Box Score The USU Eastern women's basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with a bang, defeating Western Wyoming Community College 73-64 Friday afternoon in Ephraim. 

Locked in a 52-52 tie entering the fourth quarter, the Lady Eagles outscored Western Wyoming 21-12 over the final 10 minutes to earn the win. 

"It was a great team effort and win," said head coach Chelsey Warburton. "We gave them 20 points from the free throw line but were able to pull ahead at the end. The difference was our defense and rebounding."

The Lady Eagles finished plus-18 in the rebound category as they gathered 51 throughout the game, 22 of which came on the offensive glass. Defensively USU Eastern allowed Western Wyoming to shoot just 33-percent from the field.

Hadley Humphreys led a dominating effort from the USU Eastern second unit as she finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds to register the team's lone double-double. Ellie Esplin poured in a team-best 17 points off the bench to lead USU Eastern in scoring. Playing 28 minutes in a reserve role, Esplin shot 7-15 from the field, including 3-6 from beyond the three-point line.

Summer Christiansen was the only USU Eastern starter to reach double-figures as she scored 12 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists. Returning sophomore Janel Blazzard scored seven points, while new-comer Japrix Weaver chipped in with five points. 

Friday afternoon's season opener was the first of two games this weekend for the Lady Eagles. The team will look for a weekend sweep when they return to the court Saturday morning against No. 14 Casper College at 11:00 a.m..