Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Jordan Buscarini
The No. 16 ranked USU Eastern Lady Eagles recovered from a double-digit deficit and handed the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) its first loss of the season, 74-64, on Saturday afternoon at the BDAC in Price.
Trailing 38-29 at the end of the first half, the Lady Eagles used a powerful third quarter run to chop the deficit down to two. The fourth quarter belonged to USU Eastern as they finished the game on a 21-9 run to secure the win.
“The team responded well in the third quarter,” said head coach Chelsey Warburton. “We did a better job of being aggressive and playing together.”
Summer Christensen scored a game-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists to lead USU Eastern in the win. Ellie Esplin scored 12 points and Brinlee McRae added 11 as the Lady Eagles moved to 3-0 in Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
USU Eastern gathered a steady advantage in perimeter shooting by hitting 7-21 attempts. Southern Nevada failed to convert a single shot from deep as the team ended 0-15 from the arc.
Defensively, the Lady Eagles set the tempo in the second half, recording timely stops and forcing key turnovers, which led to points on the opposite end.
“The defense gave us a spark and we were able to get some shots to fall,” said Warburton. “I’m proud of the team effort and the confidence they showed regardless of the score.”
Depth also played a factor in the big conference win as USU Eastern outscored CSN’s bench 32-22.
Saturday’s win extends the Lady Eagles’ winning streak to nine as they now hold a record of 16-1 overall. The loss sends CSN to 17-1 overall with a conference mark of 2-1.
USU Eastern will now prepare for a lengthy four-game road trip that will put them on the road for the remainder of the month. Up next is a marquee meeting with the College of Southern Idaho on Thursday, followed by a trip to Coeur d’Alene to meet North Idaho College.