CHENEY, Wash. (Interstat) — The Eastern Washington Eagles used a balanced offensive attack and capitalized on a sloppy start by the Cal Poly Mustangs to secure a 78-67 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Monday night at Reese Court.

The Eagles improved to 2-2 on the young season, while the Mustangs fell to 1-3.

Eastern Washington’s backcourt duo of Elyn Bowers and Caitie Gingras proved instrumental in the win. Bowers, a 5-foot-8 guard from Pinedale, Wyoming, led all scorers with 19 points, adding four rebounds and three assists in just 21 minutes of action. Gingras, a 5-9 guard from Vernon, Canada, provided a significant spark off the bench, chipping in 16 points, including a pair of crucial three-pointers.

The Eagles established control early, forcing multiple Cal Poly turnovers in the opening minutes. An Ella Gallatin steal led to a Gingras layup for the game’s first points, and Gallatin followed with two free throws to give Eastern Washington a lead it would not relinquish. The Mustangs struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the Eagles’ defensive pressure throughout the first quarter.

Cal Poly was led by the standout performance of Vanessa McManus. The 5-8 guard from Staten Island, New York, poured in 22 points, collected five rebounds, and dished out two assists in 34 minutes. Charish Thompson, a forward from Sachse, Texas, also contributed 14 points and four rebounds for the Mustangs.

Despite McManus’s efforts, Eastern Washington consistently answered every Cal Poly push. The Eagles built their lead in the second and third quarters, stretching it to as many as 15 points. A key factor was the interior presence of Kourtney Grossman and Jaecy Eggers. Grossman, a 6-foot forward from Billings, Montana, recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Eggers, a 6-2 post from Woodinville, Washington, was a force on both ends, scoring 15 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and blocking two shots.

Gallatin, a 5-10 guard from Snohomish, Washington, orchestrated the Eagles’ offense effectively, tallying a game-high four assists to go with eight points and six rebounds in 37 minutes.

For Cal Poly, additional scoring came from Jordan Billing, who scored 10 points off the bench, and Nora Perez, who added seven points. Alana Goosby distributed four assists for the Mustangs.

The game was a bounce-back performance for Eastern Washington, which lost its previous contest to Southern Utah. Cal Poly, coming off a narrow two-point loss at Seattle, has now dropped three straight since its season-opening win over UC Santa Cruz.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Eastern Washington entered the game with a 73.70 percent probability to win.

Cal Poly returns home to face Southern Utah on Friday. Eastern Washington heads back on the road for a matchup against in-state rival Gonzaga on Sunday.