LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University Women’s Basketball continued its undefeated start to the 2025-26 season with a hard-fought 79–74 victory over Arizona Christian University on Friday afternoon during the second weekend of the Caldwell Classic.
From the opening tip, the game was a back-and-forth battle. The first half saw both teams trading baskets, with the Firestorm holding a slim 23–22 lead after the opening quarter before the Mounties evened the score at 36–36 heading into halftime. Eastern Oregon began to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring ACU 24–15, a surge that gave them a lead they would carry into the final frame. ACU rallied in the fourth, outscoring the Mounties 23–19, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the momentum built in the third quarter.
Eastern Oregon was led by Kelsie Siegner, who posted her third double-double of the season with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks, providing a dominant presence in the paint. Maggie Smith contributed 17 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, while Kali Kast added 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block, giving the Mounties balanced scoring and defensive support.
Although the final score separated the teams by only five points, the stat sheet highlighted just how closely matched the contest was. In the first quarter, both teams shot nearly even from the field, with ACU making 8-of-17 and EOU 7-of-15, but the Mounties held the edge from beyond the arc, hitting 50% of their threes compared to ACU’s 25%. Shooting dipped for both squads in the second quarter, as EOU managed just 6-of-21 from the field and 2-of-12 from three, while ACU went 5-of-19 and 1-of-7 from deep. Eastern’s third-quarter surge, fueled by far more efficient scoring — nearly 59% from the field and 40% from three — gave them a decisive edge over ACU, who struggled at 28.6% and 20%, respectively. Though ACU outscored EOU 23–19 in the fourth quarter, Eastern’s strong third-quarter performance proved enough to secure the win.
Other categories were nearly dead even: points in the paint were EOU 24 to ACU 30, with second-chance points tied at 13 each, and bench scoring close, with the Mounties contributing 18 points to ACU’s 17. Turnovers proved pivotal; Eastern converted 13 points off ACU turnovers, slightly outpacing ACU’s 8 points off turnovers, a small but critical difference in such a tight game.
With the win, Eastern Oregon improves to 7–0 on the season, maintaining their undefeated streak. The Mounties will return to the court tomorrow night for their final Caldwell Classic matchup, taking on Embry-Riddle at 5:00 p.m. MT.