The USU Eastern Lady Eagles opened Scenic West Athletic Conference play with back-to-back road games, earning a split in their first action of the 2025 calendar year.
Thursday the Lady Eagles dominated the middle quarters, earning a comfortable 56-36 win over Colorado Northwestern Community College. The weekend road swing ended on Saturday with a 51-40 loss to the Salt Lake Community College Bruins.
USU Eastern carried a slim 14-12 lead into the second quarter in Thursday’s conference opener. The Eagles methodically pulled away from Colorado with a 14-5 run in the second quarter. The double-digit lead grew with a dominant third-quarter performance, putting the game out of reach heading into the fourth.
Ellie Esplin poured in a team-high 12 points to lead the Eagles past Colorado Northwestern. Also effective on the glass, Esplin secured seven rebounds. Madison Anderson also reached double-figures, finishing with 11 points.
USU Eastern recorded a balanced offensive attack in Thursday’s win as every player who entered the game scored at least two points. As a team the Eagles shot 38 percent from the field.
Following the win in Colorado, the Eagles then traveled to Salt Lake City for the first meeting of the season with the Bruins. The game hung in the balance as USU Eastern trailed 30-27 entering the fourth quarter. Salt Lake finished on a 21-13 run to earn a 51-40 win.
Points came at a premium for the Eagles as they scored just 14 points in the first half. The team shot 24 percent from the field and connected on one three-point shot in 17 attempts.
Addasyn Scrivner led the way with 14 points on 5-11 shooting. Esplin again provided solid production, finishing with 11 points.
While the offense struggled to produce, the USU Eastern defense fired on all cylinders. Holding Salt Lake under 40 percent from the field, the Eagles also forced 18 turnovers, giving the team a plus-eight in the important category. The difference in the game came from the three-point line, where Salt Lake converted five attempts.
The two-game split runs USU Eastern’s overall record to 9-7 on the season. The Eagles will have an opportunity to jump the .500 barrier in league play when they return to the court Thursday against Snow College.