CALDWELL, Idaho — Eastern Oregon Women's Basketball opened its season with a hard-fought 67-50 loss to Rocky Mountain College on Friday afternoon at the J.A. Albertson Activity Center.

The Mountaineers (0-1) faced a strong offensive effort from the Battlin' Bears (1-2), who shot 45.3% from the field, including an efficient 46.2% from beyond the arc. Eastern Oregon trailed by five at halftime but was unable to close the gap as Rocky Mountain pulled away in the fourth.

EOU started the game off hot, connecting on three first-quarter triples. However, the Mounties would go on to shoot just 1-12 from distance in the remaining three quarters.

Eastern's Kelsie Siegner led the way with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. Brinley Hagemeier contributed 7 points, while Maggie Smith and Raquel Fehringer each added 7 off the bench, helping the Mountaineers to 23 points from non-starters.

Rocky Mountain was paced by Isabelle Heggem, who scored a game-high 16 points with 7 rebounds. Gracee Lekvold added 13 points, including three three-pointers, as the Bears capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 15 points off Eastern's 15 turnovers.

Despite the setback, Eastern Oregon showed resilience in its defensive efforts, tallying seven steals and keeping the contest competitive through three quarters.

The Mountaineers will look to bounce back on Saturday as they face off against Hope International University for day two of the Best Western Caldwell Inn and Suites Classic. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m. MT.