The Utah State Eastern women's basketball team traveled to Arizona to play three games against three teams, in three different cities. The Eagles faced tough competition and returned home with a 1-2 record over the three games.
The first stop on the road trip was in Scottsdale, Arizona, to take on Scottsdale Community College. The two teams fought hard in the first quarter, but Scottsdale finished the period with an 18-21 lead. Eastern fought hard in the second quarter but found itself down 31-40 at halftime.
Eastern came out of the half looking to shrink the Scottsdale lead. Behind a 25-point quarter, the Eagles went into the fourth quarter down, 56-57. The Eagles attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough, as they fell 70-73.
Marlee Pieper and Alyssa Whittaker each scored 15 points in the loss. Skylie Barker scored 10 points to also finish in double figures.
Next on the Arizona road trip was a showdown with Central Arizona. Central wasted no time in the game, jumping out to a commanding 11-22 lead after the first quarter. Down 11, the Eagles battled back to cut the Central lead to three points. The Eagles trailed 31-34 at the half.
After the break, the Eagles flipped the script, outscoring Central Arizona 21-14 in the third quarter, taking a 52-48 lead into the final quarter. The Eagles tried to close it out, but Central decided that 40 minutes was not enough. The two teams headed into overtime tied 72-72. Central outscored Eastern 8-5 in the extra period, as the Eagles fell 67-70.
Marlee Pieper led the Eagles with 16 points, while Addasyn Scrivner (15 pts) and Umu Tukuafu (10 pts) also ended with double digits.
To close out the road trip, the Eagles traveled to take on the Phoenix College Bears. The Eagles took control of the game early, Eastern outscored the Bears 19-33 in the first quarter. The dominant performance continued in the second quarter, where the Eagles took a 38-28 lead into halftime.
After outscoring the Bears 14-11 in the third quarter, Eastern had a 52-39 lead to begin the fourth quarter. While Phoenix outscored the Eagles 9-17 in the final frame, the Eagles won the game 61-56.
Anaiya Nelson (14 pts) and Skylie Barker (12 pts) led the Eagles, who had nine different players score in the game.
Next for the Eagles is a trip to Taylorsville, Utah, to take part in the SLCC Thanksgiving Tournament. They are scheduled to play Odessa College on Friday, November 28, at 3:00 p.m. and No. 6 Eastern Arizona College on Saturday, November 29, at 3:00 p.m.
