Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Jordan Buscarini, KOAL Drive Time Sports
Two games in three days proved to be no problem for the USU Eastern Lady Eagles as they powered past the College of Southern Nevada 79-60 Saturday afternoon at the BDAC in Price.
Four of the seven available players scored in double figures as the Lady Eagles moved to 2-0 in conference play with their fifth consecutive win overall.
“I’m super proud of the girls because with seven players and one day of rest in between games, they still came out and fought,” said head coach Chelsey Warburton following the win. “We were a little slow to start, but the girls stayed with it, played hard and played together. We just did what we needed to do again.”
Locked in a 16-16 tie at the end of the opening quarter, the Lady Eagles comfortably won each of the next three quarters to methodically earn the double-digit victory.
Mardee Fillmore posted a double-double as she delivered a game-high 18 points and 12 rebounds to pace USU Eastern on both ends of the floor. Fillmore also scored the first six points of the game, lifting the offense during a slow start.
“Mardee has done a wonderful job for us,” said Warburton. “Her length is a big deal on the defensive end, but she also has a motor. She does great on the defensive end changing shots, but she can run up the floor and score easy transition points when we need her to.”
Brooklyn Palmer also attacked the glass as she matched Fillmore with 12 boards of her own. The two helped USU Eastern garner a massive 48-34 advantage in rebounds for the game.
The biggest discrepancy in Saturday’s win came from the three-point line as USU Eastern connected on 14-27 attempts. Southern Nevada, on the other hand, struggled to find the distance as they converted just 2-19.
Kinlee Toomer was responsible for four of the 14 makes from deep as she finished 6-14 from the field for 17 points. Efficient on both ends of the floor, Toomer added eight assists, five rebounds and two steals to her stat line for the game.
Alexandra Olson helped push the production from beyond the arc as she too hit four three-point shots. Finishing a well-rounded performance with 12 points and eight assists, Olson also led the team with three steals.
USU Eastern will now get a full week off before returning to conference play on Saturday, Dec. 18 at home against Colorado Northwestern.
“Our conference is tough at home, but especially on the road. So, it’s important to win at home,” said Warburton. “We now have a couple days of rest, which we are going to need, then we play Colorado at home and they are playing very well.”
Saturday’s home game will serve as the first of a double-header with the men’s basketball team. The women will take the court first at 1 p.m. followed by the men at 3 p.m.