By Calvin Jensen, USU Eastern Sports Information Contributor
With fans and community members anxiously awaiting the beginning of basketball season, the Lady Eagles gave their supporters something to be excited about. Traveling to Richfield, the team competed in their first tournament of the season at the Snow College Invitational over the weekend.
With a final score of 63-52, the Lady Eagles defeated the Lancers of Eastern Wyoming in their first contest of the year. Freshman guard Kacelyn Toomer led the team with 14 points, shooting 55% from the floor, 2-4 behind the arc and five rebounds of defense. Sophomore guard Emmery Wagstaff added 11 points on offense while freshman forward Sharne Pupuke-Robati dominated down low with seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Impressive rebounding by several members of the team was instrumental in the 11-point victory.
“The team did a good job of rebounding the first game,” said head coach Chelsey Warburton. “That was one of the areas that we wanted to focus on. It was also great to see three players in double figures. We had great looks on offense for most of the night.”
On Saturday, the Lady Eagles swept the tournament 2-0 with a win against Arizona Western by an impressive 17-point margin. With most of the 14-player roster contributing to the win, freshman forward Sharne Pupuke-Robati led the offense, adding 10 points with 5 of 5 shooting from the field.
Sophomore guard Lainee Jensen came up big for the Lady Eagles, scoring nine points all from behind the arc during her 12 minutes of play. Freshman guard Kacelyn Toomer dominated defensively with seven rebounds and four steals. Rebounding would no doubt give the Lady Eagles opportunities to score with an astounding 41 rebounds in the game.
When asked about what the team is doing to find success early on, freshman guard Kacelyn Toomer said, “We have focused on what our coaches prepare for us throughout the week. I felt like everyone on the team was a huge part of the wins this weekend. Everyone played a great game and executed well, doing everything needed to come out on top.”
The coaching staff for the 2019-20 season includes head coach Chelsey Warburton and assistants Morgan Warburton-Nelson and Dave Paur. They welcome six new freshman to the squad who will join eight returning sophomores.
The Lady Eagles will remain at home this weekend as they host several teams in the USU Eastern Invitational. The team will take the court this Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:30 p.m. against Central Wyoming College. The following day, on Saturday, Nov. 9, they will compete against a tough Utah All-Star team at 4 p.m. in the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center.