COLLEGE PLACE, Wash. – Opening the second half of conference play, the Eastern Oregon University No.17 Women's basketball team traveled to Walla Walla University and delivered a dominant performance, defeating the Wolves 72–36 on Friday afternoon.
Eastern Oregon came out firing, opening the game with a 15–0 run to quickly establish control. Walla Walla briefly answered with five points, but the Mountaineers continued to assert their dominance. EOU's offense was fueled by the three-point line, as the Mounties scored their first 18 points from beyond the arc in just four minutes. Capitalizing on Walla Walla turnovers, Eastern Oregon pushed their lead to 23–9 by the end of the first quarter.
The Mountaineers opened the second quarter with another surge, rattling off a 10–0 run to extend their lead to 24 before the Wolves scored. While EOU controlled possession and forced Walla Walla's defense to work, shooting efficiency dipped, as the Mounties connected on just 31.6% of their shots and hit only two three-pointers in the period. Still, Eastern Oregon made the most of the Wolves' mistakes, scoring 12 of their 14 second-quarter points off of turnovers. Defensively, EOU held Walla Walla to 33.3% shooting and limited the Wolves to one missed three-point attempt, taking a 37–17 advantage into halftime.
Walla Walla showed improvement in the third quarter, shooting 42.9% from the field and trading baskets more consistently, but Eastern Oregon maintained control and outscored the Wolves 22–14. The Mountaineers shot an efficient 47.4% in the quarter and added five points off of two Walla Walla turnovers to keep their lead comfortably intact.
Offense slowed for both teams in the final quarter, with Eastern Oregon shooting 5-of-16 and Walla Walla just 2-of-13. EOU's early dominance proved more than enough, as the Mountaineers continued to pressure the Wolves defensively, capitalized on turnovers, and controlled the paint to prevent any comeback attempt. Eastern Oregon held Walla Walla to just 27.5% shooting on the day, securing the 36-point victory.
Raquel Fehringer led the Mountaineers with 12 points, five rebounds, and a steal, shooting an efficient 5-for-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range.
Morgan Hamilton added nine points on 50% shooting. For Walla Walla, Ally Haslam paced the Wolves with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Delaney Gunther went a perfect 4-for-4 from the field to finish with eight points.
The Mountaineers move to 10-1 in confernce and 18-1 overall. They will continue their road trip tomorrow, January 24, at No. 13 Lewis-Clark State College, with tip-off scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PT.
