RICHMOND, Ky. – Senior Crystal Jones scored a game-high 19 points and Eastern Kentucky never trailed while beating Tennessee-Martin, 64-54, Wednesday night at McBrayer Arena. The Lady Colonels (6-2, 2-1 OVC) jumped out to a quick start and led 13-2 less than three minutes into the game. The Skyhawks (3-7, 0-3 OVC) used a 9-0 run at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half to draw within four but never came any closer.
Phyllisha Mitchell led Tennessee-Martin with 18 points and a game-high 18 rebounds.
Jones made seven of 12 shots, including three of four from three-point territory, and added seven rebounds and three assists to her totals. Freshman Lindsey Waters also finished with seven rebounds.
The Lady Colonels used unselfish play to key a quick start. All five starters scored in the first two and a half minutes and a three-pointer by Cazee with 17:02 to go in the first half put Eastern in front 13-2.
Five straight points by the Skyhawks cut the lead to six points but Jones answered with a three-pointer to keep UTM at bay.
Moments later, on a series that exemplified the Lady Colonels unselfish play, Cazee came up with a steal at mid-court and passed ahead to Jones in the paint. With a two-on-one advantage, Jones fed Avery at the top of the key. Avery drove to the basket to draw the defender and then passed back to Jones for an open lay-up and an 18-7 EKU lead.
Eleven first half turnovers kept Eastern Kentucky from building a larger first half lead. After Shavonne Jones scored on a put-back to put the Lady Colonels up 22-11 with 10:38 to play in the first half, Eastern turned the ball over three times in two and a half minutes as the Skyhawks cut their deficit to five points. Mitchell capped an 8-2 UTM run with two free throws and a lay-up to make it 24-19.
EKU came right back. Crystal Jones and LaTonyah Bentley keyed a 13-5 Lady Colonel run. Jones scored seven and Bentley added a pair of baskets. Jones’ lay-up with 2:11 before intermission put Eastern in front by 13 points, 37-24.
The Skyhawks scored the final five points of the half on a pair of free throws by Mitchell and a three pointer from Jennifer Angler and went to the locker room down by eight, 37-29.
Crystal Jones had 12 points in the first half and Niki Avery had five assists. Mitchell led UT Martin with 11 first half points and eight rebounds.
The Lady Colonels finished the first half with 10 assists on their 16 field goals. The Skyhawks made just nine of 33 shots in the first stanza for 27.3 percent.
The Skyhawks scored the first four points of the second half to extend their run to 9-0 and cut the Eastern lead to four, 37-33, with 18:28 left in the game. However, Tennessee-Martin would get no closer.
LaTanya Stokes followed with an old-fashioned three-point play for a seven-point Lady Colonel advantage. A pair of free throws by Jones and a three-pointer by Cazee extended the lead to 12, 47-35, with 15:40 showing on the clock.
A three by Angler and a lay-up by Whitney Malone drew the visitors to within seven, 51-44, with 10:10 left in the game.
After a Sara Stinson lay-up made it a seven point game again, with 8:18 to play, EKU tightened up on the defensive end and held the Skyhawks to just one bucket for nearly seven minutes. Jones hit a trey at the 7:17 mark to put the Lady Colonels in front by 12, 58-46. Bentley’s lay-up with just over three minutes remaining gave Eastern its largest lead at 16 points, 64-48.
EKU did not score again and UTM scored the final six points of the game to set the final score.
After shooting 47.1 percent (16-of-34) in the first half, the Lady Colonels cooled to 32.1 percent (9-of-28) in the second half. EKU committed just six turnovers in the second stanza.
The Lady Colonels will be back in action on Friday when they host Eastern Illinois University. Tip-off at McBrayer Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m.
