Eastern Washington, Idaho women have difficult paths at Big Sky Conference Tournament

Over the next five days, the women’s basketball teams from Eastern Washington and Idaho will test the Big Sky’s unique conference tournament structure, each vying for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The seventh-seeded Eagles (11-19) will play the eighth-seeded Sacramento State Hornets (14-17) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the second game of the tournament at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Idaho (18-11), seeded third, will face No. 6 Montana (12-17) – but not until 1:30 p.m. Monday.

For the Eagles to defend their tournament title – they won it last year as the No. 1 seed – they will need to win two games in two days, take a day off, and then win two more games, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Idaho, seeking its first conference tournament title since 2016, will need to win three games in three days.

The structure doesn’t favor the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the way many other conference brackets – like the West Coast’s – does, as those teams need to win three games in four days, playing an opener against a team coming off a victory the day before. Eastern Washington fans know this all too well after the men’s team’s early exits the past two years.

But the format – which is also used by Conference USA – does mean that teams like Eastern and Idaho still have a chance to get to the NCAA Tournament, though admittedly their paths are still daunting.

All season Eastern Washington has relied on the leadership of senior Peyton Howard and the emergence of freshman Kourtney Grossman, each of whom was named an All-Big Sky honorable mention when the awards were announced on Friday.

Grossman, who led the Big Sky in rebounding (10.4 per game) and ranked 16th in scoring (also at 10.4 points per game), was also named Big Sky Freshman of the Year. It’s the third time in five years that an Eastern player has earned that award: Maisie Burnham won it in 2020-21, and Jaydia Martin did so in 2021-22.

After last season, Martin transferred to Sacramento State. On Friday, she was named a second-team all-conference, following a regular season when she averaged 14.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Should the Eagles beat the Hornets, it would be their third victory against them this season. Then they would play No. 2 Northern Arizona (25-6) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The Lumberjacks beat the Eagles twice this season.

The Big Sky hasn’t had a repeat tournament champion since Montana in 2008 and 2009. Northern Arizona hasn’t won it since 2006. No. 1 seed Montana State (27-3, 17-1) last won the conference tournament in 2022.

The top-seeded Bobcats nearly completed a perfect conference season, their lone loss (73-69) coming Saturday to Sacramento State. They earned three Big Sky individual awards: Senior Esmeralda Morales was named MVP, freshman Taylee Chirrick was named defensive player of the year, and Tricia Binford was voted coach of the year.

Morales and junior teammate Marah Dykstra were also named first-team all-conference.

Idaho graduate student Olivia Nelson was unanimously voted to the first team and as newcomer of the year after transferring from Central Missouri. Nelson ranked fifth in the Big Sky in scoring (14.3 points per game) and seventh in minutes (32 per game).

Nelson has been key for a Vandals team that has lost five of its past seven. Sophomore Hope Hassmann, who also picked up an honorable mention in the conference awards, has averaged 13.6 points over that seven-game stretch.

All Big Sky Tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+. The women’s championship game Wednesday will also be broadcast on ESPNU.