Whether it was the Eagles at Hudson’s Bay High School or now Eastern Washington, Jaydia Martin can help a basketball team soar.
Thanks in part to the sophomore small-forward, Eastern Washington is one of the Big Sky Conference’s hottest teams. The Eagles are riding a four-game win streak and entered this week in third place at 5-3.
Martin leads the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game. She has scored in double-figures in nine straight games, including a 33-point outburst Jan. 16 in a 87-60 win at Montana.
“Jaydia Martin a nice balance to her game,” head coach Joddie Gleason said after that game. “She knew when to be aggressive to the rim, when to take the open three and really let the game come to her.”
Martin was named Big Sky Player of the Week on Jan. 17 for the second time this season. She won the first award of the season Nov. 15 after scoring 50 points combined in wins of Corban, Boise State and Southern Utah.
Martin’s success this season is hardly a surprise. She hit the ground running in Cheney, setting freshman program records in scoring (15.2 points per game), field goals (149) and 3-pointers (71) while starting all 30 games. She was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
Schumacher leads Seattle U surge
No team in the Western Athletic Conference is hotter than Seattle U.
The Redhawks are riding an eight-game win streak and are 7-0 in conference play. At 16-4, Seattle earned four votes in this week’s USA Today coaches poll, marking the program’s first appearance in an NCAA Division I national poll since the 1964-65 season.
Skyview High graduate Alex Schumacher has played a big role in the Redhawks’ success. The junior guard has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games.
Schumacher leads the team with 59 assists and is third in scoring at 11.7 points per game.
Prior to joining Seattle U, Schumacher starred at Division II Saint Martin’s. He led the Saints to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season title and earned second-team all-conference honors.
Chiles helps UCLA gymnastics win Pac-12 opener
Vancouver Olympian Jordan Chiles placed first in the bars and floor as No. 4 UCLA won its Pac-12 opener over No. 20 Washington, 196.900-195.825, on Saturday at Seattle.
Chiles, a Prairie High grad who won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2020 Olympics, scored 9.925 on the bars to tie for first with teammate Selena Harris. The sophomore also scored 9.950 on the floor, tying for first with Washington’s Amara Cunningham.
Chiles was named Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week on Jan. 10. That came after Chiles placed second in the all-around (39.650) behind Olympic teammate Suni Lee at a season-opening event in Las Vegas.
