Eastern women unable to climb out of deep deficits vs. Northern Colorado
CHENEY — After crafting a five-game winning streak to say good-riddance to 2020 and hello to 2021, the Eastern Washington University women’s basketball team has run into a cold spell.
That was well-illustrated Jan. 21 and 23 when the Eagles dropped a pair of Big Sky Conference contests to Northern Colorado, 58-55 last Thursday and 74-55 Saturday at Reese Court. In both contests slow starts came back to haunt them.
The setbacks, which dropped Eastern’s record to 4-4 in conference play and 5-8 overall, come following a pair of COVID-19-related cancellations Jan. 14-15 in Cedar City vs. Southern Utah.
On Saturday, freshman Maise Burnham’s first career double-double — 22 points and 11 rebounds — could not counter Eastern’s early malaise as they were outscored 36-18 in the first half. Northern Colorado (5-5, 6-9) used an 8-0 run to help them lead 16-9 after the first quarter.
Burnham scored 12 of her 22 points in the third quarter but the hole proved too deep.
“A frustrating effort today,” head coach Wendy Schuller said. “I thought we came out flat on both ends of the floor and didn’t play with the intensity level that we need to play with.”
In the opening game of the series, it was another first several minutes as the Bears started the game on a 13-0 run on the way to a 15-5 first-quarter edge. This was Eastern’s first contest in 12 days following the Southern Utah cancellation.
“That one stings,” Schuller said. “It’s difficult when you give away a quarter.”
The Eagles shook the rust off in the second quarter, using a 13-2 run to trail by just six points, 28-22, at the half. Grace Kirscher led her team with 19 points while Burnham added 15 more and nine rebounds. It was Burnham’s seventh-straight game in double figures.
Eastern battled back to tie the game at 48 with 3 minutes, 32 seconds remaining and went ahead on Aaliyah Alexander’s 3-point play to lead 55-54 with 14 seconds to play. UNC won it on a basket with seven seconds remaining, and sealed things with a pair of free throws.
Eastern hits the road for games at Sacramento State tonight (Thurs., Jan. 28) and Saturday, Jan. 30.
Paul Delaney is a retired former Free Press reporter and can be reached at
pauldelaney53@comcast.net.
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