Tournament begins March 11 and ends with the championship game Saturday, March 13. The Eagles (19-10, 12-4) will play the remaining lower seed from Thursday night’s games Friday, March 12, at 6 p.m.

EWU students can get tickets at the University Bookstore, but only 500 free tickets are available. For more information about the tournament and tickets, visit www.goeags.com.