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Game Notes

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky’s women’s basketball team will help raise breast cancer awareness by wearing pink during its game on Saturday against Eastern Illinois. EKU is one of more than 1,500 schools and organizations nationwide participating in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone™ week.  The game is being sponsored by the Richmond Register.

The Lady Colonels will wear pink warm-up shirts and pink shoe laces during their game against the Panthers. The team is asking its fans to participate as well by wearing pink to the game. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Pink ribbons and breast cancer brochures will be handed out at the door. Fans wearing pink to the game will be allowed to participate in games and promotions throughout the day. EKU will observe a moment of silence before the game in honor of North Carolina State Head Coach Kay Yow and all of those who have been lost to breast cancer.

The WBCA Pink Zone™ initiative is a global, unified effort for the WBCA’s nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The week set aside for this year’s initiative is February 13-22.

In its last game, Eastern Kentucky trailed by only four points with four minutes to go, but Southeast Missouri State used a 10-3 run to build an 11-point cushion and went on to earn a 66-56 win Thursday at McBrayer Arena. Freshman Kayla Drake and sophomore Cherie White each finished with 13 points for the Lady Colonels (6-17, 3-11). White added a career-high 14 rebounds for her first career double-double. Drake also finished with six rebounds and six assists. Senior Ilona Muszak knocked down four three-pointers and finished with 12 points.

Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series with Eastern Illinois 14-9. The last meeting came on Jan. 15, with EIU winning 78-44 in Charleston. The Panthers have won six of the last seven in the series. EKU is 8-3 in games played in Richmond. Two of the last three games have gone to overtime.

In the first meeting of the season between the two teams, Eastern shot 29 percent from the field in the first half. Drake led the Lady Colonels with 12 points. Dominique Sims and Maggie Kloak each finished with 18 points for the Panthers. Eastern Kentucky shot 32 percent for the game while Eastern Illinois shot 49.2 percent.

Eastern Illinois (18-7, 11-2 OVC) remains in the thick of the race for the OVC Championship. The Panthers are one game behind first place Murray State in the loss column. The only two conference losses for EIU this season have come at Southeast Missouri and at Murray State.

Eastern Illinois enters Saturday’s game on a six game winning streak. The Panthers beat Morehead State on Thursday, 64-55. Ellen Canale led the way with 19 points. Kloak came off the bench to score 12 points and grab eight rebounds. The Panthers out-rebounded Morehead 54-37.

Rachel Galligan leads the team in scoring (15.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg). Canale is the team’s second leading scorer at 10.5 points per contest.