Area women’s basketball: Brittany Klaman’s late 3-pointer lifts Eastern Washington to victory

The shots weren’t falling for Brittany Klaman on Wednesday.

Luckily for her and Eastern Washington’s basketball team, the one shot that counted the most did fall.

Klaman hit a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left to give the Eagles (5-7) a 61-58 win over the Tennessee Martin Skyhawks (4-8) to finish play at the Traveler’s Invitational in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Until her winning shot, Klaman had been 0 for 8 from the field.

Delaney Hodgins, who made the all-tournament team, led the Eagles with 18 points. Amy Hartleroad added a career-high 12.

The Eagles trailed 15-10 after one quarter but used a 7-0 second-quarter run to bounce back. Hartleroad’s layup with 31 seconds left in the half tied the game at 23.

Eastern tied the game at 51 with 5:56 left on Mariah Cunningham’s jumper. Hartleroad’s 3-pointer with 1:22 left knotted the score at 56. EWU’s Symone Starks forged a 58-all tie on a jumper with 36 seconds to go.

The Skyhawks missed a jumper with 8 seconds left. UT Martin got the rebound but lost the ball on a turnover.

Hodgins fed Klaman for the winning shot. The Skyhawks’ final attempt missed with 2 seconds left.

EWU finished 1-2 at the tournament. The Eagles are off until Dec. 28, when they open Big Sky Conference play at home against Northern Colorado.

Texas-Tyler 91, Whitworth 63: Alex Kochner scored a career-high 27 points to guide the host Patriots (6-4) over the Pirates (6-5) in nonconference play at Herrington Patriot Center.

Texas-Tyler’s Brittany Johnson added 18 points, including two 3-pointers as the Patriots stormed to a 14-0 lead.

Whitworth pulled within seven points in the second quarter thanks to 3-pointers by Camy Aguinaldo and Erika Kuehn, but the Patriots responded with a 7-0 run.

Whitworth’s Madison Moffat finished with team highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds. Grace Douglas added 14 points, including eight in the fourth quarter.

Aguinaldo had seven assists and Moffat added five steals.

The Patriots shot 12 of 22 on 3-pointers and outrebounded Whitworth 41-27. Whitworth finished 38 percent from the floor.

The Pirates finished 1-2 on their swing through Texas and completed their nonconference slate. Whitworth will begin Northwest Conference play Jan. 5 at home against Lewis & Clark.

Washington 84, Seattle 76 (OT): Amber Melgoza scored 26 points and the Huskies (6-5) outscored the Redhawks (6-7) 10-2 during the final 2:18 of overtime to earn the nonconference win.

Seattle forced OT with a 23-12 fourth quarter. Alexis Montgomery, who scored 26, hit a jumper with 41 seconds left to tie the game at 67.