CHENEY, Wash. — The Eastern Washington women’s basketball team capped off their regular season with a thrilling 80-77 victory over Montana on March 3, 2025. The win came on Senior Night at Reese Court, offering a fitting farewell for the team’s seniors and snapping Eastern’s four-game losing streak. The Eagles improved to 7-11 in the Big Sky Conference and finished their season at 11-19, setting the stage for the upcoming tournament.
It was a nail-biter of a game, filled with 13 lead changes and eight ties, emphasizing the competitive nature of both teams. Eastern head coach Joddie Gleason reflected on his team’s performance, stating, "I thought our players did a really nice job executing our plan and recognizing our scout. The execution down the stretch and the will to win was great to see."
Senior Alexis Pettis delivered a career-high performance, scoring 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Her presence on the floor was pivotal, and she also contributed four steals, demonstrating her defensive prowess. Pettis expressed the importance of the occasion, saying, "You don't want to hold anything back. We also talked about pride; it was a big emphasis for us tonight."
Peyton Howard also stepped up for Eastern, scoring 16 points, including key baskets down the stretch. The Eagles' freshman, Jaecy Eggers, showed remarkable promise with 14 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Kourtney Grossman had another solid night on the boards, finishing with eight points and 11 rebounds, earning her the title of the Big Sky’s top rebounder with 302 boards for the season.
Despite trailing 31-29 at halftime, Eastern Washington rebounded effectively. They shot 63% from the field in the second half, making 19 of their 30 attempts. This marked one of their most productive offensive displays of the season, allowing them to overtake Montana, who shot 56% after the break.
The game didn't start easily for Eastern, as Montana took the early lead, with the Eagles struggling on their shots, only managing to shoot 31.6% from the floor in the first quarter. Eastern managed to regain momentum with strong plays from Kourtney Grossman and Peyton Howard to close the quarter with a slim 12-10 lead.
The intensity continued to escalate, leading to fast-paced exchanges of scoring as both teams battled for supremacy. Montana put together several scoring runs but each time Eastern responded to regain the lead, culminating with Howard’s pivotal basket at 1:44 left on the clock, putting Eastern up 74-73.
With the game hanging by a thread, Montana, led by Mack Konig’s 16 points and 11 assists, made their final effort. They secured their position with 8 seconds remaining, trailing by just one after Avery Waddington's quick layup. Unfortunately, for the Lady Griz, their attempts fell short; Tyler McCliment-Call missed the potential game-winning three-pointer sounding the final buzzer.
Montana's final record of 12-17 and their 8-10 conference performance places them as the No. 6 seed heading to the conference tournament, where they will face No. 3 Idaho on Monday, March 10, 2025.
Eastern’s victory added confidence heading to tournament play, where they face No. 8 Sacramento State on March 8, 2025. Gleason remains optimistic, stating, "It helps us propel us to the tournament, giving us the edge and confidence to close out games and be able to beat anyone."
Indeed, the Big Sky Conference tournament promises to be competitive, with teams like Northern Arizona and Montana State leading the pack with strong regular-season finishes.
On the other hand, Eastern’s win on Monday evened their season series against Montana, who previously secured victory against them 78-70. For now, the Eagles are eager to carry this momentum onto the postseason stage.
Looking forward, as the teams gear up for the tournament, fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as these athletes showcase their skills under pressure. The coming weeks will undoubtedly reveal who has what it takes to outlast the competition and make their mark within the Big Sky Conference.