Castle Country Radio / AM 750 Drive Time Sports
The USU Eastern Lady Eagles opened the home portion of the 2024-25 season with back-to-back wins Friday and Saturday at the BDAC.
Playing from behind in the second half, USU Eastern rallied in the fourth quarter for a 69-62 win over Northeastern Junior College on Friday night. The momentum carried over into Saturday as the team started fast in an eventual 77-66 win over Central Wyoming.
Avery Sanders poured in a team-best 15 points off the bench to help push the Eagles past Northeast Junior College. Sanders scored nine of her 15 points from beyond the arc as the USU Eastern bench combined for 28 points.
Ellie Esplin delivered an all-around performance as she scored 12 points to go with nine rebounds and two assists. Madison Anderson also scored 12 points and snagged four rebounds. Brynn Wagner helped elevate the USU Eastern offense with eight points in a reserve role.
Returning to the court the following day, the Eagles cruised to their fifth win of the season with a comfortable 11-point victory over Central Wyoming, never trailing throughout the game.
Sanders continued her dominance on the offensive side of the floor by again leading the team in scoring, this time notching 19 points. Ellie Esplin stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists. Addisyn Johnson also ended in double-figures with 12 points to go along with three boards.
The Eagles again used depth to wear down the opposition as nine players scored at least two points. As a team USU Eastern won each of the major statistical categories, while also shooting 47-percent from the field.
The two home wins improve USU Eastern’s record to 5-2, while running the current winning streak to three games. The Eagles will now play the next nine games away from the BDAC beginning with a back-to-back against Western Nebraska Community College and Carroll College on Nov. 22 and 23 in Twin Falls, Idaho.