Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Jordan Buscarini
The USU Eastern Lady Eagles rebounded from Wednesday’s loss with a massive 62-59 conference win over Salt Lake Community College Saturday afternoon on the road.
Hadley Humpherys was one of two USU Eastern players to reach double-figures as she posted 13 points to go along with four rebounds. Brooklyn Palmer scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds as the Lady Eagles improved to 6-2 in Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
USU Eastern controlled tempo early in the game and managed to extend its lead to 10 with 2:37 to play in the first half.
Salt Lake continued to chip away at the deficit and cut the lead to a single point. USU Eastern sophomore Kacelyn Toomer helped recapture the moment by knocking down a buzzer beating three-pointer from the right wing, giving the Eagles a 50-46 lead at the end of the third quarter.
USU Eastern closed out the game by hitting six of 12 shots from the field in the final stanza, which was just enough to earn the three-point win. After beating Salt Lake back in December, Saturday’s win ensures a season-series victory for the Eagles, which will act as the tie-breaker if the two teams end with identical conference records.
The USU Eastern bench once again played a key factor in the win, outscoring Salt Lake’s 27-10. Olivia Nielson led the second unit with seven points, two rebounds and one steal.
Toomer’s third quarter buzzer beater was one of seven USU Eastern makes from the perimeter. As a team, USU Eastern connected on seven tries from deep, compared to just two from Salt Lake.
The Lady Eagles now sit 14-6 overall on the season. The team will take a full week off before returning to the court on Saturday, Jan. 21.