CALDWELL, Idaho – Rachel Fielder hit the game-winner with less than a second left to give Eastern Oregon a 63-61 win over The College of Idaho on Wednesday in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center.
With the score tied at 61 with four seconds left, Fielder and Megan Still perfectly executed the give and go off of an inbound pass to lead the Mountaineers (12-7, 6-3 CCC) to their 12th consecutive win in the series against the Yotes (6-12, 4-5 CCC).
Just prior to the Fielder layup to win it,
Mackenzie Royce-Radford kept the Yotes alive by draining a pair of free throws to tie things up in a game that was back-and-forth the entire way, with neither team holding a lead of larger than seven points.
A flurry of defensive pressure from C of I made things difficult for EOU on the offensive end throughout the night, with the Yotes forcing the Mountaineers to turn the ball over 26 times.
Tayla Sayer and
Hannah Maupin led the charge on the defensive side of the floor, with Sayer finishing with five steals and a block and Maupin adding four steals.
Outside shooting led to most of the success offensively for the Yotes in the loss, with the team hitting on 7-of-21 attempts from deep. Maupin,
Kaylee Krusemark and
Sophia Jackson each hit a pair of 3-pointers, while Royce-Radford posted the other.
Six players combined to lead C of I in scoring, with Royce-Radford, Jackson, Krusemark, Maupin,
Emma Anthony and
Lexi Mitchell each finishing with eight points.
The Yotes shot 20-of-73 (27 percent) from the floor, while the Mountaineers shot 23-of-49 (47 percent) from the field and 9-of-19 (47 percent) on 3-pointers.
EOU held a 44-38 edge in rebounds, with an impressive 18 of the C of I rebounds coming on the offensive glass.
Walla Walla will head to Caldwell to take on the Yotes this Saturday and Sunday in CCC action.
