The Utah State Eastern women's basketball team was able to take part in the SLCC Thanksgiving Tournament, where they played two games in two days. The Eagles faced Odessa College on Friday and No. 6 Eastern Arizona on Saturday.
The Eagles opened the tournament with a matchup against Odessa College. The Eagles opened the game with a 9-2 run, which propelled them to a 23-13 lead after the first quarter. Skylie Barker had seven points on 3-3 shooting to lead Eastern. Stellar offensive play extended Eastern's lead to 14 points with less than five minutes left in the half. Behind Barker's nine points, the Eagles took a 36-25 lead into the half.
The Eagles continued to score out of the half, dominating the Wranglers 15-12 in the third quarter. Umu Tukuafu scored nine points in the quarter, nearly outscoring the Wranglers by herself. The fourth quarter saw an explosion from Addasyn Scrivner, who scored nine points in the fourth quarter, solidifying a 64-50 win for Eastern.
Scrivner and Tukuafu scored 16 points each to lead the Eagles in the win. Barker finished the game with 13 points to also finish in double digits. Marlee Pieper scored eight points to go with 17 rebounds in the game.
Saturday welcomed the toughest challenge of the season for the Eagles; a matchup with No. 6 Eastern Arizona. From the beginning, the Eagles struggled to find offense in the game. Scoring just six points in the first quarter, the Eagles found themselves down 6-17 after the first frame. The Eagles bounced back in the second quarter, but Eastern Arizona continued to outscore USU Eastern. The Eagles trailed 20-35 after the first half. Umu Tukuafu scored seven points to lead the Eagles at the break.
USU Eastern was outscored 23-25 in the second half, falling 43-60 to the Gila Monsters. Addasyn Scrivner finished the game with 14 points, the lone Eagle in double digits.
Next for the Eagles is a trip to Rock Springs, Wyoming, to participate in the Western Wyoming Classic. They will play Western Wyoming Community College on Friday, Dec. 5, and Northwest College on Saturday, Dec. 6.