Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University’s women’s basketball team allowed Houston Baptist University to shoot 57.1 percent in an 81-69 loss today at McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Ky. Junior Colette Cole scored a career-high 21 points for the Lady Colonels (3-5). The Huskies (3-6) were led by Fallon Thomas with 19 points.

Cole made 10 of her 11 shot attempts and added seven rebounds. Freshman Kayla Drake scored 14 points, all in the second half. She also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists while only making one turnover in 27 minutes on the court.

Megan Green made three of five three-point attempts and finished with 18 points for HBU.

The Huskies shot 28-of-49 from the field for the game. Houston Baptist made 12 of 19 second half shot attempts for 63.2 percent. EKU shot 40.3 percent (27-of-67) for the game.

After Houston Baptist scratched the scoreboard first with a jumper in the paint by Jelela Simpson, Cherie White knocked down a three-pointer from the left side to give the Lady Colonels an early 3-2 lead. White intercepted a pass on HBU’s next possession and raced down court to convert the transition lay-up and give Eastern a 5-2 lead with 18:25 to play in the first half. However, back-to-back three-pointers by Green and Raquel Jones put the Huskies back in front 8-5.

Houston Baptist stretched its run to 11 unanswered with an old-fashioned three-point play by Simpson and a jumper by Green which put the visitors on top 13-5 with 15:45 remaining in the first half.

The Huskies made five of their first seven shots from the field.

Eastern Kentucky answered with seven straight points as part of a 9-2 run that cut the deficit to a single point. Jasmine Lewin hit a pair of jumpers and Ilona Muszak knocked down a three pointer during the run. Lewin’s second jumper made it a 15-14 game with 12:16 to play before intermission.

After Nadia Mossong hit the first of two free throw attempts with 5:57 showing on the clock to make it a 25-22 game in favor of HBU, the Huskies went on to end the half on a 13-2 run. Thomas scored six points and Green contributed another trey during the run. A steal and lay-up by Thomas as the first half ended sent Houston Baptist to the locker room with a 14-point lead, 38-24.

The Huskies shot 53.3 percent (16-for-30) in the first half. HBU went 4-for-9 from behind the arc. Eastern Kentucky made 10-of-27 shots for 37 percent.

The Lady Colonels scored the first four points of the second half to cut the deficit to 10. It took Houston Baptist more than three minutes to score in the second half.

The Huskies led by 11, 44-33, after a three-pointer by Simpson.

A 9-2 run engineered by Cole and Drake got EKU to within six. Cole scored the first four points and Drake accounted for the next five. Her off-balance jumper, after an old-fashioned three-point play, made it 44-38 with 13:47 left in the game.

The Lady Colonel run ended with six straight points by HBU that doubled the Husky lead to 12, 52-40, with 11:15 to play. Another 6-0 Houston Baptist run, including four points by Jamie Spriggs, push the visitors to a 15-point lead, 62-47, with 7:48 showing on the clock.

Six unanswered by the Lady Colonels cut the deficit to single digits. Cole scored back-to-back baskets and Mossong made two free throws with 2:58 left in the game to bring EKU to within eight, 66-58. However, the Huskies scored the next four points to end the threat.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Drake and Muszak with a minute and a half to play got Eastern back to within eight, 72-64. The Huskies made 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

Mossong finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Eastern. Simpson finished with 11 points and eight rebounds for Houston Baptist.

Next up for the Lady Colonels is a game against 24th-ranked Oklahoma State on Dec. 22 in Stillwater, Okla. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.