Delaney Hodgins scores 22 points and Eastern Washington women down Sacramento State

Delaney Hodgins led Eastern Washington with 22 points and the Eagles downed Sacramento State 72-65 on Thursday in Big Sky play in Sacramento.

Ashli Payne was just one point off Hodgins’ pace with 21, while Tisha Phillips got hot in the fourth quarter and chipped in 12 points with seven assists.

“I was really pleased with our effort tonight,” said head coach Wendy Schuller. “We worked hard to prepare and I thought that our players really carried over the things that we wanted them to do in this game.”

Eastern’s defense limited the highest scoring team in the conference to their lowest point total of the season. The 65 points by the Hornets tonight is 19.2 points fewer than the 84.2 points per game they were averaging coming into contest.

Eastern (12-9, 7-3) limited Sacramento State (8-12, 4-6) to a 31.3 field goal percentage on the night, while they forced 15 turnovers.

Eastern’s offense got back into a groove as the 72 points were the most scored for the Eagles over their last four games.

The Eagles hit a combined 53.3 percent from the field in the third and fourth quarter after shooting an even 40 percent from the field through the first two quarters.

Sacramento State took a 31-29 lead at the 7:56 mark of the third quarter. Eastern Washington went on a 10-1 run from that point to take a seven-point lead, and eventually grabbed a double-digit lead at 7:17 remaining in the contest after a Payne 3-point field goal gave Eastern a 56-45 lead.

The Eagles take on Portland State on Saturday at 2 p.m.