The Savviest Play You’ll See This March Earned Eastern Washington A Spot In The Big Sky Title Game

Conference tournament season in college basketball usually lends itself to some really, really weird things happening. It’s the nature of single-elimination tournaments, because while they’re not necessarily the best way to determine the best team a conference has to offer, their nature makes it possible for some entertaining runs by underdogs and provide some unforgettable moments.

One such run is occurring in the Big Sky women’s tournament, where six seed Eastern Washington will play for a championship on Friday afternoon. The Eagles entered tournament play 10-19 with a 9-11 mark in conference play, but picked up wins over third-seeded Idaho State in the quarterfinals and second-seeded Northern Colorado in the semis.

The win in the semifinals happened under some pretty unique circumstances. The Eagles were down by a point with 4.5 seconds left and got the chance to inbound the ball under their basket. Freshman guard Jessica McDowell-White was tasked with getting the ball in, when she noticed a defender had her back turned. A few moments later and McDowell-White was the game’s hero.

Here’s the angle from underneath the basket. It’s a smart play by McDowell-White, and it’s one awfully impressive finish through contact.

Eastern Washington would go on to win this game, 59-57, with McDowell-White scoring 10 of those points. Of course, the three at the end of the game proved to be gigantic, and now, the Eagles will take on Portland State with the hopes of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987.