By Cory McKendrick, USU Eastern Sports Information Contributor
It was fan appreciation night at the Bunnell-Dmitrich Athletic Center Thursday night as the Utah State University women’s basketball team hosted the College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles. In an Eagle versus Golden Eagle matchup, the 18-3 Eagles didn’t disappoint the home court fans. USU Eastern bested CSI by a score of 70-53.
The Eagles came out hot early and jumped out to a 14-2 lead over CSI. Shooting 63% from the field and 66% from beyond the arc, USU Eastern led by 10 points at the end of the first quarter. After a close to even scoring second quarter, the Eagles improved their lead to 11 entering the half.
Out of the break, USU Eastern kept their foot on the gas pedal, pouring in consecutive buckets to start the second half on a 13-0 run. The 24-point lead proved to be the largest of the night for USU Eastern. CSI chipped away throughout the remainder of the game, but the Eagles maintained total control to the finish.
A couple impressive performances from Emmery Wagstaff and Margarett Otuafi paced the Eagles to victory. Wagstaff had 17 points on 7-11 shooting, including two three-pointers and an old-fashioned three-pointer when she finished a bucket with a foul. Otuafi led all scorers with a career high 23 points on 8-14 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three assists.
“We were very proud of the girls and their composure this game. They came out and attacked from the tip and played a great team game.” head coach Chelsey Warburton said of her team’s effort post game.
The now 19-3, 4-1 Eagles will square off on Jan. 30 against the Snow College Badgers. “We are simply looking to repeat the effort and intensity for the game against Snow next Thursday,” added Warburton.
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- Photos by Jeff Barrett
