Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Cory McKendrick, USU Eastern Sports Information Contributor
The Utah State University Eastern women’s basketball team traveled to the home of the Bruins of Salt Lake Community College for Thursday night Scenic West Athletic Conference basketball. The Eagles continued their woes on the road against the Bruins, losing their last 12 matchups on the road in Taylorsville. The final score was a close one at 60-57, that could have gone either way given a few different bounces of the basketball in favor of the Eagles.
The Lady Eagles led at halftime 33-32 after a significant first half comeback. Three pointers in the game were a bit of a rarity in comparison to typical numbers put up by both teams. USU Eastern shot 27% from three and SLCC shot 26%. The Eagles did an excellent job taking care of the basketball, winning the turnover battle with the Bruins eight to 18. Perhaps the biggest story and difference maker of the game was the shooting percentage on the part of the Eagles. They shot an uncharacteristic 31% from the field in the contest.
Margarett Otuafi led the Eagles and all scorers with 17 points. Next in line in the scoring department was Amiperia Tia with nine points. Kinlee Toomer had a solid all-around night, chipping in eight points to go along with four assists and a steal.
Head coach Chelsey Warburton commented on the team’s performance post game. “It was a hard-fought game but we had a slow first and third quarter and missed some key free throws,” she said. “We are continually impressed by the fight and never give up spirit the team has but we need to push for four solid quarters.”
The Eagles now move to 21-4 on the season, 6-2 in conference. They will be back on the court on Thursday, Feb. 13. The team will be on the road again as they take on the Badgers of Snow College from the Horne Activity Center. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.