Preview: Eastern Washington Eagles at Washington State Cougars

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb. (Interstat) — Two teams trending in opposite directions meet Wednesday when the Eastern Washington Eagles visit the Washington State Cougars in a nonconference women’s basketball game at Beasley Coliseum.

Eastern Washington (5-4) arrives with momentum, having won three of its last four games, including a 67-63 road victory at South Dakota last Saturday. The Eagles are led by standout guard Jaecy Eggers, who is averaging 17.0 points per game. She is coming off a 24-point, 7-rebound, 3-block performance against South Dakota and has scored 20 or more points in three of her last five contests.

Washington State (1-8) seeks to halt a difficult start to its season. The Cougars’ lone win came against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 28, and they are looking to rebound from a narrow 56-54 loss at BYU on Dec. 3. Guard Eleonora Villa has been a bright spot, averaging 16.1 points. She scored 23 points in the loss to BYU and poured in 25 in the win over Miami (Ohio).

The matchup features a contrast in recent form. Eastern Washington has shown resilience in close games, with three of its wins coming by three points or fewer. Forward Kourtney Grossman anchors the interior, grabbing 17 rebounds in the last outing.

Conversely, Washington State has struggled offensively, failing to reach 60 points in six of its eight losses. The Cougars will need Villa and forward Charlotte Abraham, who added 12 points against BYU, to provide consistent scoring to challenge the Eagles.

This game is the first of a two-game homestand for Washington State before it hosts Texas Tech on Friday. Eastern Washington continues a road swing before heading to UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 18.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST Wednesday.