Ashli Payne’s season high helps Eastern Washington top Idaho in Big Sky opener

Eastern Washington women’s version of the Big Three helped the Eagles score a 67-57 victory over defending Big Sky Conference champion Idaho to open up league play on Saturday in Cheney.

Seniors Ashli Payne and Tisha Phillips, along with junior Delaney Hodgins combined to score 47 of Eastern’s points to help the Eagles (6-6, 1-0) avenge a season-ending loss to the Vandals (5-7, 0-1) in last season’s Big Sky Tournament.

Payne led the way with a season-best 21 points, while Phillips chipped in 14 points and Hodgins tallied 12. Hodgins extended her double-digit scoring streak to 29 games.

“I thought we saw the best of all three at certain times today,” said head coach Wendy Schuller of the trio. “Ashli really stepped up and played with a lot of confidence. She shot the ball well, which is something we see her do a lot of in practice. I thought we did a good job of taking what they gave us.”

Payne shot a blistering 70 percent from the field (7 of 10) in Saturday’s win. She was just as impressive from behind the arc, as she hit four of her six 3-point field goals on the day. The forward added a season-best 14 boards to go along with her season-high 21 points to pick up her first double-double of the season and ninth of her career.

Eastern’s pesky defense forced the Preseason Big Sky favorites into 21 turnovers and limited Idaho to a 31.6 shooting percentage from the field. Eastern Washington held the Vandals scoreless for the final 8:53 of the second quarter to turn a 16-11 deficit into a 30-16 advantage going into the locker room. The Eagles rode their defense to a game-high 22-point edge with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter.

“We were flying around, playing aggressive and stuck to the game plan,” said Schuller of the run. “It helps when teams miss shots, and I’d like to thank that our defensive presence attributed to that.”

Idaho did not go quietly however, as they continuously chipped away at the Eagles’ lead, eventually pulling to within six points with 2:26 left to play in the fourth quarter. But that was as close as the Vandals got, as Eastern drilled five free throws to keep Idaho at bay and pick up a 10-point victory in its Big Sky season opener.

“It’s good to see us be in a tight situation like that early in the season where we have to make plays to preserve a win,” stated Schuller. “I would’ve liked to see us hit free throws better down the stretch, but I thought we were able to step up and make some big baskets when we needed them.”

Eastern Washington hit five 3-point field goals in the win over Idaho. They now have made at least one 3-point field goal in 314-straight games.

What’s Next: Eastern Washington takes to the road for a pair of games in the Treasure State, as they challenge Montana State on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. and Montana on Saturday at 1:05 p.m.