By Calvin Jensen, USU Eastern Sports Information Contributor
Defeating their opponents by an average of 24 points per game is a statistic the USU Eastern women’s basketball team and fans alike are cheering about. In addition, a dominating defense has earned the Lady Eagles the ninth spot in the nation for points allowed by their opponents.
This weekend’s wins in the Thanksgiving tournament hosted Salt Lake Community College propelled the Lady Eagles to an impressive 10-1 start on the season and moved their current winning streak to eight.
In their Friday matchup against Western Wyoming, the Eagles once again surged ahead in the first quarter with a 15-3 run thanks to a group effort from the Lady Eagles’ roster, ending the quarter with 23-8 advantage. During second quarter, the Lady Eagles held the Mustangs to only seven points and increased their lead by 24 with a score of 39-15 going into the half.
It was much of the same during the second half of play for USU Eastern as the Eagles built upon their lead throughout, handing the Mustangs their third straight loss with a final score of 89-46.
Sophomore guard Morgan Toluono had her best game of the season from off the bench, leading on both ends of the court, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven boards in the contest. Lainee Jensen and Emmery Wagstaff each added 12 points against the Mustangs.
Saturday, in their second meeting with Eastern Wyoming this year, the Lady Eagles struggled shooting from the field; however, domination of the boards allowed more attempts for USU Eastern to score and maintain a lead throughout the game.
In the 66-50 win against the Lancers, Margarett Otuafi led the team in scoring with 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Sharne Pupuke-Robati earned her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kacelyn Toomer has been a consistent starter for the team this year, adding 10 points against Eastern Wyoming.
The team will hit the road again this weekend as they travel to Riverton, Wyo. to take part in the Bailey Tire and Auto Service Classic. On Friday, Dec. 6, they will face their biggest competition so far this season as they take on the 11th ranked Western Nebraska Cougars at 3:30 p.m. MST. The following day, the Lady Eagles will compete against BYU Idaho’s club team at noon.