RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky will attempt to improve to 3-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play on Friday when the Lady Colonels (6-2, 2-1 OVC) hosts Eastern Illinois University at McBrayer Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. With a win over the Panthers (4-7, 3-0 OVC) Eastern will sit in a four-way tie for first place at the conclusion of the pre-Christmas portion of the conference schedule.

The Lady Colonels are off to their best start since beginning the 2001-02 season with six wins in their first eight games. Eastern has back-to-back wins over Austin Peay and Tennessee-Martin.

EKU never trailed in its 64-54 win over Tennessee-Martin on Wednesday and senior Crystal Jones scored a game-high 19 points. The Lady Colonels jumped out to a quick start and led 13-2 less than three minutes into the game. The Skyhawks 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.

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 Ashley Cazee with 17:02 to go in the first half put Eastern in front 13-2.

After Tennessee-Martin made it a seven point game again, with 8:18 left in the game, 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. LaTonyah Bentley’s lay-up with just over three minutes remaining gave Eastern its largest lead at 16 points, 64-48.

In EKU’s first three OVC games of the season, Jones is averaging 18.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and two steals per game.

The Panthers are 3-0 in the OVC and riding a four-game winning streak despite injuries to two preseason All-OVC players.

Eastern Illinois has played the last three games, all wins, without the services of the team’s leading scorer, Jessica Huffman. The sophomore averaged 13.4 points and 4.1 rebounds through EIU’s first eight games. Huffman is expected to remain sidelined until after the first of the year with a stress fracture in her tibia.

Rachel Galligan, also a preseason all-conference selection, returned to action on Wednesday after missing five games due to a toe injury. Galligan is averaging 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She came off the bench against Morehead State on Wednesday and scored eight points in 17 minutes of action.

The Panthers have conference wins at home over Tennessee Tech in overtime and Tennessee State. EIU beat Morehead State on the road 65-55.

Frontcourt mates Maggie Kloak (22) and Lindsey Kluempers (15) both registered career-high scoring totals against Morehead. The two also combined for 13 rebounds. In three conference games, Kloak is averaging 16.7 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Dominique Sims is averaging 10.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and three assists against conference foes.