The USU Eastern Lady Eagles moved up one spot to No. 15 in the latest NJCAA rankings following a 70-41 win over Central Wyoming Saturday at Salt Lake Community College.

Playing in just one game this past weekend, the Lady Eagles improved to 9-1 on the season with the dominant victory. The lopsided score marked the seventh time USU Eastern has won by double-digits this season.

USU Eastern never trailed in Saturday’s non-conference game, racing out to a 23-9 lead by the end of the first quarter. The lead continued to methodically grow as the Lady Eagles won each of the next two quarters, making the fourth a formality.

Sophomore Janel Blazzard scored 11 points in 17 minutes in a reserve role. Kianna Lighthall poured in eight points off the bench as the USU Eastern second unit outscored Central Wyoming’s 42-8.

Summer Christensen led the starting lineup with five points on 3-of-6 shooting to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Ellie Esplin finished with six points and three assists, while Hadley Humpherys scored six and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

Offensively the Lady Eagles developed a massive advantage inside the paint where they scored 36 of their 70 points. The team’s 18 offensive rebounds resulted in 11 second chance points.

USU Eastern’s defense forced 18 turnovers, 14 of which came in the form of steals. Both Ellie Esplin and McKenzie Allen gathered four takeaways, while Japrix Weaver accounted for two.

The win sets the stage for a lengthy break, giving the Lady Eagles a full 10 days off before returning to the court at home on Tuesday, Dec. 12 against Yavapai College.