GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota women's basketball team closed out its Summit League – Big Sky Challenge Saturday with a 72-65 loss to Eastern Washington in the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
In the first meeting since 2018 between the Fighting Hawks and Eagles, the contest was closely contested with the score staying within single digits for the full 40 minutes. Each team's largest lead was eight points, with UND taking a 46-38 edge late in the third quarter, and the Eagles' largest advantage came in the first quarter. The score was tied six times, while the lead changed hands 18 times. North Dakota controlled the middle quarters by outscoring EWU 38-24, while EWU held a 48-27 advantage in the first and fourth frames.
 
With the Hawks looking to build off their second quarter momentum, Kacie Borowicz began to heat up and scored 11 of her 17 points out of the halftime break. UND grabbed its largest lead of the night following Borowicz's sixth straight point and would head to the final frame with a seven-point lead after Davis answered an EWU bucket with one of her own. The Hawks' strong defensive effort continued out of the halftime, as they held EWU to .300 percent shooting in the period.
 
NoDak was out in front until midway through the fourth quarter, before an 11-2 EWU run tied the game at 53 with 5:55 remaining. The Eagles hit 4-of-8 three-point attempts in the fourth, with three coming from Jaydia Martin who had 14 points in the final frame. EWU scored seven points off turnovers and six second chance points. UND cut the deficit to three twice in the final minute of regulation, and after a Kiera Pemberton bucket, the Eagles turned the ball over in their attempt to inbound the ball. NoDak, however, was unable to connect on a game-tying three-pointer and the Eagles closed the game out at the free throw line.
 
Following a defensive first quarter that saw both teams shoot under .300 percent from the field, UND opened the second quarter with an 8-0 run. Miranda VanderWal got the scoring started with a jumper, and Sammiyah Hoskin and DJ Davis joined in with back-to-back three-pointers to take an 18-17 advantage. The lead changed between the two teams five times in the second quarter, but it was the Fighting Hawks who took a 26-25 lead at the intermission following Hoskin's bucket to close the half.
 
North Dakota will return to Summit League action next week for a pair of home games at the Betty starting with Omaha on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
 
Postgame Notes 

• UND went 1-1 during the Summit League – Big Sky Challenge
• Miranda VanderWal recorded a block for the fifth straight game and has 11 rejections in her last five games
• UND held a 26-25 lead at halftime and are now 4-1 when holding the edge at half
• Sammiyah Hoskin grabbed a season-high 9 rebounds in today's contest with four off the offensive glass
• Kacie Borowicz scored in double-digits for the sixth straight game and 11th game this season
• UND still holds the series lead and is now 6-5 all-time against EWU
• North Dakota shot .882 percent from the free throw line, the fifth time in the last six games they've shot over .800 percent
• The Eagles won the rebounding battle 53-43 and had 23 offensive rebounds
• UND had more points in the paint 24-22 and bench points 19-10, while EWU held the edge in points off turnovers 21-6 and second chance points 18-12

  
How It Happened 
Q1: EWU 17, UND 10
Q2: UND 26, EWU 25
Q3: UND 48, EWU 41
Q4: EWU 72, UND 65

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.