MURRAY, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky fell behind by 12 early in the game, battled back to tie it up in the second half, but couldn’t hold off Murray State University, falling 77-66 tonight in Murray, Ky. Niki Avery led the Lady Colonels (4-2, 0-1 OVC) with 18 points and Crystal Jones added 13 points and nine rebounds.

Amber Guffey led the Racers (5-2, 1-0 OVC) with 24 points. Ashley Hayes recorded a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Murray State jumped out ahead and led 11-2 just two and a half minutes into the game. Amber Guffey and Ashley Hayes accounted for nine of MSU’s first 11 points. A three-pointer by Hayes stretched the lead to 11, 16-5, with 15:37 remaining in the first half. Alaina Lee’s trey with 15:37 on the clock gave Murray State its largest lead, 12 points, with 11:38 before intermission.

The Lady Colonels didn’t fold. Following Lee’s three-pointer EKU scored nine straight to pull within three points, 19-16, with less than 10 minutes left in the first half.

Seven straight points by the Guffeys, five by Amber, allowed the Racers to move back in front by 11, 33-22, with 4:16 to go.

Eastern Kentucky got the deficit into the single digits and then scored the final five points of the first half and only trailed by four, 39-35, at the break.

EKU shot 41.4 percent (12-of-29) in the first half and seven Lady Colonels scratched the scoring column.

A lay-up by Lindsey Waters to open the second half had Eastern down by just two points, 39-37, but once again, the Racers answered with an 8-2 run to move back in front by 11 points, 54-43, with 13:39 to play in the game.

The Lady Colonels answered with a run of their own, scoring 11 unanswered points to tie the game for the first time. Avery hit back-to-back three-pointers to start the run and a jumper by Jones capped it off, tying the score at 54 with 11:33 remaining in the game.

Eastern Kentucky stayed within five points until Shaleea Petty knocked down a three-pointer and Amber Guffey converted a pair of free throws to push the Racer lead to nine points, 71-62, with 6:46 showing on the clock.

The Lady Colonel defense held MSU scoreless for the next four minutes but EKU had trouble on the offense end as well. After back-to-back lay-ups, one by LaTanya Stokes and one by Cazee, made it a five point game Eastern missed on two three-pointers that could have cut the lead to just two points. The second attempt from deep, by Nadia Mossong from the corner, rimmed in and out.

After Cazee’s lay-up, the Lady Colonels did not score again, missing on their final six shot attempts and turning the ball over five times.

EKU shot 40.7 percent (24-of-59) from the field for the game. Eastern made five of 11 three-pointers for 45.5 percent.

Stokes finished with 13 points and six rebounds for the Lady Colonels.

Murray State shot 38.9 percent (28-of-72) but made nine of 18 attempts from beyond the three-point arc. The Racers held a 45-36 rebounding edge.

The Lady Colonels continue OVC play on Saturday when they face Austin Peay State University at 3 p.m., in Clarksville, Tenn.