Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s offense sputtered in a 55-36 exhibition game loss to Findlay on Sunday at McBrayer Arena. The Lady Colonels shot 24.1 percent from the field and made only one three-pointer in 15 attempts.

Junior Cherie White led EKU with nine points. She also grabbed eight rebounds, including five off the offensive glass. Freshman Brittany Coles scored eight points and grabbed three boards. Freshman Alex Jones finished with eight rebounds, four points and three blocks.

Audra Mihalic led the Oilers with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Laura Bardall added 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Eastern Kentucky got off to a slow start offensively and never found a groove. The Lady Colonels made just 4-of-28 attempts in the first half and went 9-for-26 in the second half. EKU shot 6.7 percent from three point range and made only 56.3 percent (9-for-16) from the free throw line.

Eastern committed 16 turnovers and totaled only six assists.

UF shot 37.5 percent (18-for-48) for the game. The Oilers made 5-of-18 from deep for 27.8 percent.

Findlay hit six of its first 11 shots to jump in front 14-2. Four straight free throws extended the Oilers lead to 14, 18-4. Eastern Kentucky made just one of its first 14 attempts from the field and shot 14.3 percent in the first half.

The Lady Colonels closed to within 10 twice over the final five minutes of the first half but went to the locker room down by 11, 24-13.

The Oilers began the second half much like they did the first. UF scored the first seven points of the period to take an 18-point lead, 31-13. The visitors stretched their run to 11-2 and took their largest lead, 35-15, on a lay-up by Tai Dotson with 15:51 to go in the game.

Eastern Kentucky answered with a run of its own. The Lady Colonels scored eight straight to get within 12, 35-23. The spurt began a 16-4 run that closed the gap to eight. Coles scored the second straight set of eight by herself. A three-pointer, a free throw and a jumper by Coles brought EKU to within nine, 38-29, with 9:53 remaining to play.

Coles capped the run with a lay-up to make it 39-31 with 7:42 to go, but the Lady Colonels wouldn’t get any closer. A three-pointer on the other end by Kayla Brown stopped the Eastern run and gave Findlay a double-digit lead that it would relinquish.

The Lady Colonels will open their 2009-10 season on Saturday when they travel to face Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Tip-off at E.A. Diddle Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.