CHENEY, Wash. — The Montana State women's basketball team won its 10th consecutive game Monday, holding off Big Sky Conference foe Eastern Washington for a 58-56 win on Reese Court.
The Bobcats are now 17-2 overall and 7-0 in Big Sky play, as they head into the season's first matchup with rival Montana. The Cats and Lady Griz play at Dahlberg Arena in Missoula on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.
But Monday's win over Eastern Washington didn't come easy for Montana State, as both teams struggled offensively. Montana State was just 16-of-54 shooting (29.6%), and Eastern Washington was 19-of-64 (29.7%). The Bobcats had a decided advantage at the free throw line, though, making 24 of 31 shots from the stripe compared to the Eagles making just 12 of 20.
Eastern Washington started the game with a 5-0 lead and led by as many as nine points in the first quarter before taking an 18-11 lead into the second. The Eagles extended their advantage to 22-11 before the Bobcats reeled off a 10-0 run to get back in the game. EWU led 27-26 at halftime.
The third quarter proved to be the difference, as MSU put together a 15-0 run — Taylee Chirrick scored six points in the spurt — to take a 43-29 lead. The Bobcats were up 49-36 going to the fourth.
The Eagles didn't go away quietly, though. They scored the first five points of the fourth and then later scored 11 straight points to tie the game at 52-52 with two minutes to play. Marah Dykstra gave the lead back to the Bobcats with a pair of free throws, and Esmeralda Morales scored to make it 56-52.
Eastern Washington got back within 56-54 on a Kourtney Grossman bucket. After Chirrick made 1 of 2 free throws, Jaecy Eggers scored off an offensive rebound to get the Eagles within 57-56 with eight seconds remaining.
Morales then split a pair of free throws, giving Eastern Washington a chance to tie. But Peyton Howard missed the game-tying layup, sending Montana State back to Bozeman with the 58-56 win.
Morales had a team-high 15 points for Montana State, and Chirrick added 12 and Katelyn Martin had 10. Chirrick also had 11 steals, two blocks and six rebounds.
Grossman, a freshman from Billings, had a huge game for Eastern Washington, scoring 18 points and grabbing 19 rebounds, as the Eagles outrebounded MSU 54-32. But the Eagles had 32 turnovers in the game, with Howard accounting for 12 of those.
Eastern Washington fell to 6-12 overall and 2-4 in Big Sky play.
